For youngsters who are in third grade, an effective approach to introducing the proper technique for writing paragraphs is to begin with a visual model. Choosing the hamburger method allows children to relate the pieces of a hamburger to the components of a paragraph. In addition to the visual aspect of this teaching method, the hamburger model also provides young students with a memory device they can call upon if necessary to remember all of the essential aspects of a paragraph.
The top bun of the hamburger model equals the topic sentence of a paragraph. The purpose of the topic sentence is to explain what the information the paragraph will consist of. At a third grade level, topic sentences will be very basic. For example, a paragraph about the planet Saturn from a third grade student could read as follows: "Although the planet Saturn is mostly recognized by its rings, the planet has many other unique qualities."
The second phase of the hamburger model is represented by the condiments and meat. When translating this to a paragraph, it is equal to the body of the paragraph. At a third grade level, the supporting information for the topic sentence need only be two or three sentences. Teach your child how to summarize the most important information for these sentences. Instill proper writing technique to your third grader by reviewing their work to make sure they do not fall into the categories of common writing mistakes such as run-on or fragment sentences.
The last phase of the hamburger model is the bottom bun or conclusion sentence. The most important aspect of this sentence is that it summarizes the point of the paragraph without introducing any new information. Teach third grade kids how to write concluding sentences by giving them scenarios contain three or four facts and having them summarize them with one sentence. In keeping with the previous example of the planet Saturn, tell kids how the planet has rings, moons and what the general makeup of the atmosphere is like. Show them sample concluding sentences such as, "With its moons and beautiful rings, it is clear that Saturn stands as one of the most majestic planets in the solar system."