Topic, Introduce, Quote, Analyze (TIQA) Strategy
Strategy Parameters
- Genres: Informational
- Grade Levels: 6-12
- Writing Process Stage: Drafting, Revising
At-A-Glance
The TIQA strategy is a straightforward framework for text-based writing that guides students to build strong, focused paragraphs using four key components: Topic sentence, Introduction, Quotation, and Analysis.
Overview
TIQA provides a reliable structure for students when they are responding to texts, ensuring their writing is both organized and purposeful. This framework breaks the complex task of integrating textual evidence into four clear, sequential steps: starting with a Topic sentence, introducing the context for the evidence, inserting the direct Quotation, and finally, providing in-depth Analysis. By simplifying the process, TIQA reduces feelings of overwhelm and directs student focus toward the critical skill of explaining how their evidence supports their main idea.
Purpose and Benefits
This strategy helps students:
- Establish a clear main point for their paragraph using a strong Topic sentence.
- Learn to contextualize textual evidence properly before presenting a direct quote.
- Seamlessly integrate direct quotations from a source into their own argumentative prose.
- Focus on explaining the significance and meaning of the evidence, rather than just restating it.
- Achieve deeper engagement with the source material by requiring thoughtful interpretation and analysis.
Why It's Effective
- Structured Response: It offers an explicit, four-part sequence that eliminates guesswork in how to incorporate textual support into analytical writing.
- Mandated Analysis: The final Analysis step prevents students from merely dropping quotes; it forces them to critically explain the quote’s relevance to the topic sentence.
- Clarity in Steps: Breaking the writing task into defined components (chunking) makes the process of text-based argumentation less intimidating and highly repeatable.
- Improved Coherence: By standardizing the order, the strategy naturally promotes a logical and focused flow within the paragraph.
- Targeted Skill Development: It specifically targets and reinforces the crucial academic skill of supporting claims with evidence and then interpreting that evidence.
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