Help your high schooler learn how to master the essay test

An essay test can be an especially intimidating part of high school. For many teens, it helps to break the essay down into three parts: the introduction, the body (usually a paragraph or two) and the conclusion. Share these four tips with your teen:

1. Read the question carefully. If it says:

• "Discuss"--make fact-based observations about the topic.
• "Describe"--give specific details about the subject matter.
• "Show"--point out your idea or opinion and support it with facts.
• "Explain"--offer causes or reasons for something. Be factual.

2. Write your introduction:

• Briefly explain what your essay will be about. A simple way to do this is to restate the original question.
• Use the third person (he, she or it). Don't use I or me unless you've been told to do so.

3. Write the body of the essay. Each paragraph should answer a specific part of the question and should include:

• A topic sentence.
• Information that supports the topic sentence.
• A closing sentence.

4. Write the conclusion. Summarize the essay topic (again, restate the original question). Be sure to:

• State what you've concluded.
• Mention how the facts support your position.

Encourage your teen to take a few minutes before starting to outline her ideas. She should jot down notes having to do with the topic, and then decide how to link them together. Often, these notes can become topic sentences for paragraphs.

Reprinted with permission from the April 2010 issue of Parents Still make the difference!® (High School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2010 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc.