A full first unit on paragraph writing for grades 3 to 5. Start with the one-page lesson, then work through eight practice sheets that go from finding a topic sentence to writing one, and finish with a ten-point quiz. Every practice sheet has its answer key as page 2.
LessonOne page to read together: the two jobs of a topic sentence, too broad and too narrow, and three ways to write one.
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PracticeUnderline the topic sentence in four paragraphs. Two of them open with a hook. With answer key.
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PracticePick the topic sentence out of each group of four, then add details of your own. With answer key.
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PracticeFour paragraphs with the first sentence missing and three choices for each. With answer key.
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PracticeJudge nine topic sentences against the details they have to cover. With answer key.
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PracticeStatement, number sentence, question and answer: name them, then write them. With answer key.
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WritingTurn four weak topic sentences into strong ones. With answer key.
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WritingFour paragraphs have their details but no topic sentence. Write one for each. With answer key.
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WritingPick a topic, list three details, write the topic sentence, then the whole paragraph.
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QuizTen points: find it, choose it, judge it and write it. With answer key.
Download PDFThe sheets are in teaching order. One or two a day covers the unit in about a week.
A topic sentence tells the reader what the whole paragraph is about. It does two jobs: it names the topic, and it tells the main point the paragraph will make about that topic. In “Sea otters are built for life in cold water,” the topic is sea otters and the main point is that they are built for cold water.
Most students can find a topic sentence long before they can write one, so the sheets are in that order. First they spot it, then they judge whether it is too broad, too narrow or just right for the details, and only then do they write their own. The last practice sheet has them plan and write a full paragraph.
The sheets also teach three ways to write a topic sentence (a statement, a number sentence, and a question and answer) and the most common mistake: announcing the topic with “I am going to tell you about …” when the writer should just make the point.
More for writing: sentence writing worksheets (grades 1–2), graphic organizers for planning, grammar worksheets, and the rest of the writing printables.
A topic sentence is the sentence that tells what a whole paragraph is about. It names the topic and tells the main point about it. The other sentences in the paragraph give details that support it.
Usually, but not always. A writer may open with a hook to grab the reader, such as a question or a sound word, and put the topic sentence right after it. Two of these worksheets include paragraphs that open with a hook.
They are written for grades 3 to 5. Third graders may need the lesson and the first few sheets read with them. Older students who are still writing loose paragraphs can use the set as a reset.
A topic sentence is too broad when it covers far more than the paragraph does, like “Animals are interesting.” It is too narrow when it is only one detail, like “Sea otters wrap themselves in kelp.” It is just right when every detail in the paragraph fits under it.
Yes. Every practice sheet and the quiz print an answer key as the second page of the same PDF. For the writing sheets, where answers vary, the key gives an example and says what a good answer needs.