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Grade: all
Subject: Reading/Writing
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Use a simple, yet effective numeric framework to teach students how to organize their thoughts, oral and written communication.Start with a focus (main idea). In this example, I use favorite authors as my focus or main idea - referred to as the POWER 1 idea.
Limit the discussion to two or three authors, thus narrowing the focus. In this example, I list Stephen King and Bill Peet. These are the POWER 2 ideas.
Now, the hard part - elaborating or telling more. To do this, I suggest that students interview each other about their favorite authors, asking questions that start with "who, what, when, where, how, which, and why." After the interview, now the students have an awareness of audience interest and information to use in their paragraph or essay. This information is assigned POWER 3.
To begin the piece, transform the POWER 1 idea into a sentence. Here is an example:
Although I enjoy reading numerous authors' works, two rise to the top of my list.
Next, naturally I add my POWER 2. Again, an example:
Although I enjoy reading numerous authors' works, two rise to the top of my list. As a child, I always enjoyed Bill Peet's illustrations and rhyming text.
Because I am writing a short paragraph, I will elaborate about Bill Peet now by adding POWER 3.
Although I enjoy reading numerous authors' works, two rise to the top of my list. As a child, I always enjoyed Bill Peet's illustrations and rhyming text. I'll bet my mom read my favorite book, No Such Thing, a thousand times to me between the ages of 5 and 7. As an teacher I find his book about pollution and endangered species, Farewell to Shady Glade, not only enjoyable to share but a very thought provoking one.
My organizational pattern thus far is 1 - 2 - 3 - 3. Now, I will introduce the other author. The use of a transitional device is necessary to alert the reader that I am moving to a new idea. Can you identify my transitional devices in the above paragraph?
Here they are: as a child as a teacher
Although I enjoy reading numerous authors' works, two rise to the top of my list. As a child, I always enjoyed Bill Peet's illustrations and rhyming text. I'll bet my mom read my favorite book, No Such Thing, a thousand times to me between the ages of 5 and 7. As an teacher I find his book about pollution and endangered species, Farewell to Shady Glade, not only enjoyable to share but a very thought provoking one. Whenever I have free time, you can spot me reading the latest Stephen King book. I just finished the release of one of his earlier books, The Stand. This release is the original book; the first release he was forced to edit. In this edition, he fully develops his characters and adds more suspense. Last year, I read his autobiography entitled, On Writing: A Writer's Memior. It's a fascinating opportunity to under where his story ideas came from and how he developed as a writer.
Ok, now the organizational pattern is 1-2-3-3-2-3-4-3-4.
You might be wondering "What's a POWER 4?" The answer, a POWER 4 simply tells more about the POWER 3.
To conclude, some teachers and writers might end with a review statement. This would be assigned the POWER 1 because it returns to the main idea. In my example, the concluding sentence might be:
Although very different, Bill Peet and Stephen King are fabulous authors which I always enjoy reading and sharing with others.
If you are interested in learning more about POWER writing, please visit my website. I conduct writing workshops throughout the United States and Canada. References and test results are available.
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