Spark Your Writing Lessons with FIRES

Posted by Jimmie | 0 comments

The writing process is such a complex task that most students greatly benefit from focusing on one element at a time. The FIRE mnemonic device is one tool to help your young writer generate content for paragraphs and essays.

A good paragraph has an abundance of convincing and detailed support to prove the topic sentence. Use FIRES to build support.

F is for Facts

What do you know about your subject? Give specific details to uphold your position. Locations, dates, actions, prices, causes, and names are examples of facts you can use.

I is for Incidents

Can you tell a story that illustrates your point? Something that happened to or an event you read about both qualify as incidents.

R is for Reasons

Why is your topic sentence true? Prove it with logical reasons, fully explained.

E is for Examples

Whenever you can, offer specific examples. List a few individually, or outline one good example in detail.

S is for Statistics

Research some percentages you can use for your paragraph. Numbers gathered through your own research are valid too.

FIRES help to spark your writing with more concrete support.  I’ve created a set of FIRES materials to share with you.  Get that freebie here. During the pre-writing stage, refer to the mini-posters or brainstorm directly onto the graphic organizers.

Jimmie is a former public school teacher turned homeschooling stay-at-home-mom. A sense of humor, faith, and creativity keep her “pressing on” in her unique situation — living and traveling abroad with an only child in a bilingual environment. Visit her blog at Jimmie’s Collage.