Paragraph writing - Jane Schaffer method

A writing teacher in the USA came up with this strategy to help students learn to write "well connected" and "logical" paragraphs. Paragraphs where ideas are properly connected.

Topic sentence / statement (TS)
This sentence should state the fact and be straight to the point.

Concrete detail sentence (CD)
This sentence is the "what" sentence and is a fact. It should be either facts, examples, illustrations, evidence, support, paraphrases, citations, quotations, etc. It should be a concrete detail and should start with 'for example' or a different transition.

• For example,

Commentary (CM)
There are atleast two commentary sentences in each paragraph. They often (but not always) contain no facts. Instead, they contain comments from you the paragraph writer about the fact presented in the CD. This sentence contains analysis, interpretation, opinions, insight, or reasons. It can hold more facts to support the "point" made in the CD.

Most commentary sentences start with one of the following transitions:

• This (also) shows that
• This is important because
• This is because
• In addition,
• Furthermore,
• Therefore,
• For example,

Concluding Sentence (CS)
The Concluding Sentence (CS) is the closing sentence that wraps up the TS and sums up the paragraph. It closes up the thoughts and often provides a clue to what the topic will be in the next paragraph. It often has emotion or connotation in it - encouraging action. It usually begins with "As a result" or another concluding sentence. It can be more than one sentence.

• As a result,

frappuccino freak. (2004, April 10). The Jane Schaffer Writing Program. Everything2.com. Retrieved May 5, 2009, from http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1530903.

Heurta, S. (, n.d). Jane Schaffer How-To. Heurta's English Class. Retrieved May 5, 2009, from http://huertas.vms.lusd.org/Janeschafferhowsto.html.

Various contributors. (2009, May 3). Schaffer paragraph - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. wiki, . Retrieved May 5, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schaffer_paragraph.

Vista High School Staff. (, n.d). Teaching Jane Schaffer’s Multiparagraph Essay - A Step by Step Guide. Vista High School . Retrieved May 5, 2009, from http://209.85.229.132/custom?q=cache:Uu-t_i1o_lkJ:vhs.vusd.k12.ca.us/currint/mpe/mpe95.ppt+Jane+Schaffer&cd=7&hl=en&ct=clnk&client=pub-4099951843714863.