An author's argument or claim is the author's opinion or belief. It is what he or she is trying to prove.
The author should use reasons to support his or her claim. Look for these facts in the body of the passage.
What reason does the author give to support the idea that an extended school day would help parents?
What would be the new school hours if the plan to extend the day is approved?
As members of your school board, we would like to suggest that the elementary school day be two hours longer. We have many good reasons for this suggestion. In the following paragraphs, we will explain those reasons. First, a longer school day will allow children to take part in music classes, social studies, technology classes, and science experiments. Our current school day does not allow enough time in the day. Teachers have to focus on reading, writing, grammar, and math lessons. Second, fewer children will need afterschool childcare if the school day is extended. Most parents work until 5:00 PM or later. They have to find afterschool programs for their children to go to until they get out of work. Third, a nearby town extended the school day by almost 60 percent. The students showed gains in test scores and graduation rates. Overall, it is clear that a longer school day will help students in many ways. To help them get through the long day, we will make recess longer by 15 minutes. If everyone thinks about our reasons, we are sure you will agree to changing the elementary school hours from 9:00–3:00 PM to 9:00–5:00 PM.