Neat Paragraphs

Overview

In this lesson (3 of 9) students practise paragraph formatting in Microsoft Word. They will adjust alignment, indentation, and line spacing to make text easier to read and more purposeful.

Learning intentions

• Students will identify how paragraph formatting changes the look and readability of text.
• Students will apply paragraph alignment options to meet a purpose (for example, centring a heading).
• Students will use indentation to improve structure within a document.
• Students will set line spacing to ensure consistent, readable paragraphs.

Success criteria

• I can change a paragraph’s alignment (left, centre, right, or justified) to match the text purpose.
• I can add and remove indentation (first-line and/or hanging) correctly.
• I can adjust line spacing and apply it consistently across my document.
• I can explain how my formatting choices improve readability.

Curriculum links

• Digital literacy skills for creating, editing, and presenting information using digital tools.
• Planning and producing solutions by selecting and using appropriate features of software.
• Communicating ideas effectively through clear structure and presentation of text.
• Checking and improving work by reviewing outcomes against criteria.

Lesson structure ({total minutes})

1. 0–3 min | Starter: “Spot the difference” Show two short paragraphs from a prepared Word document: one with basic formatting and one with improved alignment/spacing. Students quickly turn and talk: “Which is easier to read and why?”

2. 3–8 min | Mini-lesson: paragraph formatting basics Explain and demonstrate (on the interactive screen) three tools students will use: alignment, indentation, and line spacing. Model selecting a whole paragraph (including the Enter mark) before applying formatting, and emphasise doing it to the correct text.

3. 8–18 min | Guided practice: align and space Students follow a step-by-step task in their unit document template.

• First, they select the heading and centre it.
• Then, they select each paragraph and apply a consistent alignment (for example, left or justified).
• Finally, they set line spacing to a specified value for the body text and check the result.

4. 18–28 min | Guided practice: indentation for structure Students add indentation to one paragraph to demonstrate structure.

• Teach first-line indentation using the paragraph settings.
• For extension within the same task, offer an optional hanging indent on a second paragraph if time allows. Students compare their “before vs after” view and correct any indentation applied to the wrong paragraph.

5. 28–33 min | Self-check using a quick checklist Students use a teacher-provided checklist to review: alignment matches purpose, indentation is only where intended, and line spacing is consistent. They make one improvement only—aiming for quality over many changes.

6. 33–38 min | Peer share: feedback phrase routine In pairs, students share their formatted paragraph. They must use a feedback phrase such as “I notice… I think you could…” focusing on readability, not just appearance.

7. 38–40 min | Exit ticket: explain your choices Students answer on a paper or digital form:

• Which formatting change made the biggest difference to readability?
• Name one thing you would check if your formatting looked wrong.

Resources

• Teacher-prepared Word template for the unit “Mastering Microsoft Word” with heading and body text
• Projector/interactive display showing alignment, indentation, and line spacing controls
• Student devices with Microsoft Word available
• Printed or on-screen task sheet with clear, numbered steps for this lesson
• Simple “Before/After” example paragraphs for the starter
• Self-check checklist (alignment, indentation, line spacing consistency)
• Feedback sentence stems for peer share
• Timer visible to the class to support pacing
• Headphones optional for quieter independent work

Assessment

• Observation during guided practice: correct selection of paragraphs and correct use of formatting tools.
• Checklist completion at the self-check stage: accuracy of alignment, indentation placement, and consistent line spacing.
• Exit ticket responses: ability to describe how formatting choices improve readability.

Differentiation

• Support: Provide a “one step at a time” card showing how to select a paragraph and where each formatting option is located. Offer a small group with teacher prompts for students who struggle to select the correct text.
• Support: Pre-highlight the paragraphs for students who need less decision-making; they still practise applying formatting.
• Extension: Ask students to format a second paragraph with a different alignment choice and justify why it suits that section (for example, justified body text or centred heading).
• EAL/SEN: Use visual cues (icons and colour highlights) for alignment and spacing settings; allow oral responses for the exit ticket with teacher scribing if needed. Provide sentence frames (“I changed… to make it easier to…”) for explanations.