[SMOKEY YALE]

Does anyone have any great ideas on how to teach an Explanation text? It is driving me up the wall

[kmob]

I may be missing the mark here but what do you mean by "explanation text"? Is this non-fiction?

[imalith]

Do you mean like explaining how to do something? Like how to program your VCR? or How to make a PBJ sandwich?

[MiddlingAZ]

If you mean like a science or social studies textbook (?) or even a non-fiction article for language arts (?), which is explaining something, I would go with a graphic organizer. A basic KWL is always a reliable stand by: 3 columns labeled what I Know (before reading), What I Want to learn, and what I Learned (after reading). There are so many kinds depending on what is being explained: process steps, cause/effect, cycle, main idea/details, and so on.