A thesis statement is the main point that the content of your essay will support. It is a contestable assertion, usually made in one or two sentences, that makes a clear argument about your research topic.

For example: Story-telling should be incorporated into the curriculum of early childhood education programs in order to encourage language development in young children.

A good thesis statement will:

• Assert a strong position that can be challenged and debated, rather than merely describing or stating facts that cannot be contested
• Form a complete sentence that clearly explains to the reader the overall direction of the essay
• Be sufficiently narrow rather than broad, so the topic can be adequately addressed in the essay
• Communicate a single, overarching point rather than multiple points that may be too difficult or broad to support
• Be clear and specific, as opposed to overly vague, open-ended, or general