Paragraphology® for Middle and High School with Jemicy School

This is a hands-on interactive workshop wherein participants will be actively involved in every step of Paragraphology® from the brainstorming process, through understanding color-coding, to understanding how to unlock a writing prompt. Every participant will make a manipulative that acts as a graphic organizer; this can easily be made with students. The course will begin with the basic five-sentence paragraph and evolve into an expanded paragraph. After mastering the expanded paragraph, participants will explore the additional paragraph types: reason, classification, compare/contrast, and process paragraphs. The course then transitions to the three-paragraph essay and five-paragraph essay. The five types of topic sentences and concluding sentences will evolve into the introduction and concluding paragraphs. The idea of a thesis and plan will be broken down and explored. Complex writing prompts will be unlocked, and Paragraphology® will be used to demonstrate how to take notes on expository text. Participants will leave this workshop with a toolbox full of manipulative resources that can immediately be used with their students.

In this session, participants will learn:

• Brainstorming
• Basic paragraph
• Paragraph cards
• Expanded paragraphs (example, reason, category, sequential, compare/contrast)
• Essay writing -Thesis & plan -Unlocking a writing prompt
• Note-taking

Audience: Middle & High school ELA/English Teachers, secondary learning specialists, special educators, tutors

About Presenter: Bridget Barley has been a member of the Jemicy School faculty for 18 years and is currently serving as the Director of the Middle School. During her time at Jemicy, she has served as a classroom teacher, Department Chair, the Dean of Students for the lower and middle schools. Since 2016, she has been an Associate Faculty of Education at Notre Dame of Maryland University. Ms. Barley is the author of Paragraphology®, and she has enjoyed opportunities to share her knowledge of structured writing at various conferences/venues throughout the country. She developed a teacher training program for Paragraphology® and has worked with teachers nationally as well as worldwide. Ms. Barley earned her B.A. in English from Villa Julie College (Stevenson University).