Paragraph writing is a necessary skill that benefits kids of all ages and people within a wide variety of industries. This is why educators and teachers know that introducing paragraph writing topics into their classroom curriculum as soon as possible is vitally important. (Thank you teachers!!) Now…
Even students who are just learning to write, such as kindergartners, can benefit from understanding the structure of a paragraph.
And…
As they progress into the later years of elementary school and middle school, they can begin to create paragraphs that include all of the necessary elements.
That’s why…
In this blog post, we explore basic paragraph structure and elements, share our list our 20 good paragraph writing prompts, and offer you some related links to resources.
Of course, once a student reaches high school, they should be able to write a paragraph that has a distinct thesis and also includes supporting arguments. Still, it’s never too early or too late to learn how to write good paragraphs. So….
Without further ado, get to it and take a look at the excellent paragraph writing tools shown below. for you and your writers.
Enjoy and write on!
Paragraph Structure and Elements
Effective paragraphs should include the following elements:
- Topic Sentence — The topic sentence should ideally be the first sentence of the paragraph and should introduce the topic that will be discussed in the paragraph. Take a look at these 35 Marvelous Paragraph Starters to Use in Your Classroom!
- Supporting Details and Sentences — The supporting sentences should provide additional information that is relevant to the topic and helps support the argument of the topic. Generally, there are between 2 and 4 support sentences per paragraph. This group of sentences should support the main idea of the paragraph.
- Concluding Sentence — The last sentence needs to be a short, cohesive sentence that concludes the topic of the paragraph.
Ok…
One simple yet effective way you can help students practice their paragraph-writing skills is to share this wonderful list of paragraph-writing topics with them. Take a look now.
20 Paragraph Writing Topics
These paragraph writing topics can be used for nearly any type of classroom, regardless of grade level or subject matter:
- Write a paragraph about an important person in history. Be sure to address the topic of the paragraph, such as that person’s career, birthplace, or prominent contribution. Use supporting sentences to expand on the topic chosen.
- Write a paragraph about your bedroom at home. Be descriptive, and use adjectives to describe how the space looks and how you feel when you are in your bedroom.
- Write a paragraph about a holiday that you do not celebrate. Use facts within the supporting sentences to explain the holiday and the traditions that are associated with it.
- Write a paragraph about an insect. Make sure to use scientific data and observations to create strong support within the paragraph.
- Write a paragraph arguing your opinion on a controversial topic. Make sure to use factual information to support your opinion, and conclude with why you feel the way you do.
- Write a descriptive paragraph about your garden. Identify the plants that are in the garden, and use descriptive phrases to make the reader feel as if they are walking through your garden.
- Write a paragraph providing instructions on how to code your favorite game. Be sure to offer clear direction, and don’t forget to use transitional phrases to guide the reader from one step to the next.
- Write a paragraph about a new invention that you would create. Use descriptive phrases to describe your invention and to support the topic.
- Write a persuasive paragraph asking your classmates to help take care of the school better. Offer several reasons within your supporting sentences as to why they should care about the well-being of their school building.
- Write a paragraph describing a recent vacation that you took with your family. Be sure to describe the paragraph in detail, and conclude with what you loved most about your trip.
- Write a paragraph describing one object, but use all of the senses in your description. Include a variety of adjectives to bring the paragraph to life for the reader.
- Write a paragraph providing directions for how to care for your pet. Describe the pet and include the materials needed to properly care for the animal.
- Write a persuasive paragraph about why you should earn more money for the chores you complete for your parents. Give solid reasons to support your argumentative topic.
- Write a paragraph about a different culture. Introduce the reader to this culture through your supporting sentences.
- Write a paragraph describing your favorite view, whether it is the view out your window from home or a fleeting glimpse of a sunset on vacation. Describe the scene in detail.
- Write a paragraph in response to a recent news article that you have read. Use the topic sentence to address your feelings on the news piece, and the supporting sentences to back up your opinion.
- Write a paragraph about an item that you feel your school needs. Form an argument and support your cause with facts and data.
- Write a paragraph about a special childhood toy or memento. Describe why it is important to you and how it makes you feel.
- Write a paragraph about a recent science experiment that you conducted in school. Identify what you observed, learned, and improvements you might make to the experiment.
- Write a paragraph about the career you are considering. Explain why you are choosing that career path and how you plan to accomplish your goal.