Discipline: Professional Resources

Copyright: 2013

Grade(s): 6 - 8

Delivery Method: Print

Imprint: Heinemann

Author(s): Don Killgallon, Jenny Killgallon

Paragraphs for Middle School: A Sentence-Composing Approach

Following the success of their Sentence-Composing series and their Grammar: A Sentence-Composing Approach series, Don and Jenny Killgallon present a new series, Paragraphs: A Sentence-Composing Approach.

Paragraphs for Middle School: A Sentence-Composing Approach gives students new tools to write mature and varied sentences through imitating models by authors like Louis Sachar, Suzanne Collins, Gary Paulsen, J. R. R. Tolkien, Carl Hiassen, Rick Riordan, J. K. Rowling, and many others. Now, in this worktext, the Killgallons take the approach a step further by teaching students tools authors use to build paragraphs.

Using power tools in four places to build better sentences—the opener, the S-V split, the closer, and the mix—and four techniques for building better paragraphs—expanding paragraphs, imitating paragraphs, unscrambling paragraphs, and building paragraphs—students achieve a goal of good writing: elaboration. Through the activities in this book, students:

  • imitate how their favorite authors build sentences and paragraphs
  • eliminate common sentence boundary problems--fragments, run-ons, comma splices
  • learn, practice, and use the tools that foster elaboration in paragraphs.

With recognizable authors as their mentors, students build confidence as their writing becomes more meaningful and masterful.