EAP 1586C Academic Lecture Outline

Academic Encounters, Chapter 1

Title: Family Lessons

Topic: How children learn social behaviors and lessons from the family

Introduction
Hook/Attention getter (ideas for introducing the topic of the presentation):
1. There is discussion today about how families are changing and about the effect of nontraditional
families on children.
2. “A home is not a building, or a street, or a city; It has nothing to do with such material things as bricks
and cement. A home is where your family is.” - John Boyne. No matter what your family is or where your
family comes from, as a child you see your family as the most beautiful thing and you will follow those
steps and aspire to be like your parents, or your grandparents.

Thesis statement (state the topic and two to three major points): The family is the basic unit for the social
formation of children, regardless of whether the family is traditional or nontraditional, the most important
thing is the love and support that the child has at home, the family brings in itself positive effects on the child.
Through the use of awards, punishment, and modeling.

Body
1. Major point #1: Rewards

Topic sentence to introduce major point #1 (restate the topic and main idea of the presentation
and introduce major point #1):
First, then, let’s discuss rewards.
Details: How? EXPLAIN/ELABORATE/DESCRIBE (the major point in relation to the main idea of
the presentation):
1. (MAJOR) Reward = positive reinforcement for good behavior
a. (MINOR) A parent tells the child to eat vegetables to have ice cream for dessert or to
finish homework to watch TV later
b.
c.
2. Most parents use rewards unconsciously
a. A parent gives a gift to a child because the child behaves, or a parent gives the child
money for following rules
b.
c.
3. Controversial
 a. Some people think some of the rewards are unnecessary, the child should be taught
that it is his responsibility to take out the garbage.
b.

2. Major point #2: Punishment

Topic sentence to introduce major point #2 (restate the topic and main idea of the presentation
and introduce major point #2): Through the punishment the child learns behavior.

Details: How? EXPLAIN/ELABORATE/DESCRIBE (the major point in relation to the main idea of
the presentation):
1. Punishment = negative reinforcement for bad behavior
a. A parent takes away the privilege of his son from going out with his friends because he
did something that he should not do, or his son cannot watch TV because he has bad grades
in school.
b.
c.
2. Physical abuse
a. A parent spanks his child or hits his hand for saying bad words, 1 in 22 children are
victims of physical abuse.
b.
3. Violence
a. A parent who uses violence to solve problems is possible the child becomes violent and
abuse of his own children.
b.
c.

3. Major point #3: Modeling

Topic sentence to introduce major point #3 (restate the topic and main idea of the presentation
and introduce major point #3): The child learns a behave by fallow a modeling

Details: How? EXPLAIN/ELABORATE/DESCRIBE (the major point in relation to the main idea of
the presentation):
1. Modeling = The learn to behave by following a model.
a. The powerful way to learn social skills, the children look for someone who they admire,
and they start to follow that person. Peter likes to study because his mom study with him.
b.
c.
2. The most import way
a. Children have many models can be family, friends, teachers, other family members, tv
and others. Some people can have a big impact on the child's behavior.
b.
3. Negative Lessons
 a. Some parents worry about the negative lesson the child can learn for other children or
tv, the tv sends a lot of negative messages.
b.
c.

Conclusion
Concluding sentence (restate the thesis statement in different words): Finally, regardless of whether the
family is traditional or not traditional, children learn through rewards, punishment and modeling, the most
important thing is to grow up in a home with rules and expectations, love and a positive attitude.

Final comment (a relevant recommendation, prediction, or opinion that is based on the details developed in
the presentation): Some parents don’t realize yet the importance of the rules in home, and some of them don’t
apply these three ways to the children to learn social behavior.