In nonfictional passages, a paragraph’s structure or patterns of development is a method used by the writer to help organize and develop ideas in the best logical way over the course of the text. A text’s structure can change frequently from paragraph to paragraph within a single piece of writing.
Patterns of Development

  1. Main Idea and Key Details
  2. Narrative/Anecdotal
  3. Descriptive/Illustrative/Examples
  4. Step-by-Step Account/Procedural
  5. Cause-and-Effect
  6. Compare-Contrast
  7. Problem-Solution
  8. Chronological Order

Note: In order for students to identify these patterns during reading, teaching signal cues and sentence function, relationship, and alignment are essential.

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