Tip #161 from 365 #Teacher Secrets for #Parents - Writing Topic Sentences
Today's tip for parents from two talented teachers comes from 365 Teacher Secrets for Parents by Cindy McKinley Alder and Patti Trombly.
#161
Writing
Topic Sentences
The
illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write,
but
those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.
~Alvin Toffler
Let’s
say your child has a writing assignment on the inventions of Benjamin Franklin.
He’s created a mind map (Idea #157) with great ideas on what he wants to write
about Ben Franklin, but now what? Soon he will be faced with creating his first
body paragraph, and he’s unsure of how to start it. That’s where an
understanding of topic sentences comes in handy.
Very simply, a topic
sentence tells the reader what the paragraph will be about. Beginning writers
will find it helpful to have the topic sentence as the first sentence in the
paragraph. That way, they are more likely to stay focused and not switch topics
while writing the paragraph.
For example, let’s say he
wants to write a paragraph about Franklin’s invention of bifocal lenses. A
possible topic sentence would be “Benjamin Franklin’s poor eyesight led him to
create the first pair of bifocal glasses.” The rest of the sentences in this
paragraph would be only about
bifocals—the need for them, their uses, how Ben created them, etc. He would not
write about any other invention Franklin made, such as electricity. A paragraph
on electricity could follow the paragraph on the bifocal lens and it would have
its own topic sentence.
Learning how to write topic sentences that support the main idea will help him set a purpose for writing and help his writing stay focused and on topic. You can help your child write topic sentences by asking him, “What is this paragraph mostly about?” His answer will become the topic sentence. Older children can experiment with putting the topic sentence in the middle of the paragraph or at the end. No matter where the topic sentence is located, your child will find that creating topic sentences is easy, helps his writing flow nicely, and make him proud of what he created.
Cindy McKinley Alder Patti Trombly
For more posts about the authors and their books (this is not the only one), click HERE.
For excerpts from more books, click HERE.
For more excerpts from 365 Teacher Secrets for Parents, click HERE.For more posts about books about parenting, click HERE.
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Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book in exchange for reviewing a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com.
Want an author-signed copy of this book? Purchase the book at 25% discount (use coupon code FF25) and concurrently send a written request to orders@msipress.com.Julia Aziz, signing her book, Lessons of Labor, at an event at Book People in Austin, Texas.
Want to communicate with one of our authors? You can! Find their contact information on our Authors' Pages.Steven Greenebaum, author of award-winning books, An Afternoon's Discussion and One Family: Indivisible, talking to a reader at Barnes & Noble in Gilroy, California.MSI Press is ranked among the top publishers in California.
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Cindy McKinley Alder Patti Trombly
For more posts about the authors and their books (this is not the only one), click HERE.
For excerpts from more books, click HERE.
For more excerpts from 365 Teacher Secrets for Parents, click HERE.For more posts about books about parenting, click HERE.
To purchase copies of any MSI Press book at 25% discount,
use code FF25 at MSI Press webstore.
Want to read an MSI Press book and not have to buy for it?
(1) Ask your local library to purchase and shelve it.
(2) Ask us for a review copy; we love to have our books reviewed.
VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ALL OUR AUTHORS AND TITLES.
(recent releases, sales/discounts, awards, reviews, Amazon top 100 list, author advice, and more -- stay up to date)Check out recent issues.
Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC?
Check out information on how to submit a proposal.
We help writers become award-winning published authors. One writer at a time. We are a family, not a factory. Do you have a future with us?
Turned away by other publishers because you are a first-time author and/or do not have a strong platform yet? If you have a strong manuscript, San Juan Books, our hybrid publishing division, may be able to help.
Planning on self-publishing and don't know where to start? Our author au pair services will mentor you through the process.
Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book in exchange for reviewing a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com.
Want an author-signed copy of this book? Purchase the book at 25% discount (use coupon code FF25) and concurrently send a written request to orders@msipress.com.Julia Aziz, signing her book, Lessons of Labor, at an event at Book People in Austin, Texas.
Want to communicate with one of our authors? You can! Find their contact information on our Authors' Pages.Steven Greenebaum, author of award-winning books, An Afternoon's Discussion and One Family: Indivisible, talking to a reader at Barnes & Noble in Gilroy, California.MSI Press is ranked among the top publishers in California.
Check out our rankings -- and more -- HERE.
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