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Reading Comprehension – Learn How to Read a Paragraph

By Stuart Ackerman

     In order for students to read an informational piece of writing, they must be able to break down the information into paragraphs.

     By understanding each paragraph, students will understand the main idea and sub-topics.  Students should understand that paragraphs have a similar structure and by understanding this structure, students will improve their reading comprehension skills.

The 1st Sentence is Key!
The first sentence in a paragraph is usually the topic sentence. This topic sentence expresses the main idea of the paragraph. Students should start off reading the paragraph by paying attention to the first/topic sentence.

A Need for Support
The supporting sentence comes after the first, or topic sentence.  The supporting sentences give more detail and provide more information about the main idea. Sometimes, supporting sentences aren't very supportive, that is, they don't always support the main idea. Students should pay attention to supporting sentences and determine when important information is given.

Conclusion
The concluding sentence is usually found at the end of the paragraph (the lesson in Tutorgiant shows how concluding sentences are sometimes found in other places in the paragraph). The concluding sentence sums up the entire paragraph and supports the main idea.

     Before being able to read a paragraph, your child must be familiar with topic sentences, supporting sentences, and concluding statements.