While teaching mechanical aspects of writing in English as a second language (ESL) to ten- and eleven-year-olds has been found to be relatively simple, the most difficult thing to teach, and the first to break down when guidance is removed, is logical information sequencing. Without guidance, most children will produce random sentences, but when provided with appropriate techniques and some assistance, they can plan the sequence of information to be written. Most teachers of ESL are trained in creative writing, not in expository writing or written discourse analysis; consequently, they are underprepared for teaching this kind of information presentation. Three methods for teaching information organization have had some success: (1) brainstorming followed by reorganization of ideas; (2) a study of reading passages leading to parallel writing; and (3) constructing matrices for discourse organization. Preparing students in these ways for writing tasks can be enjoyable and can prevent frustrating revision of unsatisfactory writing. Instructional plans and materials should include more information-based functional writing and fewer narrative topics, more reading for information analysis, more parallel writing activities, and more information transfer activities, such as matrices, as the basis of writing activities. (MSE)