Helping Children Organise Their Ideas in Writing

Some children have plenty to say but find it hard to turn their ideas into a clear paragraph. Recently, several parents have raised this concern with me.

One simple tool is the hamburger paragraph. Think of the opening sentence as the top bun: it introduces the main idea. The filling contains supporting details and examples. The bottom bun is a closing sentence that brings the paragraph together.

Once your child is comfortable with this structure, try one activity at a time to strengthen their writing:

1. Build a word bank. Before writing, list useful words about the topic. Invite your child to choose a more precise word where it helps.
2. Expand a sentence. Ask, “Can you tell me more?” or “What happened next?” Add one detail to make an idea clearer.
3. Connect ideas. Practise words such as first, because, for example and finally.
4. Read it aloud. Listen together for missing words or sentences that are hard to understand. Then check spelling and punctuation.
5. Ask for a reader’s view. A parent, teacher or peer can share one thing they understood well and one place where they wanted more detail.

For example, “I like the park” could become: “I like the park because I can cycle with my friends and watch the birds near the pond.” It is still the child’s idea, now with a reason and a detail.

The aim is to help children express their thoughts more clearly. Start with one paragraph, celebrate what works, and build from there.