A thesis statement is the 

main point that the content of your essay will

support. It is an 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