d. m. arney, m.a.

Often when a student is having difficulty with writing it is about the linear string of thoughts and not so much about grammar elements. If they say it out loud, that usually fixes whatever screwy sentences they are constructing. “Write what you say,” or for older students “Write what you mean.” However, when it comes to a paragraph, they often can’t see the whole thing as a complex unit. So try spiraling into the paragraph. First identify the details, the points. Then have them comment or expand those. Afterward add the conclusion that sums it all up. Finally add the topic sentence to introduce what’s already been said. I can’t tell you how many times the first sentence is the only thing standing in the way. But the anxiety over starting can be horribly high. So save the linear approach for later, at the moment build it like a house, circling around until you can take all the pieces and show the student how they fit together.