What do transition words help students accomplish in their writing?

Transition words play a vital role in enhancing the clarity of writing. They serve as bridges that connect ideas, sentences, and paragraphs, guiding the reader through the flow of the text. By using transition words, writers can indicate the relationships between different parts of their writing, such as adding information, contrasting ideas, or showing the sequence of events. This clarity helps readers follow the author's line of reasoning or storyline more easily, making the overall message more cohesive and understandable.

In contrast, while creating excitement in a narrative can be important, transition words primarily focus on structure and clarity. Increasing word count is not a goal of using transitions; rather, it's about improving the quality and coherence of writing. Similarly, transitioning does not directly relate to spelling accuracy, which involves different language skills. Therefore, the primary function of transition words is to enhance the clarity of writing, ensuring that the reader can easily grasp and connect the ideas presented.