As children gets older, essays become an increasingly popular method of assessment. From formal examinations to everyday pieces of homework, essays are a ubiquitous part of the modern educational process.
In fact, essay writing skills can help children all the way up to the university level. Most universities ask for a written essay from the applicant during the admission process, whether it’s an MBA degree or any other postgraduate degree. When preparing to go to college, students must learn more about essay writing techniques and tricks, as it can be very beneficial in acing admissions.
However, essay writing is a sadly undertaught skill. Children will be taught what needs to be included in an essay, but they won’t necessarily be taught the essentials when it comes to putting one together, and that’s a real problem.
Perhaps the biggest problem that comes along with neglecting essay writing skills is that students won’t be as able to structure their papers. On the most basic level, each child should understand that essays should start with an introduction and finish with a conclusion, but that isn’t where structural concerns end. A well-written essay will be structured from start to finish, with ideas organised clearly and building towards that conclusion, with each paragraph forming its own-substructure. Without any knowledge of how to properly put together an essay, students often simply charge in without focusing on what they are expected to do.
This doesn’t just help a child develop their argument, it’s also a vital skill to learn to ensure that an essay doesn’t feel meandering or unfocused. Additionally, many students fail to finish their essays under examination conditions because they don’t take the time to properly plan out their answers. This can mean losing a lot of marks by missing some areas and concentrating too closely on others.
Structuring an essay is also important because examiners tend to enjoy structure. Remember, each paper will be marked according to certain guidelines, and it helps to tick all the boxes if you teach a student how to structure their argument – this will help create clear points to cover each learning goal. Coming up with short story ideas can sometimes be a time consuming task, but you need to be imaginative – or ask peers for help!
Essay writing is an incredibly important skill, and one that is going to be useful across plenty of subjects. Now that you understand how vital it is to develop essay writing expertise, make sure you use resource packs to address the issue, such as those provided by Teachit.
