The SIM Paragraph Writing Strategy (SCRIBE, PENS)
Strategy Parameters
- Genres: Paragraph Level, Persuasive, Narrative, Infomational, Descriptive, Expository
- Grade Levels: 5-12
- Writing Process Stage: Prewriting, Planning, Drafting, Revising
At-A-Glance
With the SIM Paragraph Writing Strategy, students learn to list ideas related to a topic; plan the point of view and verb tense to be used in the paragraph; plan the sequence in which ideas will be expressed; and write a variety of topic, detail, and clincher sentences in a well-organized paragraph. Teachers use the stages of instruction from the Strategic Instruction Model (SIM).
Overview
The SIM Paragraph Writing Strategy (for students in grades 5+) supports teachers to instruct students to develop their paragraph writing skills, including learning to list ideas related to a topic; planning the point of view and verb tense to be used in the paragraph; planning the sequence in which ideas will be expressed; and writing a variety of topic, detail, and clincher sentences in a well-organized paragraph. Teachers use the stages of instruction from the Strategy Instruction Model (SIM).
Purpose and Benefits
This strategy helps students:
- Learn to list ideas related to a topic
- Plan the point of view and verb tense to be used in the paragraph
- Plan the sequence in which ideas will be expressed
- Write a variety of complete topic, Detail, and clincher sentences
- Learn a set of steps for integrating these skills as they write several kinds of paragraphs (narrative, reasons, compare/contrast)
- Develop metacognitive strategies by incorporating task initiation and self-monitoring into writing and checking sentences and paragraphs.
Why It's Effective
- The mnemonics PENS and SCRIBE make the steps actionable and supports students to recall and apply them independently.
- The eight stages of instruction include explicit, strategic, and sequential instruction with mastery learning.
- The strategy is part of the Strategic Instruction Model (SIM), which has a strong evidence base for improving writing performance of all students, include those with learning disabilities.
- The strategic instruction includes teacher modeling as well as verbal practice, guided practice, and independent practice with feedback for students.
