How to Teach the Five-Paragraph Essay

1. Introduction

Label the top bulb of the hourglass “Introduction.” Teach that the widest part of the bulb is the part of the introduction that should grab the reader’s attention. Begin with a startling statement, a statistic, an anecdote, or even a question followed by some background information to pull the reader in.

2. Thesis Statement

The bottom of the introduction bulb is where the student will write their thesis statement, telling the reader exactly what their argument or answer to the question will be, including their three points in the order that they will appear in the essay. This is a good place to teach students the importance of thoughtfully ordering the supporting body paragraphs. Often, the best strategy is to organize the support from least important to most important.

3. Three Body Paragraphs

The neck of the hourglass is the narrowest part. Label this “Body.” The body paragraphs provide support for the thesis statement. This will be divided into thirds, with each third representing one paragraph (point) of the essay. Here, it is helpful to remind students of the stand-alone nature of the paragraph—it’s basically a smaller version of the hourglass that begins with a topic sentence, provides support for the topic, and then is summarized at the end. These three body paragraphs should be written in the same order as they appear in the thesis statement.

4. Reinforcement of Thesis Statement

The bottom bulb of the hourglass should be labeled “Conclusion.” Teach your students to begin the conclusion with a reinforcement (not a verbatim restatement) of the thesis. New writers will be tempted to use the phrase “as I stated above,” or something similar. It is very important that the students know to not repeat their thesis statement from the introduction but rather to reinforce it—find another way to state it.

5. Conclusion

Following the reinforcement of the thesis statement, the students will write their final few sentences. These sentences, like the introduction, will be broader in scope. Although no new information (support) should be included in the conclusion, the final sentence should provide a final thought for the reader to take with them. This thought is often a statement about how the information given in the body can be practically applied or how it can impact a situation.

There are many ways to teach five-paragraph essay writing, but I have found the hourglass visual to be most helpful to my students. Consider creating a visual aid of the labeled hourglass that you can place in the front of the classroom for students to refer to during independent writing sessions.

Answers for Educators

Are you a teacher striving to train up the next generation in their academics and faith? Join us this July for Answers for Educators 2025! At this event for Christian school educators, you will experience quality professional development, encouragement in your field, and much more.