How to Teach Students to Write Main Body Paragraphs Using the T.E.X.A.S. Formula
Have the students come up with a topic sentence., Have the students expand on the topic sentence., Ask for an example., Ask for analysis next., Have the students close with a summary.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Have the students come up with a topic sentence.
The ‘T’ section promotes the use of the term ‘topic sentence’ which is something which many educators are asking students to identify and apply to their own writing practices.
When teaching students, provide students with models where they are able to highlight key words and cohesive devices which are salient features of a topic sentence.
Therefore, it is imperative that the argument, task or essay question has been unpacked to an extent that the key words have been highlighted.
Students should be able to pick out a topic sentence in a card sort activity and justify their conviction that it is the topic sentence before they go on to create their own topic sentences.
Students should also make the connection that it has a strong connection to the ‘S’ section.
Those of you who are familiar with the ‘hamburger’ paragraph will recall the bun analogy.
To extend students in their writing and allow them to take more independent ownership of their writing, encourage students to produce a list of synonyms for the key words which they can interchange to avoid repetition. -
Step 2: Have the students expand on the topic sentence.
The ‘E’ section is for expansion as students are expanding on their assertion in the topic sentence rather than explaining and justifying themselves. , The ‘X’ section is the example section and it is important that students briefly contextualise an example, building up to it, before inserting the detail.
There may be more than one example to include.
In a literary essay, this may mean more than one quotation.
Students should be aware that choosing the most appropriate example is in itself a skill as a poor example will lead to poor analysis. , The 'A' analysis section gives the student the opportunity to extend and refine knowledge, using higher order skills of inference, comparison and abstraction.
Use M.E.S. to break this down for students.
First explain what your example means (deductive reasoning), then explain its effect (inference) and its significance (making connections to the reader, to the context, to society, etc). , The ‘S’ section has different functions depending on the level of complex reasoning required.
It can mean simply summarising your conclusion.
For those seeking a deeper understanding, it can also mean significance and students are required to apply their knowledge meaningfully to offer unique insights into their subject matter.
Alternatively, those people who use P.E.E.L. will know that the L is the linking sentence, similarly the ‘S’ can stand for setting up for the next paragraph. -
Step 3: Ask for an example.
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Step 4: Ask for analysis next.
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Step 5: Have the students close with a summary.
Detailed Guide
The ‘T’ section promotes the use of the term ‘topic sentence’ which is something which many educators are asking students to identify and apply to their own writing practices.
When teaching students, provide students with models where they are able to highlight key words and cohesive devices which are salient features of a topic sentence.
Therefore, it is imperative that the argument, task or essay question has been unpacked to an extent that the key words have been highlighted.
Students should be able to pick out a topic sentence in a card sort activity and justify their conviction that it is the topic sentence before they go on to create their own topic sentences.
Students should also make the connection that it has a strong connection to the ‘S’ section.
Those of you who are familiar with the ‘hamburger’ paragraph will recall the bun analogy.
To extend students in their writing and allow them to take more independent ownership of their writing, encourage students to produce a list of synonyms for the key words which they can interchange to avoid repetition.
The ‘E’ section is for expansion as students are expanding on their assertion in the topic sentence rather than explaining and justifying themselves. , The ‘X’ section is the example section and it is important that students briefly contextualise an example, building up to it, before inserting the detail.
There may be more than one example to include.
In a literary essay, this may mean more than one quotation.
Students should be aware that choosing the most appropriate example is in itself a skill as a poor example will lead to poor analysis. , The 'A' analysis section gives the student the opportunity to extend and refine knowledge, using higher order skills of inference, comparison and abstraction.
Use M.E.S. to break this down for students.
First explain what your example means (deductive reasoning), then explain its effect (inference) and its significance (making connections to the reader, to the context, to society, etc). , The ‘S’ section has different functions depending on the level of complex reasoning required.
It can mean simply summarising your conclusion.
For those seeking a deeper understanding, it can also mean significance and students are required to apply their knowledge meaningfully to offer unique insights into their subject matter.
Alternatively, those people who use P.E.E.L. will know that the L is the linking sentence, similarly the ‘S’ can stand for setting up for the next paragraph.
About the Author
Joseph Graham
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