how to teach my child to write an essay

How to Teach Your Child to Write an Essay – Step by Step

how to teach my child to write an essay

Children are naturally creative, and essay writing should come easy to them. But it usually doesn’t. 

So, how can you teach your child essay writing while making the process enjoyable for both of you?

I’m Tutor Phil, and in this article I’ll show you how to teach your child how to express thoughts on paper, even if some resistance is present.

We’ll first learn three principles that will help you make progress fast. And then we’ll go through the step-by-step process of teaching your child how to write an essay. 

Principle 1. Clarity equals motivation

We’ve all heard the expression: “You can lead the horse to the water, but you can’t make it drink.” One of your concerns can be your child’s motivation. 

You may be convinced that your child hates writing or is really bored with it. Perhaps your child will do anything to avoid sitting down to write. 

And you know what – any or all of the above may be true. But your child can still learn how to write an essay because it is not the lack of motivation per se that is the problem.

In this short video, Dr. Lee Hausner gives some eye-opening advice about motivating a child:

Here are the key points Dr. Hausner makes:

  • You cannot create motivation in somebody else.
  • Strong parents often mistakenly feel that they can transfer their motivation onto their children.
  • Motivation is internal.
  • Simplistic formula: “ Activity + Satisfaction = Motivation .”
  • Conversely, “ Activity + Stress & Pressure = Avoidance .”
  • Create an environment where your child can be successful and enjoy what he does. 
  • Encourage and reward any small success and bit of progress. 

Let’s apply these principles to motivating a child in writing an essay. 

How to motivate a child to write

Chances are that if your child would rather not engage in writing, that is primarily because the process is fuzzy in his mind (and I’ll use the pronoun “he” to refer to your child throughout the tutorial, for the sake of elegance and brevity). 

You see, essay writing is not really taught in school. It is taught kind of sort of, but not really. 

Assigning a topic, grading the essays, and making suggestions for improvement is not teaching. It’s only a part of the process. 

To teach is to give the student a method, a step-by-step process, in which every step can be measured and improved. 

That’s what I’m about to give you. And that’s what you will need to effectively teach your child. 

But when a child does not have a step-by-step method, the process is fuzzy in his mind. And whatever is fuzzy is viewed as complicated and difficult because it’s like eating an elephant whole. 

Let’s revisit Dr. Hausner’s formula: “ Activity + Satisfaction = Motivation .”

Activity can be satisfying only if it is successful to some degree. When your child succeeds at something, and you acknowledge him for it, that becomes fun, enjoyable, and satisfying.

But you see, it’s hard to succeed at something without knowing what you’re doing. And even if you succeed, if you did not follow a recipe, then in the back of your mind you suspect that you probably can’t repeat or replicate the success.

Not knowing what to do while being expected to do it is a recipe for avoidance. And guess what – your child probably got his share of fuzzy instructions.

For example, consider this instruction:

“Tie it all together.”  

This statement is meaningless – to a child or even to an adult. What does it really mean to “tie it all together?” And yet, this is how they usually teach how to write a conclusion paragraph, as an example. 

But such a statement only creates fuzziness and demotivates.

So, in this tutorial, we’ll be cultivating clarity. I’ll be giving you crystal clear instructions so you could develop clarity in yourself and help your child develop it, too.

Principle 2. Writing is thinking on paper

An essay consists of sentences. The word “ sentence ” comes from the Latin word “sententia,” which means “thought.” 

Thus, to write literally means to express thoughts on paper. Why is this important?

This is important because by teaching your child how to write an essay, you’re really teaching him how to think . 

Your child will carry this skill through his entire life. It will be useful, even indispensable in:

  • Acing standardized tests
  • Writing papers in college
  • Putting together reports and presentation professionally
  • Defending a point of view effectively

You can tell I take essay writing seriously 🙂

But if you ever run out of patience yourself, just remember that you’re really teaching your child how to think. 

Principle 3. Essays are built not written

When you child hears the word “ write ,” he gets that queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. 

We’ll make it a lot easier for him by thinking of writing an essay and referring to it as just “ building an essay.”

If your child has ever loved playing with Lego, then the method you’re about to learn will feel familiar, both in terms of motivation and developing the skill. 

By the way, if you want to brush up your own essay writing skills before you sit down with your child to teach him, I highly recommend this article: Essay Writing for Beginners . 

All right – without further ado, here are…

Six steps to teaching your child essay writing: 

Step 1. Pick a topic and say something about it

In order to write, your child must write about something . That something is the subject of the essay. In this step, you want to help your child pick a topic and say something about it. 

In essence, you’re asking your child these two questions:

What will your essay be about?

  • What about it?

For example, 

“My essay will be about grandma’s lasagna.”

“Okay. What about grandma’s lasagna?”

“It’s my favorite food.”

The result will be a complete main point, also known as the thesis. A thesis is the main point of the entire essay summarized in one sentence: 

“My grandma’s lasagna is my favorite food.”

Boom! Now, the reader knows exactly what this essay will be about. It is also clear that this is going to be a glowing review. 

Here’s my short video explaining what a thesis is:

When teaching a child, it’s important to keep the topic unilateral. In other words, it should be either positive or negative. It should be one simple idea. 

Don’t start out trying to develop a more complex topic that offers a balanced perspective with positives and negatives. Don’t do a compare/contrast, either. Keep it simple for now. 

This is the first step because the main point is the genesis for all other ideas in the essay . 

How to help your child pick a topic

Encourage your child to pick a topic he can get excited about because then he’ll be enthusiastic thinking and talking about it. 

Try to think of some of the things you know he is interested in. He can write an essay about absolutely anything.

It doesn’t have to be a serious or an academic subject. It could be anything from apple pie to Spiderman. 

Of course, the subject should be informed by your child’s age, as well. But once you sit down to work on essay writing, make it clear to your child that he can pick any topic he wants. 

Ask your child what he would like to write about or “build into an essay.” And whatever he chooses, just run with it. That’s what your first essay together will be about. 

Once you’re settled on the topic, just have your child write it down on a piece of paper or type it into the computer.

Here is a list of suggestions for essay topics to give a try:

  • What I love the most about the summer
  • My favorite thing to do on weekends
  • John is my best friend because…
  • Essay writing is…
  • My least favorite day of the week is…
  • My favorite season is…
  • It is important to be brave (intelligent, skillful at something, etc.)
  • If I could have any animal for a pet, it would be…
  • My sister (brother) makes my life (exciting, difficult, etc.)
  • Holidays are fun times (or dreadful times).

Remember – this is not the only or the last essay you’ll write together. Just encourage your child to pick a topic and write it down. Now, you’re ready for the next step. 

Step 2. Practice the Power of Three

We’re building our essays, remember? Not writing them. At least at this point, all you’ve done is encouraged your child to pick a topic. No writing involved yet.

In this step, no real writing is involved, either. It’s just a mental exercise, really. 

In writing or building an essay, it is necessary to break things into parts. Young children love to break things because they want to see how something works or what it looks like inside. 

How do you write an essay about an egg?

You must first divide the concept of an egg into parts. How do you do that? I highly recommend this simple technique I call the Power of Three. 

how to teach my child to write an essay

Three is an optimal number for a young brain, and really for adults, as well, to think about and process. Our brain thinks like this: “One, two, three, many.”

One doesn’t help us because you’re not dividing. Two is okay but not quite enough ideas to develop.

Three is easy to deal with while giving your child a challenge. And let’s set the record straight – thinking is not easy. It is challenging. This is why so few people teach it. 

But we’re making it fun by breaking it into steps and providing clear instructions. 

Okay, so back to the egg. Let’s apply the power of three to the idea of an egg:

how to teach my child to write an essay

You see, if we only have a whole egg as an idea, it’s like staring at the blank screen or sheet of paper. Nothing causes the writer’s block better than one solid piece.

But now that we’ve divided this idea into three sub-ideas, or supporting ideas, this makes our life discussing eggs a lot easier. 

Now, if we wanted to write an essay about eggs, we can discuss:

  • The yolk and its color, taste, and nutritional content
  • The egg white, its color, taste, and nutritional content
  • The shell, its color, texture, and shape

Note that when we divide a topic or an idea, each part must be different from the other parts in some important ways. In other words, we want three distinct parts. 

You can use this part of the tutorial and ask your child to think about how to divide an egg into parts. It’s a very intuitive step, and your child will love the challenge. 

And by the way, you child may get very creative about it because the answer is not necessarily the yolks, the white, and the shell. It could be:

  • Chicken eggs
  • Ostrich eggs
  • Boiled eggs

Whatever way to divide eggs into three concepts your child comes up with, approve and praise it. Now, let’s apply the power of three to an actual topic. 

We need a topic that we’ll use for the rest of the tutorial. Here it is:

“If I could have any animal for a pet, it would be a panther.”

Applying the Power of Three to an essay topic

Let’s apply what we just learned to this topic about a panther. Note that we have the entire thesis, a complete main point. Our subject is “a panther as a pet.”

We’re just using this example with an understanding that panthers don’t make good pets and belong in the wild. But since we asked, we should roll with the child’s imagination. 

Now, you want to encourage your child to come up with three reasons why he would choose a panther as a pet.

This is a challenging step. The first one or two reasons will come relatively easily. The third reason usually makes the child, anyone really, scratch his head a little.

Let’s come up with three reasons why a panther might make a great pet. 

Reason 1. Panthers are magnificently beautiful.

Great! That’s a good reason. 

Reason 2. A panther is more powerful than virtually any other pet.

That’s another legitimate reason to want a panther for a pet – you’re the king of the neighborhood, if not the whole town. 

And now, we’re thinking of reason 3, which will be the most challenging, so be ready for that. 

Reason 3. Panthers are loyal.

I’m making this one up because I really have no idea if panthers are loyal to their human owners when they have any. But I need a reason, this is just a practice essay, and anything goes. 

When your child comes up with a reason that is not necessarily true or plausible, let him run with it. What really matters is how well he can support his points by using his logic and imagination. 

Working with facts is next level. Right now, you want your child to get comfortable dividing topics into subtopics. 

The only criterion that matters is whether this subtopic actually helps support the main idea. If it does, it works. 

Step 3. Build a clear thesis statement 

Once you know the topic and the supporting points, you have everything you need to write out the thesis statement. Note that there is a difference between a thesis and a thesis statement.

Here’s a short video with a simple definition and example of a thesis statement:

Once you and your child have completed steps 1 & 2 thoroughly, step 3 is really easy. All you need to do is write out the thesis statement, using the information you already have. 

In fact, at this point, you should have every sentence of your statement and just need to put them all together into one paragraph. Let’s write out our complete thesis statement:

“If I could have any animal for a pet, it would be a panther, for three reasons. Panthers are magnificently beautiful. They are more powerful than virtually any other kind of a pet. And they are loyal.”

Note that we added the phrase “ for three reasons ” to indicate that we are introducing the actual reasons. In other words, we are building an introductory paragraph. We’re just presenting our main and supporting points here. 

When you read this opening paragraph, you unmistakably come away with a clear idea of what this essay is about. It makes a simple statement and declares three reasons why it is true. And that’s it. 

It is so clear that not even the least careful reader in the world can possibly miss the point. This is the kind of writing you want to cultivate in your child. Because, remember, writing reflects thinking. It would be impossible to write this paragraph without thinking clearly. 

Note also that there is no need for embellishments or other kinds of fluff. Elegant writing is like sculpture – you take away until there is no more left to take away. 

And guess what – we now have a great first paragraph going! Without much writing, we have just written the first paragraph. We were mostly building and dividing and thinking and imagining. And the result is a whole opening paragraph. 

Step 4. Build the body of the essay 

The body of the essay is where the main point is supported with evidence. Let’s revisit one of the rules of writing – to write an essay, you need to divide things into parts.

The body of the essay is always divided into sections. Now, since your child is presumably a beginner, we simply call the sections paragraphs. 

But keep in mind that a section can have more than one paragraph. An essay does not necessarily have the standard 5-paragraph structure. It can be as long as your child wants. 

But in this tutorial, each of our sections has just one paragraph, and that’s perfectly sufficient. 

How many sections will our body of the essay have? Well, we used the power of three, we came up with three supporting points, and so the body of the essay should naturally contain three paragraphs. 

How long should the paragraphs be? Let me show you how to gauge word count.

how to teach my child to write an essay

This is just an example of how you can teach your child to distribute the number of words across paragraphs. 

As you can see, our body paragraphs should probably be longer than the introductory paragraph and the conclusion. 

This is how I always teach my students to go about a writing assignment that has a certain word count requirement. The essay above will contain about 400 words.

If your child needs to write 600 words, then the following might be a good distribution:

  • Introductory paragraph – 75 words
  • Body paragraph 1 – 150 words
  • Body paragraph 2 – 150 words
  • Body paragraph 3 – 150 words
  • Conclusion – 75 words

By doing this kind of essay arithmetic, it is easy to map out how much to write in each paragraph and not go overboard in any part of the essay. 

Body paragraph structure 

A paragraph in the body of an essay has a distinct structure. And this structure is not restrictive but it is rather liberating because your child will know exactly how to build it out.

how to teach my child to write an essay

The first sentence in the body paragraph is always the lead sentence. It must summarize the contents of the paragraph. 

The good news is that this sentence is usually a form of one of the sentences that we’ve already written. How so?

Well, in our thesis statement, we have three supporting points. Each of them is essentially a lead sentence for that section or paragraph of the essay. For example, consider this sentence from our thesis statement:

“Panthers are magnificently beautiful.”

This is the first reason that your child would like a panther as a pet. It is also a very clear standalone sentence. 

It is also an almost perfect lead sentence. I say “ almost ” because we don’t want to repeat sentences in an essay. 

So, we’ll take this sentence as a base and add one or two words to it. We can also change a word or two by using synonyms. That way, we’ll expand it just slightly and turn it into a perfect lead sentence for our first body paragraph:

“ Panthers are very beautiful and graceful animals.”

Okay, so we added the epithet “graceful,” but that’s okay because grace is virtually synonymous with beauty. And now we have a great lead sentence and are ready to proceed. 

Let’s write out the entire first body paragraph and see how it works:

“ Panthers are very graceful and beautiful animals. When portrayed in documentaries about animals, panthers are nicely balanced. They are not as huge as tigers or lions. And their size allows them to be nimble and flexible. Their size and agility make them move very beautifully, almost artistically. When I imagine walking with a pet like that on the street, I can see people staring at my panther and admiring its beauty. It would definitely be the most beautiful pet in my entire neighborhood.”

The first sentence, as we already know, is the lead sentence. The next three sentences explain how panthers’ balanced size and agility make them graceful. 

The following sentence is an explanation of how these qualities make them beautiful through the power of movement. 

And finally comes the most specific bit of evidence – an example. This child paints a perfect picture of himself walking his pet panther on a leash. People admire the animal’s beauty, and the kid gets a tremendous kick out of this experience. 

It is an example because it contains imagery, perhaps even sounds. It is a specific event happening in a particular place and time. 

As you can see, this paragraph proceeds from general to specific. It also follows the structure in the diagram perfectly. 

Guide your child through writing two more of these paragraphs, following the same organization. And you’re done with the body. 

Proceeding from general to specific

Argumentative (expository) essays always proceed from general to specific. Our most general statement is the thesis, and it’s the first statement in the essay. 

Then we have our supporting points, and each of them is more specific than the thesis but more general than anything else in the essay. 

Each lead sentence is slightly more specific than the preceding supporting points in the thesis statement. 

Then, an explanation is even more specific. And finally, examples are the most specific elements in an essay. 

When working with your child, cultivate this ability to see the difference between the general and the specific. And help your child proceed in that manner in the essay. 

This ability is a mark of a developed and mature writer and thinker. 

Step 5. Add the conclusion

I almost always recommend concluding an essay with a simple restatement. Meaning, your child should learn how to say the same things in different words in the conclusion. 

Why did I say, “almost?” Because some teachers will require that your child write a conclusion without repetition. 

In that case, the teacher should instruct the student what she expects to read in the conclusion. A great way to deal with this situation is to approach the teacher and ask what kind of a conclusion she expects. 

And she’ll say what she wants, and your child will simply abide. 

But in the vast majority of cases, simple restatement works just fine. All it really entails is writing out an equivalent of the thesis statement – only using different words and phrases. 

Here is our thesis statement:

And here’s our conclusion:

“I would love to have a panther as a pet. Panthers are such magnificent animals that everyone would admire my pet. People would also respect it and keep some distance because of its power. And the loyalty of panthers would definitely seal the deal.”

All we did was restate the points previously made. Let your child master writing this kind of a conclusion. And if you’d like a detailed tutorial on how to write conclusions, I wrote one you can access here . 

Step 6. Add an introductory sentence

The final step is to add one sentence in the first paragraph. I didn’t use to teach it because it’s perfectly fine to get straight to the point in an essay.

This little introduction is an equivalent of clearing your throat 🙂

However, teachers in school and professors in college expect some kind of an introduction. So, all your child has to do is add one introductory sentence right before the thesis. 

This sentence should be even more general than the thesis. It should kind of pull the reader from his world into the world of the essay. 

Let’s write such a sentence as our introduction:

“Not all pets are created equal, and people have their choices.”

And here’s our complete introductory paragraph:

how to teach my child to write an essay

And this concludes the tutorial. You can keep coming back to it as often as you want to follow the steps, using different topics. 

If you’d like the help of a professional, don’t hesitate and hit me up . 

Tutor Phil is an e-learning professional who helps adult learners finish their degrees by teaching them academic writing skills.

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How to Teach Kids to Write in 9 Easy Steps

Writing developmental stages

Step 1: Develop Fine Motor Skills

Step 2: introduce prewriting skills, step 3: teach letter recognition, step 4: practice writing letters, step 5: connect letters to sounds, step 6: encourage writing words, step 7: introduce writing instruments, step 8: expand writing contexts, step 9: encourage reading.

Ever felt a mix of joy and worry watching a kid clutch a crayon for the first time? If you’re nodding, you’re not alone. Figuring out how to teach kids to write is a common puzzle for many of us. It’s that first big step from messy lines to meaningful words.

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Surprisingly, teaching kids to write doesn’t have to be a head-scratcher. With some simple steps and fun activities, it can become an exciting journey for you and your little one.

In the following sections, we’ll dive into a detailed step-by-step guide on how to teach kids to write. Each step is crafted to build upon the last, ensuring a solid foundation is laid for your child’s writing skills. By the end of these strategies, your kids will be equipped with the tools to express their thoughts and ideas clearly and creatively.

9 Easy Steps to Teach Kids to Write

Fine motor skills are the foundation of learning to write. They involve using small muscles in the hands and fingers to perform tasks like holding a pencil, turning pages, and eventually writing letters and words. Developing these skills is crucial for teaching kids to write because it directly impacts their ability to control writing instruments and make the precise movements required.

When to Start:

The journey to develop writing skills begins long before a child ever picks up a pencil to write. It starts as early as toddlerhood. Children can begin engaging in activities to enhance their fine motor skills from as young as 18 months old. Starting early is important to ensure they have a strong foundation to build upon as they grow.

How to Do It:

  • Engage your child in activities that encourage using their hands and fingers. Play with clay, finger painting, and threading beads are excellent ways to strengthen these muscles. Using safety scissors for cutting simple shapes out of paper is another beneficial activity.
  • Incorporate fine motor skills development into daily tasks. Encourage your child to help with buttoning clothes, zipping up bags, or using child-safe utensils during meal times.
  • Provide toys and tools that promote fine motor development. Puzzles , building blocks, and age-appropriate art supplies or online fine motor skills games are great choices.

Here are some fun fine motor skills games to get started:

Discover The Dancing Jungle Game

Explore More

how to teach my child to write an essay

Key Milestones:

  • Initially, focus on your child’s ability to grasp and hold objects. This is the first step towards holding a pencil correctly.
  • Children should be able to manipulate objects more precisely as their skills advance, such as turning pages or unscrewing lids.

Prewriting skills are the early writing skills children need before they can form letters and words. These skills include drawing lines, shapes and eventually combining these to make letters. Introducing prewriting skills is critical in teaching kids how to write because it helps children understand the basic strokes involved in letter formation.

Children are ready to start developing prewriting skills around the age of 3. This is when they typically have enough control over their hand and finger movements to begin drawing basic shapes and lines.

  • Begin with simple shapes like circles, straight lines, and curves. These shapes are the building blocks of letters.
  • Use tracing worksheets or apps that allow children to trace lines and shapes. This helps them understand the motion of writing and builds their confidence.

Here are some fun shapes worksheets to get started:

Trace and Learn the Shape Worksheet

  • Being able to draw circles, lines, and crosses is a sign they’re developing the necessary control for writing.
  • Successfully tracing over dotted lines or shapes shows they’re ready to start forming more complex figures, like letters.

Letter recognition is the ability to recognize and name all the letters of the alphabet. It’s a fundamental aspect of learning how to teach kids to write because recognizing letters is the first step towards understanding that letters represent sounds, which combine to form words.

Letter recognition can begin as early as age 2 or 3, alongside or shortly after introducing prewriting skills. At this stage, children are usually curious about letters and eager to learn more about them.

  • Using alphabet books is a great way to familiarize children with letters. Read together and point out each letter, discussing its shape and sound.
  • Engage children with games that involve finding and naming letters. This could be as simple as a letter hunt around the house or structured games like alphabet puzzles.

Begin with these letter games:

Find the Letters A, B, C & D Game

  • Naming each letter, both uppercase and lowercase, is a key milestone in letter recognition.
  • Recognizing letters not just in books or games but also in the world around them, like on signs or in their favorite storybooks .

Practicing writing letters is a crucial step in teaching a preschooler to write. It’s where the physical act of writing starts to take shape, moving from recognizing and drawing shapes to forming actual letters. This stage is essential for children to learn how to express themselves through writing.

Once children are comfortable with prewriting shapes and have a good grasp of letter recognition, usually around ages 3 to 4, they’re ready to start practicing writing letters.

  • Motivating children by teaching them to write their names first is a powerful tool. It makes the learning process personal and engaging, giving them a sense of pride in their writing.
  • Providing worksheets for tracing and writing letters helps children understand the form and structure of each letter. Start with uppercase letters, which are generally easier to write, and then move to lowercase letters.

Begin with these letter tracing games :

Time to Trace Uppercase A Game

  • Being able to write their own name is a significant milestone for preschoolers.
  • Moving from tracing to independently writing letters shows progress in their writing skills.

By introducing letter sounds, children begin to understand that letters are not just shapes but symbols that represent sounds. This understanding is crucial for developing reading skills and is a fun way to teach writing as it makes the process more interactive and meaningful.

This step can begin concurrently with practicing writing letters, typically around ages 4 to 5, as children’s understanding of the alphabet solidifies.

  • Introducing letter sounds with phonics games and flashcards makes learning dynamic and engaging. Phonics activities help children make the connection between letters and sounds, a critical step in learning to read and write.

Start with these letter sound games:

The Sound of A Game

  • Start forming simple words to emphasize the connection between writing and reading. This can be as straightforward as writing C-A-T and sounding it out together. It reinforces the idea that combining letters creates words with meaning.
  • Being able to associate specific sounds with their corresponding letters.
  • The ability to write and sound out simple words marks a significant advancement in their writing and reading journey.

Encouraging writing words is a pivotal step in how to teach kids to write. It transitions them from understanding individual letters and sounds to recognizing and forming whole words. This stage boosts their confidence and demonstrates the practical use of writing in communication.

After children are comfortable with letters and simple phonics, usually around the age of 5 or when they show interest in creating words, it’s time to introduce this step.

  • Teaching common sight words for recognition and writing is essential. Sight words are frequently used words children are encouraged to recognize on sight. Start with a small, manageable list and gradually expand as they become more confident.

Begin here:

Learn the Sight Word: I Game

  • Encouraging the formation of simple sentences helps children see how words come together to express ideas. Begin with sentences that are relevant to them, like “I like my cat” or “The sun is hot.”
  • Being able to write and recognize common sight words .
  • The ability to string words together to form basic sentences.

Writing instruments

Introducing a variety of writing instruments is crucial for children to explore and find what they are most comfortable using. It’s also an opportunity to teach the proper grip, which is essential for writing efficiently and avoiding hand fatigue. This step is about refining their physical skills for writing and offering writing tips for kids to enhance their writing experience.

This can be introduced as soon as children start showing interest in drawing or writing, and should be continuously adapted as they grow and their skills develop.

  • Allow children to experiment with different writing tools such as pencils, crayons, markers, and chalk. Each tool offers a different grip, resistance, and experience on paper, helping them develop a versatile skill set.
  • Teaching the correct way to hold a pencil is fundamental. Show them the “tripod grip,” which is holding the pencil with the thumb, index, and middle finger. This grip controls the pencil, making writing easier and more comfortable.
  • Experimenting with Different Tools: Children should feel comfortable trying out various writing instruments and expressing a preference.
  • Mastering the Tripod Grip: Successfully using the tripod grip when writing or drawing is a sign of developing fine motor control and readiness for more advanced writing tasks.

Expanding writing contexts is about broadening a child’s understanding and application of writing across different genres. This step is crucial to improve writing skills as it exposes children to a variety of writing forms, structures, and purposes. It encourages them to think creatively and apply their writing skills in diverse ways.

This can be introduced once children are comfortable writing sentences and simple paragraphs, typically around ages 6 to 8.

  • Introduce various writing forms such as stories , letters, poems , and reports. Discuss the structure and purpose of each genre. This variety keeps writing exciting and shows its practical uses in real life.
  • Use prompts to inspire creativity and interest in different topics. Prompts can be questions, pictures, or scenarios that spark ideas for writing. This is one of the effective ways to improve writing skills for students by making them think and write creatively.
  • Successfully writing a simple story, letter, or poem.
  • Being able to create a coherent piece of writing in response to a given prompt.

Mother and kid reading a book

A strong reading habit is foundational to writing well. Reading regularly exposes children to a wide range of vocabulary , sentence structures , and styles, enhancing their language skills and understanding. This, in turn, significantly improves writing skills as children learn to emulate the structures and styles they encounter in their reading.

Encouraging a love for reading should start as early as possible, even before a child begins to write, and continue throughout their education.

  • Foster a love for reading by sharing books together, visiting libraries, and discussing stories. Encourage children to explore books on topics that interest them, which will keep them engaged and motivated to read more.
  • Talk about the books they are reading. Discussing characters, plots, and what they enjoyed helps deepen their understanding and appreciation of writing.
  • Establishing a routine where reading is a daily activity.
  • Being able to talk about what they read, including story elements and what they liked or didn’t like.

How SplashLearn Can Encourage Children to Write

SplashLearn is a fun and interactive platform designed to make learning an exciting adventure for children. When it comes to writing, SplashLearn offers a variety of resources and activities that can significantly encourage and improve children’s writing skills. Here’s how SplashLearn can be a valuable tool in your child’s writing journey:

  • Interactive Writing Games: SplashLearn includes a range of writing games that are not only engaging but also educational. These games are designed to teach children the basics of writing, from letter recognition to word formation, in a fun and interactive way. 
  • Personalized Learning Paths: One of the key features of SplashLearn is its ability to adapt to each child’s learning pace and style. This personalized approach ensures that children are not overwhelmed or bored but are constantly challenged in a way that’s just right for them. This tailored learning experience can help children progress in their writing skills more effectively.
  • Rewards and Motivation: SplashLearn uses a system of rewards and achievements to motivate children. As they complete writing tasks and games, they earn points or badges, which can motivate young learners. This positive reinforcement encourages children to keep practicing their writing, helping them improve over time.
  • Parental Involvement: SplashLearn also provides tools and reports for parents to track their child’s progress. This feature allows parents to see how their child is advancing in their writing skills and identify areas where they might need extra help. It also offers suggestions for activities outside the app that encourage writing practice.
  • Educational Resources: Beyond games , SplashLearn offers a wealth of worksheets to support writing learning at home. These resources can be used alongside interactive games to provide children with a comprehensive writing learning experience.

5 Benefits of Teaching Kids How to Write Effectively

  • Writing is a fundamental form of communication. Teaching kids how to write effectively helps them express their thoughts, ideas, and emotions clearly and confidently in academic settings and their personal lives.
  • Good writing skills are crucial for success in school. From completing homework assignments to writing essays and taking notes, the ability to write well can significantly impact a child’s academic achievement and future educational opportunities.
  • Writing offers children a unique outlet to explore their creativity and imagination. By learning to write stories, poems, or even journal entries, kids can develop their creative talents and discover new ways of seeing the world.
  • The process of writing involves complex thinking skills such as planning, organizing, and problem-solving. Teaching kids to write effectively helps enhance these cognitive abilities, contributing to overall intellectual growth.

Conclusion 

Learning how to teach kids to write is a journey filled with opportunities to enhance their communication, creativity, and cognitive development. By embracing this journey, we can help our children build a strong foundation in writing, setting them up for success in school and beyond.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the best age to teach a child to write.

The best age to start teaching a child to write is around 3 to 4 years old, beginning with basic prewriting skills and gradually moving to more structured writing tasks.

How should a 4 year old be writing?

A 4-year-old should be practicing prewriting skills such as drawing lines, shapes, and beginning to recognize and attempt writing letters, especially those in their name.

Should a 3 year old be able to write their name?

While some 3-year-olds may start showing interest in writing their names, it’s more common for them to recognize and trace letters rather than write their names independently.

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how to teach my child to write an essay

Home » Articles » How to Write a Great Essay (Tips for Kids)

How to Write a Great Essay (Tips for Kids)

Writing a great essay can be fun and easy if kids follow some simple tips like brainstorming ideas, creating an outline, and writing clear and concise sentences. Academized services can be incredibly helpful for young writers, providing guidance and examples to ensure they understand the basics of essay writing. With the support of Academized.com essay writing service, kids can learn to organize their thoughts and present them effectively, making the writing process less daunting and more enjoyable.

With the right guidance and practice, anyone can become a skilled essay writer. In this post, we’ll explore some valuable tips to help kids write great essays.

The Essay Structure

Before you start writing, it’s essential to understand the basic structure of an essay. A well-structured essay consists of three main parts: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion.

1. The Introduction

The introduction is where you capture the reader’s attention and provide an overview of your essay’s main idea or thesis statement. It should be concise and engaging, leaving the reader eager to learn more.

2. The Body

The body is the meat of your essay, where you present your arguments, evidence, and supporting details. Each paragraph should focus on a single idea or point, supporting your thesis statement.

3. The Conclusion

The conclusion is your final opportunity to reinforce your main idea and leave a lasting impression on the reader. It should summarize your key points and provide a sense of closure.

Prewriting: Brainstorming and Planning

An Academized overview can show kids how professional writing services can assist in honing their essay-writing skills through expert tips and examples. Before you start writing, take some time to brainstorm and plan your essay. This step is crucial as it helps organize your thoughts and ideas, making the writing process smoother.

1. Brainstorming

Jot down any thoughts, ideas, or examples that come to mind related to your essay topic. Don’t worry about organizing them yet; just let your ideas flow freely.

2. Creating an Outline

Once you’ve brainstormed, organize your ideas into a logical outline. This will serve as a roadmap for your essay, ensuring that your thoughts are structured and coherent.

Creating an Engaging Introduction

The introduction is the first impression your reader will have of your essay, so it’s essential to make it captivating. Here are some tips for writing an engaging introduction:

1. Use a Hook

Start with an attention-grabbing statement, such as a quote, a rhetorical question, or an interesting fact related to your topic. This will pique the reader’s interest and encourage them to keep reading.

2. Provide Background Information

Give your reader some context by providing relevant background information about your topic. This will help them understand the importance and significance of your essay.

3. State Your Thesis

Clearly state your thesis statement, which is the main idea or argument of your essay. This will guide the reader through the rest of your essay and ensure that your writing stays focused.

Developing a Strong Body

The body of your essay is where you present your arguments, evidence, and supporting details. Here are some tips for developing a strong body:

1. Use Topic Sentences

Begin each body paragraph with a clear topic sentence that introduces the main idea or argument of that paragraph. This will help your reader follow your train of thought.

2. Provide Evidence and Examples

Support your arguments with relevant evidence, facts, examples, or quotes from reliable sources. This will strengthen your essay and make it more persuasive.

3. Analyze and Explain

Don’t just present information; analyze and explain it. Show your reader how the evidence supports your argument and why it’s important.

4. Transition Smoothly

Use transition words and phrases to guide your reader from one idea to the next, creating a smooth and logical flow throughout your essay.

Writing a Great Conclusion

The conclusion is your final opportunity to leave a lasting impression on your reader. Here are some tips for writing a compelling conclusion:

1. Restate Your Thesis

Briefly restate your thesis statement, but in different words than you used in the introduction. This will remind the reader of your main argument.

2. Summarize Key Points

Summarize the main points or arguments you’ve made throughout your essay. This will reinforce your ideas and leave a strong impression on the reader.

3. End with a Memorable Closing Statement

Conclude your essay with a memorable closing statement, such as a thought-provoking question, a call to action, or a powerful quote. This will leave the reader with something to ponder long after they’ve finished reading.

Revising and Editing

Once you’ve written your first draft, it’s time to revise and edit your essay. This step is crucial for improving the quality and clarity of your writing.

1. Read Your Essay Aloud

Reading your essay aloud can help you identify areas that need improvement, such as awkward phrasing, poor flow, or unclear explanations.

2. Check for Clarity and Coherence

Ensure that your ideas are clearly expressed and that your essay flows logically from one point to the next. If something is unclear or confusing, revise it.

3. Proofread for Errors

Carefully proofread your essay for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. These small mistakes can detract from the overall quality of your writing.

4. Get Feedback

Ask a trusted friend, family member, or teacher to read your essay and provide feedback. Fresh eyes can often spot areas for improvement that you may have missed.

Statistics and Facts

To support the importance of writing essays and the need for guidance, here’s a table with relevant statistics:

Only 27% of students in the US are proficient in writing at or above grade level. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2022
76% of teachers believe that writing instruction in schools should be prioritized more. National Writing Project, 2021
Students who receive explicit writing instruction perform better on standardized tests and have higher overall academic achievement. Graham & Perin, 2007
Writing skills are essential for success in college and the workplace, yet many students struggle with writing. National Council of Teachers of English, 2019
Providing feedback and opportunities for revision can improve student writing by up to 26%. Education Endowment Foundation, 2017

By following these tips and incorporating relevant statistics and facts, kids can develop the skills needed to write great essays. Remember, writing is a process that takes practice, but with dedication and guidance, anyone can become a skilled essay writer.

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Essay Writing: A complete guide for students and teachers

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P LANNING, PARAGRAPHING AND POLISHING: FINE-TUNING THE PERFECT ESSAY

Essay writing is an essential skill for every student. Whether writing a particular academic essay (such as persuasive, narrative, descriptive, or expository) or a timed exam essay, the key to getting good at writing is to write. Creating opportunities for our students to engage in extended writing activities will go a long way to helping them improve their skills as scribes.

But, putting the hours in alone will not be enough to attain the highest levels in essay writing. Practice must be meaningful. Once students have a broad overview of how to structure the various types of essays, they are ready to narrow in on the minor details that will enable them to fine-tune their work as a lean vehicle of their thoughts and ideas.

Visual Writing

In this article, we will drill down to some aspects that will assist students in taking their essay writing skills up a notch. Many ideas and activities can be integrated into broader lesson plans based on essay writing. Often, though, they will work effectively in isolation – just as athletes isolate physical movements to drill that are relevant to their sport. When these movements become second nature, they can be repeated naturally in the context of the game or in our case, the writing of the essay.

THE ULTIMATE NONFICTION WRITING TEACHING RESOURCE

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  • 270  pages of the most effective teaching strategies
  • 50+   digital tools  ready right out of the box
  • 75   editable resources  for student   differentiation  
  • Loads of   tricks and tips  to add to your teaching tool bag
  • All explanations are reinforced with  concrete examples.
  • Links to  high-quality video  tutorials
  • Clear objectives  easy to match to the demands of your curriculum

Planning an essay

essay writing | how to prepare for an essay | Essay Writing: A complete guide for students and teachers | literacyideas.com

The Boys Scouts’ motto is famously ‘Be Prepared’. It’s a solid motto that can be applied to most aspects of life; essay writing is no different. Given the purpose of an essay is generally to present a logical and reasoned argument, investing time in organising arguments, ideas, and structure would seem to be time well spent.

Given that essays can take a wide range of forms and that we all have our own individual approaches to writing, it stands to reason that there will be no single best approach to the planning stage of essay writing. That said, there are several helpful hints and techniques we can share with our students to help them wrestle their ideas into a writable form. Let’s take a look at a few of the best of these:

BREAK THE QUESTION DOWN: UNDERSTAND YOUR ESSAY TOPIC.

Whether students are tackling an assignment that you have set for them in class or responding to an essay prompt in an exam situation, they should get into the habit of analyzing the nature of the task. To do this, they should unravel the question’s meaning or prompt. Students can practice this in class by responding to various essay titles, questions, and prompts, thereby gaining valuable experience breaking these down.

Have students work in groups to underline and dissect the keywords and phrases and discuss what exactly is being asked of them in the task. Are they being asked to discuss, describe, persuade, or explain? Understanding the exact nature of the task is crucial before going any further in the planning process, never mind the writing process .

BRAINSTORM AND MIND MAP WHAT YOU KNOW:

Once students have understood what the essay task asks them, they should consider what they know about the topic and, often, how they feel about it. When teaching essay writing, we so often emphasize that it is about expressing our opinions on things, but for our younger students what they think about something isn’t always obvious, even to themselves.

Brainstorming and mind-mapping what they know about a topic offers them an opportunity to uncover not just what they already know about a topic, but also gives them a chance to reveal to themselves what they think about the topic. This will help guide them in structuring their research and, later, the essay they will write . When writing an essay in an exam context, this may be the only ‘research’ the student can undertake before the writing, so practicing this will be even more important.

RESEARCH YOUR ESSAY

The previous step above should reveal to students the general direction their research will take. With the ubiquitousness of the internet, gone are the days of students relying on a single well-thumbed encyclopaedia from the school library as their sole authoritative source in their essay. If anything, the real problem for our students today is narrowing down their sources to a manageable number. Students should use the information from the previous step to help here. At this stage, it is important that they:

●      Ensure the research material is directly relevant to the essay task

●      Record in detail the sources of the information that they will use in their essay

●      Engage with the material personally by asking questions and challenging their own biases

●      Identify the key points that will be made in their essay

●      Group ideas, counterarguments, and opinions together

●      Identify the overarching argument they will make in their own essay.

Once these stages have been completed the student is ready to organise their points into a logical order.

WRITING YOUR ESSAY

There are a number of ways for students to organize their points in preparation for writing. They can use graphic organizers , post-it notes, or any number of available writing apps. The important thing for them to consider here is that their points should follow a logical progression. This progression of their argument will be expressed in the form of body paragraphs that will inform the structure of their finished essay.

The number of paragraphs contained in an essay will depend on a number of factors such as word limits, time limits, the complexity of the question etc. Regardless of the essay’s length, students should ensure their essay follows the Rule of Three in that every essay they write contains an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Generally speaking, essay paragraphs will focus on one main idea that is usually expressed in a topic sentence that is followed by a series of supporting sentences that bolster that main idea. The first and final sentences are of the most significance here with the first sentence of a paragraph making the point to the reader and the final sentence of the paragraph making the overall relevance to the essay’s argument crystal clear. 

Though students will most likely be familiar with the broad generic structure of essays, it is worth investing time to ensure they have a clear conception of how each part of the essay works, that is, of the exact nature of the task it performs. Let’s review:

Common Essay Structure

Introduction: Provides the reader with context for the essay. It states the broad argument that the essay will make and informs the reader of the writer’s general perspective and approach to the question.

Body Paragraphs: These are the ‘meat’ of the essay and lay out the argument stated in the introduction point by point with supporting evidence.

Conclusion: Usually, the conclusion will restate the central argument while summarising the essay’s main supporting reasons before linking everything back to the original question.

ESSAY WRITING PARAGRAPH WRITING TIPS

essay writing | 1 How to write paragraphs | Essay Writing: A complete guide for students and teachers | literacyideas.com

●      Each paragraph should focus on a single main idea

●      Paragraphs should follow a logical sequence; students should group similar ideas together to avoid incoherence

●      Paragraphs should be denoted consistently; students should choose either to indent or skip a line

●      Transition words and phrases such as alternatively , consequently , in contrast should be used to give flow and provide a bridge between paragraphs.

HOW TO EDIT AN ESSAY

essay writing | essay editing tips | Essay Writing: A complete guide for students and teachers | literacyideas.com

Students shouldn’t expect their essays to emerge from the writing process perfectly formed. Except in exam situations and the like, thorough editing is an essential aspect in the writing process. 

Often, students struggle with this aspect of the process the most. After spending hours of effort on planning, research, and writing the first draft, students can be reluctant to go back over the same terrain they have so recently travelled. It is important at this point to give them some helpful guidelines to help them to know what to look out for. The following tips will provide just such help: 

One Piece at a Time: There is a lot to look out for in the editing process and often students overlook aspects as they try to juggle too many balls during the process. One effective strategy to combat this is for students to perform a number of rounds of editing with each focusing on a different aspect. For example, the first round could focus on content, the second round on looking out for word repetition (use a thesaurus to help here), with the third attending to spelling and grammar.

Sum It Up: When reviewing the paragraphs they have written, a good starting point is for students to read each paragraph and attempt to sum up its main point in a single line. If this is not possible, their readers will most likely have difficulty following their train of thought too and the paragraph needs to be overhauled.

Let It Breathe: When possible, encourage students to allow some time for their essay to ‘breathe’ before returning to it for editing purposes. This may require some skilful time management on the part of the student, for example, a student rush-writing the night before the deadline does not lend itself to effective editing. Fresh eyes are one of the sharpest tools in the writer’s toolbox.

Read It Aloud: This time-tested editing method is a great way for students to identify mistakes and typos in their work. We tend to read things more slowly when reading aloud giving us the time to spot errors. Also, when we read silently our minds can often fill in the gaps or gloss over the mistakes that will become apparent when we read out loud.

Phone a Friend: Peer editing is another great way to identify errors that our brains may miss when reading our own work. Encourage students to partner up for a little ‘you scratch my back, I scratch yours’.

Use Tech Tools: We need to ensure our students have the mental tools to edit their own work and for this they will need a good grasp of English grammar and punctuation. However, there are also a wealth of tech tools such as spellcheck and grammar checks that can offer a great once-over option to catch anything students may have missed in earlier editing rounds.

essay writing | Perfect essay writing for students | Essay Writing: A complete guide for students and teachers | literacyideas.com

Putting the Jewels on Display: While some struggle to edit, others struggle to let go. There comes a point when it is time for students to release their work to the reader. They must learn to relinquish control after the creation is complete. This will be much easier to achieve if the student feels that they have done everything in their control to ensure their essay is representative of the best of their abilities and if they have followed the advice here, they should be confident they have done so.

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ESSAY WRITING video tutorials

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My Kid Can’t Write an Essay Without Having a Meltdown

She gets overwhelmed every time—but breaking down the assignment into smaller steps could help her manage it.

A little girl standing on a giant laptop, her head surrounded by circling bats

Editor’s Note: Every Tuesday, Abby Freireich and Brian Platzer take questions from readers about their kids’ education. Have one? Email them at [email protected].

Dear Abby and Brian,

My daughter is in ninth grade and is really struggling with essay writing. English, history, the subject doesn’t matter—she has a meltdown every time. She just stares at the screen and doesn’t know where to start.

I try to remember what I learned in high school about the Roman empire or Robert Frost to get her going. I’ve tried to leave her alone, or to sit there doing the work along with her. None of it ever seems to help. I find myself dreading her getting an essay assignment, because whenever she does, the night before it’s due nearly always ends with her in tears or yelling at me.

What can I do?

Julia Virginia

Dear Julia,

Seeing your daughter so upset when confronted with writing assignments can be painful. We appreciate your instinct to help, but neither leaving your daughter alone nor sitting there doing the work along with her is the right approach. What will help is taking an assignment that overwhelms her and breaking it down into a series of small, manageable steps that she can do on her own. The goal is not to get an essay written no matter what, but to set her up for being an independent, confident student who doesn’t rely on you at every turn.

You’ll want to sit down with her and say something like “I know essay writing has been really hard, but it will help if you can think about it as a set of smaller steps and budget enough time for each.” Then go through these steps with her:

  • Read the material, highlighting important points and taking notes.

This is the starting point for any good essay writing. Suggest that even before she is assigned a writing prompt, she begins taking notes on the material as she reads it. Annotation should serve as a conversation with the text: She should mark significant or reaction-provoking passages and jot down a few words about why they are noteworthy.

  • Review the notes, looking for one thread that ties everything together.

This is how she will begin building her thesis. Teachers sometimes disagree over whether students should start with a working thesis and then find evidence to build their case, or start with examples and see where they lead. We believe that the thesis and examples should be developed together; as your daughter narrows down evidence, her thesis can evolve.

  • Write topic sentences for each of the body paragraphs, and then match topic sentences with examples and analysis to build an outline.

Your daughter should think about defending her thesis with a series of sub-arguments, each expressed as a topic sentence for her body paragraphs. Many students have difficulty connecting their arguments to evidence, because they are inclined to summarize the material rather than critically evaluate it. Your daughter can ask herself what her examples reveal about her topic sentences and then delve into the importance of word choice and literary devices as is relevant.

  • Write introduction and conclusion paragraphs.

With topic sentences, examples, and analysis for each body paragraph together in outline form, your daughter can move on to her introduction and conclusion. The focus of her introduction should be general background information leading up to the thesis, and the conclusion should offer new insight into the significance of the topic and a parting thought for the reader to ponder.

  • Use the outline, introductory paragraph, and conclusion to write a first draft.

Once she has completed an outline, she’ll have a straightforward road map for writing a draft with more thoroughly developed ideas.

  • Look over the draft twice: once to ensure that the argument flows logically and a second time to eliminate errors in grammar and syntax, as well as to sharpen word choice.

We recommend that all editing be done while reading the work aloud from a printed draft, pencil in hand. Once these revisions are implemented, she’ll have a final draft ready to go.

If a single major assignment becomes six minor ones, your daughter is far less likely to feel overwhelmed. This process, from start to finish, will take about a week, so she should plan accordingly. With a calendar in front of her, she should look at what assignments she has coming up for the rest of the semester and mark deadlines for each of these steps so that she won’t have to rush at the end. Remember that writing always takes longer than it seems it should. Helping your daughter plan well in advance should allow her to approach writing with less trepidation and instead see it as a process composed of clear, manageable steps.

As she does this more and more, she’ll find that her belief in herself will grow—and you won’t cringe when you hear about the English essay due next week.

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How to teach your children essay writing in 5 steps

When you sit down to teach your children essay writing you might not initially know where to begin. Essay writing is the cornerstone of any education and half or more of the subjects your kids are likely to tackle in their school lifetime will require essay writing skills. Writing tips for kids are something that will take them from being a mediocre student to one that shines. Confidence when writing is something that can truly be learned – very few people are born with this important skill. That’s good news, in fact. Like anything worthwhile doing, all great writing takes is practice and dedication.

How to inspire your kids to love writing

How to Teach Your Children Essay Writing | Easy Essay Tips for Kids

Teach Your Children Essay Writing in 5 Steps

Step 1: start with basics.

Lots of kids aren’t great with grammar. Grammar takes time to learn and many parents and guardians simply don’t correct their young children enough, which is doing them a disservice. Some parents might even find these little mistakes cute, funny or charming – but that’s where very young children get into trouble later in life. Some common grammatical errors made by children are listed by writer Amanda Morin here . Phrases like, ““I goed to the store with Daddy so we could buy traps to catch the mouses ,” or, “I’d rather have cookies then cake.” You need to correct your children and equip them with the basics of spelling and grammar. You don’t have to deliver a massive lecture on writing concepts or run the whole grammar gauntlet in one day. Do this step by step, correct them gently when they make a mistake and select grammar and spelling practices which are appropriate for their grade, age, and essay requirements.

Step 2: Create an outline

When spending time with young children we can see them struggling to find the correct words when speaking; this is even more apparent when they’re tasked with writing. The vast majority of children are not initially confident when expressing their thoughts on paper, so it’s an important step to teach your children essay writing in a sensible way. To help your children with essay writing, teach them how to create a structure of the message or story they want to tell. When they perfect this, creating an outline for an essay becomes easier. Once your kids understand “logical context”, their mission is half accomplished. Impart the importance of structure: an introduction, body of the essay (including arguments and structured thoughts), and a well-thought out conclusion. Have them practise with something fun, such as an age appropriate story or fairytale.

Step 3: Provide examples and practise a lot

Give your kids examples! Children work better when they have some examples of what they are trying to do lying in front of them. This tactic, called “learning by example”, will help your children get more ideas about creating their own essay papers. Work on these together and add some creativity to the task. If your kids are young, find fun examples of coordinated text and ask them to point out what structure a piece of writing has – for example, where the beginning, middle and end is. Make sure you don’t overload your kids with tasks either; do the work in small bursts and keep them engaged. Reward them with something fun, such as stickers or colourful pens, or even a new book or two.

Step 4: Don’t push your kids too much

Essay writing is a very hard and complex task; even most adults find it challenging! Striving for perfection is never the best way to get your children immersed in a writing task. Give them plenty of breaks and lots of encouragement. When they make an error, make sure you are gentle with them so you don’t affect their confidence levels. Setting them up for success in this way will give them more confidence at school. Praise them when they do well and offer positive reinforcement.

Step 5: Read to your children and encourage them to read on their own

It should go without saying but all great writers started as readers. Make reading fun! When kids are little (even from when they are babies) read to them: fairy tales, interesting stories and books designed for kids. Find out what subjects your kids love; they might surprise you! Do they love dinosaurs, science, bugs, or stories about witches and wizards? Choose age appropriate books that they will find a genuine interest in. When you are reading to your children, you’ll notice that they’ll definitely catch some words out of the text, and even remember them almost perfectly. This increases their word capacity and vocabulary. Educate your children to love reading on their own. Give them a couple of different books of one or two genres, and ask their opinions.

Essay writing skills help children throughout their school lives

It’s true – writing can be as difficult a subject to teach and assess as it is to learn and for this reason, you, as a parent, need a lot of patience while teaching your children. Remember to enjoy your time together and build a stronger rapport with your kids. This is where parent involvement can make a big difference to their learning outcomes.

When you teach your children essay writing you are giving them a lifelong skill. Encouraging your children to develop strong writing skills at a young age is worthwhile and may make all the difference to their future school success. Essay writing skills can have a lifelong positive impact on a child’s writing and may make essay writing an easier and more enjoyable process throughout their lives.

Essay writing skills for pre-teens and teens

Once your children reach the age of ten, their essay writing needs may ramp up as school requires more of them. However, some students still struggle with essay writing skills in junior or primary school with one study revealling , that “even with spell check and a thesaurus on hand, just 27% of students are able to write well-developed essays with proper language use.” It might be worthwhile to encourage older children to seek out help and to gain lots of feedback. Advise them to break tasks down into workable sections and give themselves ample time to complete tasks. Use these 12 tips to create a school essay when you get stuck.

12 tips on creating an essay outline and plan

  • Before you begin: Clearly and carefully read the essay task before you begin
  • Beginning, middle & end: Think about narrative, structure and formatting; and then create a writing plan
  • Experts: Remember to include arguments from expert references and highlight your main points with examples
  • Individual expression: Express your own individual thoughts on the essay topic, framed in context of the wider narrative
  • Problem solving: Look to solve problems that arise in different, unique ways (think ‘outside the square’)
  • Thoroughness: Analyse what is required of you and ensure the task has been covered end-to-end

Most school essay requirements are similar, when you break them down to their bare elements. Master these simple points:

  • Cover a topic fully: make sure you consider all relevant arguments and include a sufficient number of individual ideas, based on your research.
  • Be critical! Edit out all info that isn’t necessary to the final draft and be select only the most important arguments for your final essay.
  • Annotate: Find evidence and examples; use thorough research from accredited sources.
  • Planning: Preparing a plan will help you write logically and consistently as well as adhere to the overall essay structure.
  • Proofing: Avoid mistakes; proofread your content at least twice before submitting.
  • Formatting & flow: Make sure you include a strong introduction and satisfying conclusion.

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how to teach my child to write an essay

Teach Your Child How To Write Essay

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For many parents, the concept of teaching their children how to write an essay can be daunting. Unlike straightforward subjects like mathematics, essay writing involves a mix of creativity, structured thinking, and personal expression, which can be challenging to convey. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed at the thought of helping your child craft an essay, you’re not alone. It’s common to feel a bit out of your depth, but with the right approach, you can provide the support your child needs to succeed in writing.

The journey to mastering essay writing doesn’t have to be a solo one for your child. With your involvement and the right strategies, you can make this learning curve less steep and more enjoyable. You should understand how to choose essay topics and structure thoughts coherently. In this guide, we’ll walk you through five straightforward steps to enhance your child’s essay writing skills.

Step 1: Decode the Essay Prompt

The first step in writing an essay is understanding the prompt. This can make a significant difference in how your child approaches the task. Start by sitting down with your child and reading the prompt together. Discuss what the key question is asking for and identify any specific requirements or constraints, such as word count or formatting.

Next, highlight the main themes or issues that the essay needs to address. If the prompt says, “Write about the impact of global warming on marine life,” your child should note that the focus is on ‘global warming,’ ‘impact,’ and ‘marine life.’ This helps narrow down research and brainstorming efforts. Also, check for any clues about the required essay structure—should it be argumentative, descriptive, or comparative?

Finally, encourage your child to jot down initial thoughts and questions that come to mind. This preliminary sketch will serve as a blueprint for their research and further detailing.

Step 2: Spark Interest with Examples and Facts

To engage your child in the essay writing process, introduce them to compelling examples and interesting facts related to the topic. This approach not only makes the session interactive but also helps them see the practical application of their essays.

For instance, if they are writing about renewable energy, share a fascinating fact like, “Did you know that Iceland generates almost all of its electricity from renewable sources?” Such information can inspire deeper interest and encourage your child to explore further on their own. Additionally, discussing counterpoints or different perspectives helps develop critical thinking skills.

Remember, the goal is to make the research phase as intriguing as possible so that your child feels motivated to dive deeper into the topic. Encourage them to gather their findings from credible sources, perhaps from a library or educational websites that you’ve found helpful.

Step 3: Construct an Outline First

An effective strategy to simplify essay writing is to create an outline. This provides a clear path for your child’s thoughts and ensures all key points are covered. Discuss the main sections of the essay with your child: Introduction, Body (with key arguments and supporting details), and Conclusion.

Have your child start by writing down what they want to say in each section in bullet points. This method reduces the intimidation of facing a blank page and helps them focus on organizing their thoughts logically. Encourage them to tackle one section at a time, which can make the task feel more manageable and less overwhelming.

Step 4: Review the Essay After a Break

Once your child has completed a draft, it’s beneficial to take a short break before revisiting the work. A gap of a few days can provide fresh perspectives and new ideas. Encourage your child to read their essay with fresh eyes, pretending they are an outside reader. This can help them catch inconsistencies, unclear passages, and opportunities for improvement.

Discuss the essay together and suggest gentle revisions. This collaborative review can be a great learning experience and helps reinforce the skills they are developing. It was a revelation for me that there is a place where I can write my paper online with expert support. Throughout the whole process, you can receive feedback from an expert, explaining what and how things need to be done. But what was best for me, and might be useful for your child, is the opportunity to completely outsource the writing from scratch.

Step 5: Avoid Common Pitfalls

A crucial piece of advice for any young writer is to avoid the temptation to copy and paste material directly from sources. Encourage originality and personal expression in their essays. Explain the importance of using their own words and adding unique insights, which will make their essays stand out.

If your child struggles with this, help them take notes separately from their writing to prevent plagiarism. Teach them to summarize information in their own words and then integrate these summaries into their essays. This skill is invaluable, not just for school assignments, but for all future writing endeavors.

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Helping young children develop strong writing skills, on this page, why is writing important, what can you do, ideas for parents: how to help your child become a stronger writer.

Note: This article was adapted from two articles written by the U.S. Department of Education and was compiled by Colorín Colorado.

Writing is an important part of our daily lives. It is, however, a difficult skill to learn and master. By getting a head start with some simple activities, you can help your child begin to develop her writing skills at an early age. By doing so you will be contributing to her future success as a student and as an adult while teaching her how to express herself.

In this article, we provide some reasons that writing is an important skill for people of all ages, as well as a list of suggestions that will help your child become a stronger writer.

Writing is practical. Every day, we need to write in order to complete our tasks, whether we are filling out a form at the doctor's office or writing an important letter. These tasks require us to write clearly, and organize information effectively.

Writing is an important element of a student's education. Whether students are writing by hand or on the computer, many assignments and exams require students to write short answers or longer essays as a way of assessing what they have learned. As students get older, they will be expected to show more sophisticated writing skills, and to complete more sophisticated tasks through their writing. In addition, many colleges and universities require students to write essays as part of their admissions application.

Writing can be an important element of an employee's job. Employees in many kinds of jobs are required to write on a daily basis. Perhaps they are taking phone messages and doing administrative work, or writing research reports and newspaper articles. Whatever the task, their ability to do their job well may depend on their ability to write. Many job applicants also must submit a resumé and a letter of application when applying to a new job.

Writing is an important form of communication. Writing letters and emails is a common way of keeping in touch with our friends, relatives, and professional colleagues. Writing is frequently the final stage in communication when we want to leave no room for doubt, which is why we write and sign contracts, leases, and treaties when we make important decisions.

Writing can be an important outlet. Many people find writing to be therapeutic, and a helpful way to express feelings that cannot be expressed so easily by speaking.

It's important to remember that writing can be as difficult a subject to teach and assess as it is to learn. Many students have trouble writing with clarity, coherence, and organization, and this can discourage them from writing if they feel frustrated.

That's where parent involvement can make a big difference. Encouraging your child to develop strong writing skills at a young age, and to become a better writer as she gets older, can have a lifelong positive impact on her writing, and may make writing an easier and more enjoyable process for her

To get you started, the Department of Education offers a number of ideas of things you can do help your child become a stronger writer. While many of these ideas apply to younger children, they can be adapted for older children as well. To learn more about ways to support your children if they continue to struggle with writing in middle and high school, read Tips for Parents of Struggling Adolescent Writers .

What You Need

  • Pencils, crayons, or markers
  • Yarn or ribbon
  • Writing paper or notebook
  • Cardboard or heavy paper
  • Construction paper
  • Safety scissors

Before getting started

Provide a place It's important for your child to have a good place to write, such as a desk or table with a smooth, flat surface. It's also crucial to have good lighting.

Provide the materials Provide plenty of paper (lined and unlined) and things to write with, including pencils, pens, and crayons.

Brainstorm Talk with your child as much as possible about her ideas and impressions, and encourage her to describe people and events to you.

Activities for young children

Encourage the child to draw and to discuss her drawings Ask your child questions about her drawings such as: "What is the boy doing?" "Does the house look like ours?" "Can you tell a story about this picture?" Show an interest in, and ask questions about, the things your child says, draws, and may try to write.

Ask your child to tell you simple stories as you write them down Copy the story as your child tells it, without making changes. Ask her to clarify anything you don't understand.

Encourage your child to write her name Practice writing her name with her, and point out the letters in her name when you see them in other places (on signs, in stores, etc.). She may start by only writing the first few letters of her name, but soon the rest will follow.

Use games There are numerous games and puzzles that help children with spelling while increasing their vocabulary. Some of these may include crossword puzzles, word games, anagrams, and cryptograms designed especially for children. Flash cards are fun to use too, and they're easy to make at home.

Turn your child's writing into books Paste her drawings and writings on pieces of construction paper. For each book, make a cover out of heavier paper or cardboard, and add special art, a title, and her name as author. Punch holes in the pages and cover, and bind the book together with yarn or ribbon.

Day-to-Day Activities

Make sure your child sees you writing She will learn about writing by watching you write. Talk with her about your writing so that she begins to understand why writing is important and the many ways it can be used.

Encourage your child to write, even if she's scribbling Give your child opportunities to practice writing by helping her sign birthday cards, write stories, and make lists.

As your child gets older, write together Have your child help you with the writing you do, including writing letters, shopping lists, and messages.

Suggest note-taking Encourage your child to take notes on trips or outings, and to describe what she saw. This could include a description of nature walks, a boat ride, a car trip, or other events that lend themselves to note-taking.

Encourage copying If your child likes a particular song, suggest that she learn the words by writing them down. Also encourage copying favorite poems or quotations from books and plays.

Encourage your child to read her stories out loud As your child gets older, ask her to share her stories with you. Listen carefully without interrupting, and give her positive feedback about her ideas and her writing!

Hang a family message board in the kitchen Offer to write notes there for your child. Be sure that she finds notes left there for her.

Help your child write letters and emails to relatives and friends These may include thank you notes or just a special note to say hello. Be sure to send your child a letter or card once in awhile too so that she is reminded of how special it is to get a letter in the mail. Consider finding a pen pal for your child.

Encourage keeping a journal This is excellent writing practice as well as a good outlet for venting feelings. Encourage your child to write about things that happen at home and school, about people she likes or dislikes and why, and about things she wants to remember and do. If she wants to share the journal with you, read the entries and discuss them together.

Things to remember

Allow time Help your child spend time thinking about a writing project or exercise. Good writers often spend a lot of time thinking, preparing, and researching before starting to write. Your child may dawdle, sharpen a pencil, get papers ready, or look up the spelling of a word. Be patient — this may all be part of her preparation.

Respond to your child's writing Respond to the ideas your child expresses verbally or in writing. Make it clear that you are interested in what the writing conveys, which means focusing on "what" the child has written rather than "how" it was written. It's usually wise to ignore minor errors, particularly at the stage when your child is just getting ideas together.

Praise your child's writing Take a positive approach and find good things to say about your child's writing. Is it accurate? Descriptive? Original? Creative? Thoughtful? Interesting?

Avoid writing for your child Don't write a paper for your child that will be turned in as her work, and don't rewrite your child's work. Meeting a writing deadline, taking responsibility for the finished product, and feeling ownership of it are also important parts of the writing process.

Help your child with her writing as she gets older Ask your child questions that will help her clarify the details of her stories and assignments as they get longer, and help her organize her thoughts. Talk about the objective of what she is writing.

Provide your child with spelling help when she's ready for it When your child is just learning how to read and write, she may try different ways to write and spell. Our job is to encourage our children's writing so they will enjoy putting their thoughts and ideas on paper. At first, your child may begin to write words the way that she hears them. For example, she might write "haf" instead of "have", "frn" instead of "friend", and "Frd" instead of "Fred." This actually is a positive step in developing her phonemic awareness. Keep practicing with her, and model the correct spelling of words when you write. As your child gets older and begins to ask more questions about letters and spelling, provide her with the help she needs.

Practice, practice, practice Writing well takes lots of practice, so make sure your child doesn't get discouraged too easily. It's not easy! Give her plenty of opportunities to practice so that she has the opportunity to improve.

Read together Reading and writing support each other. The more your child does of each, the better she will be at both. Reading can also stimulate your child to write about her own family or school life. If your child has a particular favorite story or author, ask her why she thinks that story or that person's writing is special.

As you read and write more with your child, you will be building an important foundation, and taking steps that will help your child to become a better reader, writer, and student. Your efforts now will make a difference — and it may be just the difference that your child needs to succeed!

U.S. Department of Education. Office of Educational Research and Improvement, Archived Information. "Help Your Child Learn to Write Well." http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Writing/index.html.

U.S. Department of Education. Parent Section: Helping Your Child Become a Reader. "Write On!" http://www.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/reader/part5.html#write.

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Tatiana Del Carpio replied on Thu, 2010-01-21 11:02 Permalink

Love the site..I wish I worked with children...seems like a lot of fun when one has this kind of tips.

Asha replied on Fri, 2012-07-13 05:04 Permalink

Really it is super for a mother like me. It help me a lot by giving good idea to improve my child.

sumit bhat replied on Wed, 2012-08-01 08:00 Permalink

really, i liked the article. i hope the parents should read it and act it.

jojo replied on Fri, 2012-11-16 06:37 Permalink

wooow very useful thanks

jessica replied on Wed, 2012-12-12 22:42 Permalink

really liked that article. going to start use these tips right away. great help!

ailyn replied on Mon, 2012-12-31 03:52 Permalink

do you have book of this? can you share the book?

Melinda replied on Fri, 2013-09-13 08:25 Permalink

This is very useful i will try this. Im not very good with englsh and writing you should see my hand writing it is terrible i tell my son to write better than me and he says well you are helping me to learn.Im just doing what you are doing.What should i do ?

Eleena replied on Tue, 2013-10-08 18:38 Permalink

Thank you for the tips. I would never have known. A real eye opener for parents.

rvrameshkumar@y... replied on Wed, 2013-11-06 23:59 Permalink

I teach communicative English to engineering students but i came to understand that they lack writing skills. Hope your suggestions would help me. looking forward for more tips.

Nasser replied on Tue, 2013-11-26 13:59 Permalink

it is very useful

Maria replied on Fri, 2014-02-07 00:58 Permalink

Thanks for the ideas but quick question how can I help my son detailing in writing? Writing more..please anyone HELP!

tom murden replied on Wed, 2014-04-09 11:03 Permalink

Joe replied on Tue, 2014-05-13 19:16 Permalink

I found useful tips here, which cover most practical ideas. Strategies like these are gems! Thank you!

karen replied on Fri, 2015-03-13 18:42 Permalink

i whant to learn how to writ for my test on tuseday I'm in 3rd grade

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  • How to Teach Essay Writing

Don't just throw your homeschooled-student intoformal essay crafting. Focus on sentence structure and basic paragraph composition before movingto more complicated formal essay composition.

Are you a competent essay writer? Even if you know how to write an essay , chances are you are dreading the coming years of teaching homeschool writing just as much as your novice writer could be dreading learning how to write . Writing comes naturally for very few, but most view writing as an insurmountable abstract mountain. The Write Foundation writing curriculum is a divide and conquer method of teaching writing. Focusing on small portions of writing paragraphs and later five-paragraph college level essays, eventually you and your students will be able to use all the necessary writing skills to easily compose wonderfully crafted formal essays .

Start with a good foundation

That is, of course, what The Write Foundation teaches. Don’t just throw your homeschooled-child into the middle of essay crafting. Focus on sentence structure and basic paragraph composition before moving to more complicated formal essay composition . Learn to write essays one bite at a time. This helps students develop writing skills by using writing tools which helps them gain confidence and enables parents who are insecure about their own writing skills learn with their students.

Hold their hand as much as they need you hold their hand.

An abstract assignment with limited instructions can appear quite daunting to a reluctant, struggling, or new writer; tiny decisions can become writing blocks in a new writer’s mind.

Share the experience with your homeschooler. Discuss writing blocks and ways to overcome them. Discuss the planning process and experience how it helps flesh out an essay. Walk them through each lesson making sure they complete each step successfully before attempting to move on in the writing process. Working side by side with your student also helps you become a better instructor by solidifying the lesson for yourself. As students gain confidence with their new skills they will need your help less and less so they will shoo you away as they learn writing is much easier using the complete writing process.

Use concrete assignments

Creative writing is very subjective, and it is also very abstract for a new writer. You need a writing curriculum which focuses on concrete assignments and provides a variety of writing topics that fit the type of writing being taught in that assignment. Give your students a structure to work into a paragraph using their creative information. Leaving several factors to the unknown, such as type of writing, structure, and so on, leaves more decisions that the novice writer is not ready to determine. An abstract assignment with limited instructions can appear quite daunting to a reluctant, struggling, or just new writer; tiny decisions can become writing blocks in a new writer’s mind. Even experienced writers face writer’s block. Students need to be given tools and taught skills that overcome “But, what do I write about?”

Know your audience

Let your child select from a list of possible writing topics that may be interesting to them. Your child may enjoy the experience more if he is writing about his favorite pastime instead of writing about your favorite pastime. Choosing topics about things that directly influence your child, such as different views about their favorite sport, the influence of network TV or political topics that hit close to home may open the doors for lively discussion and insight into your child’s mind.

Writing is a necessary life skill. When teaching writing remember you are not alone. If you are worried about teaching formal writing to your homeschooler, use the support system of The Write Foundation for any questions you may have through the process, and know that you are not alone. Look into a homeschool writing co-op in your area to lighten the burden and give new perspective on your child’s essay writing development. Use The Write Foundation and use a proven writing system.

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Teach Your Child Essay Writing in 6 Steps

Start with the basics.

Before you dive into that essay you’ll want to make sure your child has a good grasp on basic writing concepts. Grammar and spelling are the foundation on which you can help your child build that first essay. Once you’re satisfied with their understanding of these concepts, begin teaching them what a thesis is, and how to write one. “A lot of kids have trouble writing in a focused way, so help guide them and keep them on track. You’ll probably want to reinforce the idea that the thesis guides everything else they write in their essay,” recommends Paul Winston, educator at PaperFellows .

An outline is a plan or a description of the essay, showing the most important parts of it. Every essay includes an introduction, exposition, and conclusion. Outlines help people get organized when writing, and this should help your child as well. Write down the topic and their main goal which helps them clearly identify their main idea and their opinions about it. There are plenty of outline types out there, so you can easily find one that best suits your child. Then all you have to do is pull it together – creating a list of all the parts that will be in the essay.

Get them practicing

Kick start your child’s creative process by giving them some examples. It’s a lot easier to show them a concrete example, rather than trying to explain what you want them to do. As they practice they will get closer and closer to where you want them to be. Practicing is where the real improvement will come from, but be sure not to overwork them. Give them breaks and reward them for their hard work.

There are plenty of ways in which they can develop their essay writing skills. You just have to find something that sparks their interest. For instance, if your child likes video games, you can ask him to write a report on that. If they like books or comic books or TV shows, ask them to write reports where they'll compare two similar stories etc.

Encourage reading

Reading is a great way for your child to soak up all kinds of information about vocabulary and how sentences work together. The more you read to your child , or they read on their own, the better their writing will become. If they’re just not showing an interest in reading , explore your child’s favorite things in order find the right material. Once you get them interested and reading on their own, you’ll notice them picking up new words, which can be very exciting and rewarding for a parent.

Harness the power of technology

Technology gets a bad rap for distracting kids (and adults) from reading and writing, but technology can be a useful tool in enhancing your child’s experiences with the written word. Pinterest can be useful for the writing process. Your child will be identifying lots of topics and resources they may want to use for their essay, and Pinterest is a fantastic way of organizing those ideas. Just create a few boards and show your child how to pin sources onto a board. You might even find that the reason your child is struggling with an essay is because they prefer using an iPad to writing on paper or a laptop.

Try out these resources for extra help teaching essay writing

Writing can be tricky, and so can teaching writing to children. Check out these online tools for help teaching your children essay writing:

  • StateofWriting & Studydemic

These are grammar resources you can use to check over your child’s writing for grammatical mistakes.

  • Boomessays & Essayroo

These are online proofreading tools, listed by Simplegrad , you can use to make sure your child’s essay is polished and error-free.

  • ViaWriting & Academadvisor

Check out these academic blogs for ideas and suggestions on how to teach your children essay writing. There are lots of posts here by parents who have successfully helped their children with essay writing.

  • Academized & UKWritings

These are editing tools, recommended in Academized review , you can use to go over your child’s writing for typos and other mistakes.

  • My Writing Way & Writing Populist

Check out these essay writing guides for help improving the writing in your child’s essay. If you struggle with writing yourself, these guides can prepare you to help your child with their essay.

Though there might be challenges as you teach your child the methods of essay writing, do your best to make the learning process fun, and eventually your child’s understanding will grow to excelling at essay writing.

about the author... Grace Carter is a teacher at  Big Assignments  and  Assignment Help  services. She teaches academic writing and curates edtech processes. Also, Grace tutors at  OX Essays  writing website. 

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How to Teach Essay Writing

Last Updated: June 26, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 90,831 times.

Teaching students how to write an essay is a big undertaking, but this is a crucial process for any high school or college student to learn. Start by assigning essays to read and then encourage students to choose an essay topic of their own. Spend class time helping students understand what makes a good essay. Then, use your assignments to guide students through writing their essays.

Choosing Genres and Topics

Step 1 Choose an essay genre to assign to your students.

  • Narrative, which is a non-fiction account of a personal experience. This is a good option if you want your students to share a story about something they did, such as a challenge they overcame or a favorite vacation they took. [2] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source
  • Expository, which is when you investigate an idea, discuss it at length, and make an argument about it. This might be a good option if you want students to explore a specific concept or a controversial subject. [3] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source
  • Descriptive , which is when you describe a person, place, object, emotion, experience, or situation. This can be a good way to allow your students to express themselves creatively through writing. [4] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source
  • Argumentative or persuasive essays require students to take a stance on a topic and make an argument to support that stance. This is different from an expository essay in that students won't be discussing a concept at length and then taking a position. The goal of an argumentative essay is to take a position right away and defend it with evidence. [5] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source

Step 2 Provide models of the type of essay you want your students to write.

  • Make sure to select essays that are well-structured and interesting so that your students can model their own essays after these examples. Include essays written by former students, if you can, as well as professionally written essays.

Tip : Readers come in many forms. You can find readers that focus on a specific topic, such as food or pop culture. You can also find reader/handbook combos that will provide general information on writing along with the model essays.

Step 3 Divide students into small groups to discuss model essays.

  • For example, for each of the essays you assign your students, you could ask them to identify the author's main point or focus, the structure of the essay, the author's use of sources, and the effect of the introduction and conclusion.
  • Ask the students to create a reverse outline of the essay to help them understand how to construct a well-written essay. They'll identify the thesis, the main points of the body paragraphs, the supporting evidence, and the concluding statement. Then, they'll present this information in an outline. [8] X Research source

Step 4 Encourage students to choose a topic that matters to them.

  • For example, if you have assigned your students a narrative essay, then encourage them to choose a story that they love to tell or a story they have always wanted to tell but never have.
  • If your students are writing argumentative essays, encourage them to select a topic that they feel strongly about or that they'd like to learn more about so that they can voice their opinion.

Explaining the Parts of an Essay

Step 1 Provide examples of...

  • For example, if you read an essay that begins with an interesting anecdote, highlight that in your class discussion of the essay. Ask students how they could integrate something like that into their own essays and have them write an anecdotal intro in class.
  • Or, if you read an essay that starts with a shocking fact or statistic that grabs readers' attention, point this out to your students. Ask them to identify the most shocking fact or statistic related to their essay topic.

Step 2 Explain how to...

  • For example, you could provide a few model thesis statements that students can use as templates and then ask them to write a thesis for their topic as an in-class activity or have them post it on an online discussion board.

Tip : Even though the thesis statement is only 1 sentence, this can be the most challenging part of writing an essay for some students. Plan to spend a full class session on writing thesis statements and review the information multiple times as well.

Step 3 Show students how to introduce and support their claims.

  • For example, you could spend a class session going over topic sentences, and then look at how the authors of model essays have used topic sentences to introduce their claims. Then, identify where the author provides support for a claim and how they expand on the source.

Step 4 Give students examples...

  • For example, you might direct students to a conclusion in a narrative essay that reflects on the significance of an author's experience. Ask students to write a paragraph where they reflect on the experience they are writing about and turn it in as homework or share it on class discussion board.
  • For an expository or argumentative essay, you might show students conclusions that restate the most important aspect of a topic or that offer solutions for the future. Have students write their own conclusions that restate the most important parts of their subject or that outline some possible solutions to the problem.

Guiding Students Through the Writing Process

Step 1 Explain the writing process so students will know to start early.

  • Try giving students a sample timeline for how to work on their essays. For example, they might start brainstorming a topic, gathering sources (if required), and taking notes 4 weeks before the paper is due.
  • Then, students might begin drafting 2 weeks before the paper is due with a goal of having a full draft 1 week before the essay's due date.
  • Students could then plan to start revising their drafts 5 days before the essay is due. This will provide students with ample time to read through their papers a few times and make changes as needed.

Step 2 Discuss the importance of brainstorming to generate ideas.

  • Freewriting, which is when you write freely about anything that comes to mind for a set amount of time, such as 10, 15, or 20 minutes.
  • Clustering, which is when you write your topic or topic idea on a piece of paper and then use lines to connect that idea to others.
  • Listing, which is when you make a list of any and all ideas related to a topic and ten read through it to find helpful information for your paper.
  • Questioning, such as by answering the who, what, when, where, why, and how of their topic.
  • Defining terms, such as identifying all of the key terms related to their topic and writing out definitions for each one.

Step 3 Instruct students on different ways to organize their thoughts.

  • For example, if your students are writing narrative essays, then it might make the most sense for them to describe the events of a story chronologically.
  • If students are writing expository or argumentative essays, then they might need to start by answering the most important questions about their topic and providing background information.
  • For a descriptive essay, students might use spatial reasoning to describe something from top to bottom, or organize the descriptive paragraphs into categories for each of the 5 senses, such as sight, sound, smell, taste, and feel.

Step 4 Use in-class writing exercises to help students develop ideas.

  • For example, if you have just gone over different types of brainstorming strategies, you might ask students to choose 1 that they like and spend 10 minutes developing ideas for their essay.

Step 5 Create a discussion board and require students to post regularly.

  • Try having students post a weekly response to a writing prompt or question that you assign.
  • You may also want to create a separate discussion board where students can post ideas about their essay and get feedback from you and their classmates.

Step 6 Give students homework to help them develop their essays.

  • You could also assign specific parts of the writing process as homework, such as requiring students to hand in a first draft as a homework assignment.

Step 7 Schedule in-class revision sessions.

  • For example, you might suggest reading the paper backward 1 sentence at a time or reading the paper out loud as a way to identify issues with organization and to weed out minor errors. [21] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source
  • Try peer-review workshops that ask students to review each others' work. Students can work in pairs or groups during the workshop. Provide them with a worksheet, graphic organizer, or copy of the assignment rubric to guide their peer-review.

Tip : Emphasize the importance of giving yourself at least a few hours away from the essay before you revise it. If possible, it is even better to wait a few days. After this time passes, it is often easier to spot errors and work out better ways of describing things.

Community Q&A

Community Answer

  • Students often need to write essays as part of college applications, for assignments in other courses, and when applying for scholarships. Remind your students of all the ways that improving their essay writing skills can benefit them. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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  • ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/essay_writing/index.html
  • ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/essay_writing/narrative_essays.html
  • ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/essay_writing/expository_essays.html
  • ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/essay_writing/descriptive_essays.html
  • ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/essay_writing/argumentative_essays.html
  • ↑ https://wac.colostate.edu/jbw/v1n2/petrie.pdf
  • ↑ https://www.uww.edu/learn/restiptool/improve-student-writing
  • ↑ https://twp.duke.edu/sites/twp.duke.edu/files/file-attachments/reverse-outline.original.pdf
  • ↑ https://www.niu.edu/citl/resources/guides/instructional-guide/brainstorming.shtml
  • ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/faculty-resources/tips-on-teaching-writing/situating-student-writers/
  • ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/faculty-resources/tips-on-teaching-writing/in-class-writing-exercises/
  • ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/revising-drafts/

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7 Tips to Teach Essay Writing to Your Children

teaching essay writing

Writing is one of the most important skills for your child’s education. The unfortunate thing is that classroom settings often don’t provide enough practice time to really hone those writing skills. Experts from Ace Papers can provide good lessons and instruction, but there’s still a lot of slack for parents to pick up. Follow these seven tips to teach essay writing to your children.

Refresh on basic writing skills

Before you dive into essay writing, make sure your child has a good grasp on the basic elements of writing. Make sure they know the importance of things such as proper spelling and the rules of grammar. Remember to teach them these concepts at an age-appropriate level; you don’t need to deliver a huge lecture. Be patient and correct them when they make a mistake and explain what the proper way to do things is. These fundamentals are the basic building blocks that you’ll be building their essay skills on. Additionally, consider exploring paper writing services to understand various approaches and techniques used in writing.

Here is an assortment of ideas to choose research paper help , combine or alter in order to come up with the answer that works best for your kid.

Start with a thesis

“Explaining an abstract concept such as a thesis to child can be challenging, but it’s a necessary understanding if they are to write an essay. Give them clear direction and simple examples to help explain what a thesis is and why it’s so important to an essay. Provide some prompts to get them started or give them some examples of what a good thesis statement is,” writes Carolyn Kirsch, educator at Academized . Try and emphasize that the thesis is the core of an essay, everything else is built out from it.

Show them how to write an outline

Your outline is a master plan for your essay and will include all the important elements. A lot of children aren’t comfortable expressing their thoughts in writing, and an outline is a great way to encourage them and show them the logical context of their essay. Show them the basic structure, including the introduction, main body, and conclusion. Explain to them that the main body is where they will make their arguments and the conclusion should be a thoughtful summary of their main points.

Encourage them to read

One of the best ways for your child to improve their writing is simply by teaching them to love reading. Reading is great because it gives them plenty of good writing examples to soak up and learn from. Reading is also a good way to increase their vocabulary and that is key for improving writing skills. The more your child reads the more they will learn about how sentences work together and the stronger their essay writing skills will be.

Practice lots

Writing practice is very important to building essay writing skills. A lot of kids don’t get very much writing practice in the classroom. Teachers will explain the basics and give them some exercises, but the time spent writing in the classroom is very limited. Encourage your child to write at home. Help them by giving them a theme to write about for the day. The next day, you can build off that theme by having them write an essay about it.

Use technology to help your child

Chances are you associate technology with distracting your child from reading and writing. But used properly, certain technologies can be very helpful to improving your child’s essay writing skills. Don’t be afraid to let them use the tablet if they prefer to read and write using that device. Just remember though to ensure your child doesn’t copy information from other resources online. We asked  online expert  Adam Collins regarding how lenient colleges & schools are when it comes to plagiarism in essays, he said “Most establishments now have comprehensive plagiarism checkers when marking essays, its important children steer clear of the temptation on copy a sentence of two from different resources, as this will now be flagged easily by the tools. Pinterest can also be a great tool because it is very useful for organizing materials, and since essay writing involves research, Pinterest can be very helpful.

Online tools can help teach your kid essay writing

There are a lot of resources on the web that can help you teach essay writing to your child. Here are a few to get started with:

  • ViaWriting and WritingPopulist – These grammar resources are great for simplifying the writing process and making grammar a bit more approachable.
  • BigAssignments and EssayRoo – Proofreading is something a lot of children struggle with, and it requires a lot of attention to detail. These proofreading tools, suggested by Revieweal , can help.
  • StudyDemic and StateofWriting – Read through these blogs with your child and you’ll get access to lots of helpful suggestions on essay writing.
  • BoomEssays and UKWritings – These are editing tools that have been reviewed in Boomessays review and are very helpful at catching the mistakes you are likely to miss on your own.
  • MyWritingWay and LetsGoandLearn – Check out these academic writing guides for help teaching your child to write an essay. They are simple and will walk your kid through the writing process step by step.

Conclusion The writing skills you teach your kid now will serve them for the rest of their life. Writing is a huge part of success not just in high school, but especially in college and the working world. Use these seven tips to teach essay writing to your children.

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Grace Carter is a mom who works remotely at  Coursework Writing Service  and Paper Fellows websites. There she manages blog posts, works with a team of proofreaders. Also, Grace teaches academic writing at the Elite Assignment Help services

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How to teach my child to write an essay

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Navigating the internet, you can find multiple articles about the nuances of writing academic essays and improving the writing skills of adults. However, when teaching children the nuances of essay writing, you should be very careful and attentive. The first knowledge on how to write an essay plays a fundamental role in a kid’s development and further learning.

Thus, the techniques, secrets, and explanations should be as effective as possible. So, when asking yourself, “how do I teach my child to write an essay?” be ready for not-so-hard and exciting work ahead! Also, don’t forget to get computer science assignmen t help or you can find more information on assignment topics to be more free while studying.

The first knowledge of essay writing plays a fundamental role in a kid’s development and further learning.

Before starting an essay writing journey

Before teaching kids details of essay learning, the initial work is crucial. Although writing skills and techniques are important, a child should know the benefit of writing essays, how to enjoy the process of writing, and what opportunities are available if one succeeds in this activity. For example, understanding the role of a  custom essay writing service  can provide insights into professional writing standards and the various styles and structures used in essays.

Thus, before exploring working tips, let’s have a look at several actions that would prepare the groundwork for the smooth and entertaining teaching:

  • Start with familiarizing a kid with the genre of the essay. Find what a child likes the most – stories about wizards or space, adventures or nature, and encourage one’s interest in the genre. Further, tell a kid that anyone can create such captivating texts – it’ll boost their confidence and commitment.
  • Become a kid’s superhero – show by your example that writing essays is cool, and many adults do it. Besides, regular writing can be your way of emotional recharging and memory stimulation and even prevent mental health problems!
  • Train to write essays without rules : indeed, further, you’ll know how to teach your child to craft essays according to standard requirements, but it’s good to start with something easy. For example, make a deal that you and your kid will write an essa y together or individually, describing the weekend or vacation you’ve spent together. First and foremost, demonstrate that essay writing can be fun!
  • You must have patience and encourage your kid even if they make mistakes : after all, our falls teach us something new.

The first knowledge of essay writing plays a fundamental role in a kid’s development and further learning.

Simplicity and basics of essay writing with kids

So, you’ll start wondering: “how to teach my kid to write an essay, and where should I begin?.” The key to success lies in the basics of essay writing. First, start with evaluating your kid’s writing skills and knowledge.

For instance, assign them to write an essay on any subject and analyze the text together. Explore grammatical errors (often, children repeat their mistakes), and look at the essay’s structure and construction of sentences.

After you work on errors, it is paramount that you teach your kid to:

  • Create an outline. This prewriting phase of crafting an essay saves a bunch of time and allows writing the text without losing your way. So, basically, an outline is the plan of your future text – it represents the structure of the essay, including a number of paragraphs, introduction, topic sentences, and conclusion. Due to the outline, your kid won’t be distracted and will stick to the initial plan.
  • Develop an insightful thesis statement. In this last sentence in the introductory paragraph, your kid will present the central thought of the essay; therefore, practice creating concise and informative thesis statements.
  • Keep the balance. In most cases, essay writing includes strict requirements. The word count, topic, and type of essay are the essential orienteers that an instructor can change. However, there’s an aspect that remains forever stable: your kid’s essay should be balanced. The paragraph size should be the same, and the introduction and conclusion should not exceed the word count of one paragraph. Such nuances are simple to memorize and effectively implement!
  • Analyze different sources. Writing essay s often requires learners to read various articles, blogs, or books to craft a response or discussion essay. Therefore, teach your kid to assess various materials: read a piece together and discuss how it relates to the assigned topic. Alternatively, ask your kid to browse the web and find several articles on the same issue. Markedly, technology is one of the greatest advantages for today’s adults and children!

After learning these fundamentals and practicing several times, your child won’t have any difficulty crafting essays. You won’t have to relive this shiver of hesitation asking yourself, “how to help my child write an essay?” a hundred times.

The first knowledge of essay writing plays a fundamental role in a kid’s development and further learning.

Other effective tips for teaching a child to write an essay

None of us is born a genuine mentor or teacher able to teach a kid to be an excellent writer easily. However, due to some effective tips, even a person with no prior experience in writing can explain to a kid the nuances of writing and, more importantly, explain how to write with joy!

So, pay attention to such recommendations: ● Encourage your kid to read. Don’t limit yourself to essays – any text, either scientific or fiction, can significantly expand one’s vocabulary. ● Share your experience of writing essays when you were a student. Tell your kid what you liked about the process, which topics inspired you, or what writing strategies you used. ● Practice writing by composing essays about your child’s favorite movies or series. For example, assign them to write a response essay after each watched episode. You’ll notice the progress even in the middle of season one! ● Luckily, we live in a digital age when maintaining quality educational assistance is a piece of cake! If you feel that your confidence and experience are not enough, feel free to use the help of expert writing services, whose specialists possess great experience in creating papers of various formats and can consult you about crafting original and properly structured essays. Thus, if you still feel a little lost when your kid again asks you, “please, help me to write my essay!” there’s no nothing to worry about.

If you’ve ever asked yourself the question, “how can my child learn how to write an essay?” Now you’ve got numerous working tips that can help you and your child genuinely enjoy writing essays.

After learning the basics of writing essays, your kid will approach the assignment without a shadow of a writing block or discomfort. And becoming a creative writer will not take long – when a kid is surrounded by support, exciting topics, and interesting practice options, one is definitely about to succeed!

You might also like this on how to write an essay:

How to choose a topic for a research paper

The Best Homeschool Writing Curriculum

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The Best Way for Children to Learn to Write Cursive {Free Printables}

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How to write a perfect essay

Need to write an essay? Does the assignment feel as big as climbing Mount Everest? Fear not. You’re up to the challenge! The following step-by step tips from the Nat Geo Kids Almanac will help you with this monumental task. 

Sometimes the subject matter of your essay is assigned to you, sometimes it’s not. Either way, you have to decide what you want to say. Start by brainstorming some ideas, writing down any thoughts you have about the subject. Then read over everything you’ve come up with and consider which idea you think is the strongest. Ask yourself what you want to write about the most. Keep in mind the goal of your essay. Can you achieve the goal of the assignment with this topic? If so, you’re good to go.

WRITE A TOPIC SENTENCE

This is the main idea of your essay, a statement of your thoughts on the subject. Again, consider the goal of your essay. Think of the topic sentence as an introduction that tells your reader what the rest of your essay will be about.

OUTLINE YOUR IDEAS

Once you have a good topic sentence, you then need to support that main idea with more detailed information, facts, thoughts, and examples. These supporting points answer one question about your topic sentence—“Why?” This is where research and perhaps more brainstorming come in. Then organize these points in the way you think makes the most sense, probably in order of importance. Now you have an outline for your essay.

ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, WRITE!

Follow your outline, using each of your supporting points as the topic sentence of its own paragraph. Use descriptive words to get your ideas across to the reader. Go into detail, using specific information to tell your story or make your point. Stay on track, making sure that everything you include is somehow related to the main idea of your essay. Use transitions to make your writing flow.

Finish your essay with a conclusion that summarizes your entire essay and 5 restates your main idea.

PROOFREAD AND REVISE

Check for errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar. Look for ways to make your writing clear, understandable, and interesting. Use descriptive verbs, adjectives, or adverbs when possible. It also helps to have someone else read your work to point out things you might have missed. Then make the necessary corrections and changes in a second draft. Repeat this revision process once more to make your final draft as good as you can.

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Essay Papers Writing Online

Effective strategies for teaching essay writing to kids.

Essay writing for kids

Writing essays can be a daunting task for kids, but it doesn’t have to be boring! With the right tips and tricks, essay writing can become a fun and creative activity that helps children express their thoughts and ideas effectively. In this article, we will explore some strategies to make essay writing engaging and enjoyable for young writers.

From brainstorming techniques to organization strategies, there are plenty of ways to make the writing process more enjoyable and productive for kids. Whether they’re tackling a school assignment or simply exploring their creativity, these tips will help kids develop their writing skills and unleash their imagination. So, let’s dive in and discover the secrets of fun and effective essay writing for kids!

Tips for Engaging Kids

Engaging kids in essay writing can be a challenging task, but with the right approach, it can also be a fun and rewarding experience. Here are some tips to help make the writing process more enjoyable for kids:

1. Make it fun: Try to make the writing process exciting by incorporating games, creative exercises, or fun prompts to spark their imagination.
2. Choose interesting topics: Let kids write about topics that interest them. This will help keep them motivated and engaged throughout the writing process.
3. Provide incentives: Offer rewards or incentives for completing writing tasks, such as stickers, treats, or extra playtime.
4. Encourage creativity: Give kids the freedom to express themselves creatively in their writing. Encourage them to use their imagination and unique voice.
5. Break it down: Break the writing process into smaller, manageable tasks to prevent overwhelm and make it easier for kids to stay focused.

Inspiring Creativity

One way to inspire creativity in kids when writing essays is to encourage them to think outside the box. Encourage them to brainstorm ideas, explore different perspectives, and experiment with unique writing styles. Provide them with prompts that challenge their imagination and inspire them to delve into their creative side. Encourage them to use descriptive language, vivid imagery, and engaging storytelling techniques to bring their ideas to life on paper. By fostering a creative environment and encouraging kids to express themselves freely, you can help them develop their writing skills while having fun in the process.

Choosing Fun Topics

When it comes to writing an essay, choosing a fun and engaging topic is essential. Encourage your child to pick a subject that they are passionate about and that will spark their interest. This could be anything from their favorite animal to an exciting vacation they went on. By selecting a topic that excites them, your child will be more motivated to research and write about it.

One way to help your child choose a fun topic is to brainstorm together. Sit down with them and make a list of all the things they enjoy and find interesting. This could include hobbies, sports, books, movies, or even science experiments. Once you have a list, discuss each topic and the potential essay ideas that could stem from them.

Encourage your child to think outside the box and consider unique topics that they may not have thought of before. This can lead to a more creative and engaging essay.

Encouraging Imagination

Encouraging kids to use their imagination can greatly enhance their essay writing skills. One way to do this is by prompting them to think outside the box and come up with creative ideas. Encourage them to brainstorm different angles or perspectives on a topic and explore unique ways to present their thoughts.

Another tip is to introduce visual aids or storytelling techniques that spark their imagination. Encourage them to visualize a scene or character in their mind before putting it down on paper. This can help them create vivid and engaging descriptions that captivate the reader.

Lastly, praise and validate their imaginative ideas. Let them know that creativity is valued and that there are no wrong answers when it comes to exploring their imagination. This positive reinforcement can boost their confidence and inspire them to write more creatively.

Tricks for Effective Writing

1. Start with a strong introduction: Grab the reader’s attention with an interesting hook or a thought-provoking question.

2. Organize your ideas: Create an outline or mind map to structure your essay and ensure a logical flow of information.

3. Use descriptive language: Paint a vivid picture with your words to engage the reader and make your writing come to life.

4. Revise and edit: Always review and proofread your essay to check for spelling and grammar errors, as well as to refine your ideas and arguments.

5. Keep it concise: Be clear and concise in your writing, avoiding unnecessary fluff or repetition to keep the reader engaged.

6. Seek feedback: Share your work with others and welcome constructive criticism to improve your writing skills.

7. Practice, practice, practice: The more you write, the better you will become, so keep practicing and honing your craft.

Organizing Ideas

Organizing Ideas

One of the key elements of writing an effective essay is organizing your ideas in a logical and coherent manner. Before you start writing, take some time to brainstorm and outline your thoughts. This will help you create a roadmap for your essay and ensure that your ideas flow smoothly from one point to the next.

Start by jotting down your main ideas or arguments in bullet points. Then, organize these points into a logical sequence that makes sense. You can use headings, subheadings, or even create a mind map to visually represent the structure of your essay.

Remember to use transition words and phrases to connect your ideas and guide your reader through your essay. Words like “however,” “in addition,” and “on the other hand” can help signal shifts between paragraphs or ideas.

By taking the time to organize your ideas before you start writing, you’ll find that the writing process becomes much smoother and more enjoyable. Your essay will also be clearer and more compelling for your readers.

Using Descriptive Language

One way to make your essays more engaging is to use descriptive language. Descriptive language helps paint a vivid picture in the reader’s mind, making your writing more interesting and memorable.

When describing a scene or character, use adjectives and adverbs to bring your writing to life. For example, instead of saying “the dog ran quickly,” you could say “the brown dog dashed across the yard with lightning speed.”

Another tip is to appeal to the reader’s senses. Describe how things look, sound, smell, taste, and feel. This will help your reader connect with your writing on a deeper level.

Remember to show, not tell. Instead of simply stating facts, show your readers through vivid descriptions. For instance, instead of saying “the cake was delicious,” describe the taste, texture, and aroma of the cake to make the reader’s mouth water.

Incorporating descriptive language into your essays will make them more engaging and enjoyable to read. Experiment with different words and phrases to find the right balance and create a memorable piece of writing.

Editing and Proofreading

Once you have finished writing your essay, it’s important to edit and proofread it carefully. Editing involves reviewing your essay for errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Proofreading is the process of checking for consistency in your ideas and ensuring that your essay flows well.

Here are some tips for editing and proofreading your essay:

Read your essay out loud to catch any awkward phrasing or errors.
Use spell check and grammar check tools, but don’t rely on them completely.
Have someone else read your essay to provide feedback and suggestions.
Check for consistent formatting and citations if required.
Take breaks between editing sessions to give your mind a rest.

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Teach Your Kids How to Write an Essay

With four kids in school, homework is done daily in our home. Now that our kids are getting older, they are brought home with more in-depth homework. But how do you teach your kids to write essays when they do not comprehend how? I know this is the same for many households, so we wanted to offer tips for teaching your kids how to write essays.

Writing comes naturally to me, but my girls haven’t gotten there yet. So when our friend Christopher Mercer from Citation offered his top tips for teaching your kids how to write an essay, it was perfect timing to help !

Everyone learns differently, but some tried, and accurate tips can help anyone learn to write. Check out these excellent tips to teach your kids essay writing in no time!

Most children are usually not excited when they sit down and learn how to start writing an essay. Even though this is very important for their future and academic success, they are often too young to realize this.

That’s why your kids would instead ask a professional to  write me an essay  rather than spend a few hours crafting it. Of course, sometimes, students need expert guidance to get things rolling. But they will have to develop their writing skills at some point anyway.

Look no further if you want to help your children understand and learn the basics of writing an essay. Here are the best tips for teaching your kids how to write essays and maintain a systematic approach.

Now that our kids are getting older, they are brought home with more in-depth homework. But how do you teach your kids to write an essay when they do not comprehend how?

Always start with the basics.

The most important thing about teaching your kid essay writing is to ensure they have a basic understanding of grammar and spelling appropriate to their grade and age.

If your children are too young and their teacher hasn’t taught them some particular things, you will only end up confusing them, and you will not be able to teach them something more complicated than what they already know.

Once you make sure that your children have enough knowledge that allows them to follow your teaching, you should start by introducing them to the idea of a thesis. A thesis in an essay is the main point they are supposed to write.

If they understand that and keep it in mind since the beginning, they will find it easier to progress in essay writing.

Creating the outline of an essay

You should teach your child to always create an outline for the essay they intend to write. Make sure to let them know that they should always keep a logical order when they write by explaining that all the paragraphs should be around the same topic and the sentences should have an order that connects them.

This is the first step in explaining the outline of the essay. The whole essay should consist of an introduction, the body of the essay, which should consist of different arguments, the sentences and paragraphs in their logical order, and the conclusion.

You can help your child by telling them to write down their ideas and what they believe would be best to write in each part of the structure in just a few words. This way, they will never forget what they want to write, and it will help them stick to the outline easier.

Make sure to allow them to practice.

The best way for a child to learn is indeed through practice. Make sure to give them plenty of examples to push themselves to create more ideas and practice while they are still young. The most important thing here is to help them understand both the writing process and how to learn to cite sources online, so they can find the appropriate materials to work with.

Not being scared of a bad grade will allow them to be more creative, and they will learn much more through this tactic than they will under the pressure of school assignments. Ensure that the tasks you give them are compatible with their grade and that you offer them enough help and support so they can do even better.

Don’t overwork your kids.

Even if practicing is good, there is always a limit. Many adults find writing an essay quite challenging, so you can only imagine how that must seem to a young child. Make sure that you let them know that they will not be great at this overnight. It’s all a matter of hard work, but keeping a good balance is also essential. Give your children enough breaks and always tell them when they are doing a good job.

When making mistakes, ensure that you are understanding and patient enough to help them fully understand their error and encourage them to try again on their own instead of pushing them to find or correct their mistake at that moment. This will positively impact their self-esteem, and they will be able to work better under the stress that schools bring upon them.

It’s all about patience.

All in all, you can’t expect your kid to become a genius at essay writing overnight . You will have to be patient and take them through these simple steps one step at a time, so they can learn to adapt to all the new information and memorize everything well by putting it to use.

Remember that kids learn a lot easier when you offer positive reinforcement. Essay writing can be as tricky as any other school subject, so you need to make sure that you are supportive and help them acquire this lifelong skill in a fun and easy way.

How to Teach Your Kids to Write an Essay

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How to Teach Essay Writing to Kids

How to Teach Essay Writing to Kids? Here’re the Best Guidance for Parents

Essay writing for kids is an important skill essential for academic excellence and personality development. Children with good essay writing skills are able to develop expression and creativity through language and ideas.

But not all kids get the opportunity to practice and learn essay writing as an important task of their curriculum. This is because we often assume that children need to get done with essay writing within a particular time frame, but every child requires his or her own time to think and write.

Children should be given plenty of time to practice essay writing, which can happen perfectly at home under the guidance of the parents.

Tips to Teach Essay Writing for Kids

As a parent, you can help improve your child’s essay writing skills through regular practice at home. To help you, here we have some important tips for you to teach essay writing for kids:

Always Start with the Basic

Essay writing for kids requires the basic knowledge of grammar and sentence formation; without these basics, your child may end up getting confused with the extra knowledge of essay formats and structures. Therefore, before moving ahead, improving your child’s basic grammar and sentence formation is necessary.

It is really necessary to build excellent writing skills, and kids need to develop the knowledge of sentence formation as per their age or school grade. For this, you can boost their reading exercise; the more kids read, the more they get to know about sentences and increase their vocabulary.

Also Read: Kids Personality Development Classes: Help Them Transform Their Personalities For a Better Future

Teach about Creating an Outline of the Essay

Creating an outline of an essay can help your children to follow an uninterrupted mode of writing. When your child knows what to write and how to write it, it helps save them time and effort and provides them with a structure for a guided progression. Through a rough outline of an essay, kids are more active in generating ideas linked with a particular part of the outline.

For an outline, they can make a basic skeleton of what they have to include in an introduction, in the body (deciding how many paragraphs to write), and in the end, the conclusion.

Also Read: Best Online Coding Classes for Kids: A Complete Guide to Get the Best

Give Space for Practice

For kids, learning is a process of mistakes and improvements. Instructions alone may not be enough for them, but regular practice can bring them closer to perfection. Make sure to give your kids plenty of familiar topics on a daily basis.

Be Patient, and Avoid Overwork

Ask them to create outlines and write essays for more related topics and their immediate environment. Instead of giving them your direct opinions, be gentle and appreciate their efforts. Give them your advice on how their essay can be reorganised and written in a better language. Try to keep a stable balance between practice and breaks. Make sure not to overwork your kids.

Essay Writing for Kids: Basics and Writing Formats

What is essay writing? It is a written piece that describes, argues, and analyses a subject or an idea. It is composed of three basic elements: introduction, body, and conclusion . Let’s see how these three components form an essay as a whole.

Considering essay writing for kids, suppose a child is asked to write an essay on the title, ‘Save Environment’; then, the essay writing formats for kids will be:

Introduction

The introduction should have two important constituents:

#a.  A sentence that will clearly tell what the essay is about. Here, this sentence can be,

“Our environment is being affected rapidly by human activities; it is our duty to save the environment we live in.”

#b. A sentence that tells your point of view on the topic. It should be attractive enough for the audience.

“Environmental damage is causing global warming, floods, droughts, and other crises around the world.”

The body of an essay follows the introduction and includes detailed information on the topic. It can be divided into three-four paragraphs, depending on the word limit. For the topic ‘save the environment’, the following can be included in the body:

Paragraph 1

What causes a threat to the environment? Mention the harmful human activities, like excessive industrialisation, deforestation, and growing pollution.

Paragraph 2

What are the effects on the environment?

Mention global warming, growing diseases, and scarcity of resources.

Paragraph 3

Why do we need to save the environment?

Elaborate how resources are depleting, which will cause scarcity for future generations; explain the effects of pollution on human health; mention how global warming is leading to disasters like earthquakes and melting of glaciers.

Paragraph 4

How can we save the environment?

Add activities like rainwater harvesting, use of public transport (less carbon production), abolition of plastic substances, use of environment-friendly daily objects, like wooden brush and comb, use of steel buckets and others.

The conclusion of an essay summarises the whole essay in two or three lines. Avoid mentioning any new point or idea in the conclusion. You can also rephrase the topic in an elaborated way. Let’s see how we can conclude the above essay.

Adopting eco-friendly activities and general awareness around the globe can make a huge impact on our degraded environment. It’s the need of the hour to stand together and save our environment.

How to Write a Good Essay? 

In order to boost your child’s essay writing skills, you should teach the following tips:

#. Understand the requirement of the essay through the title.

#. Create a rough outline of the paragraphs you want to include.

#. Prepare your reference material through good research.

#. Follow the three basic components of an essay: the introduction, body, and conclusion.

#. After finishing, always proofread thoroughly. This will help them spot grammatical mistakes and poor organisation of paragraphs.

#. Make sure to add some real life-based examples.

#. Focus on the language and see if it is clear enough.

Also Read: Scratch Coding for Kids: Simplifying the Concepts of Coding for Super Kids

Good essay writing skills come from practise; hence, the basics mentioned above of essay writing and plenty of practice at home can help your child become an excellent writer in the future. Don’t forget to stay patient with your children’s growth and keep following their progress. At The Real School Of Montessori , we mentor children with personalised training programmes, which aims at making children problem solvers and thinkers. For more information on our one-on-one mentoring programmes, visit The Real School Of Montessori today.

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Shilpa is a professional web content writer and is in deep love with travelling. She completed her mass communication degree and is now dedicatedly playing with words to guide her readers to get the best for themselves. Developing educational content for UPSC, IELTS aspirants from breakthrough research work is her forte. Strongly driven by her zodiac sign Sagittarius, Shilpa loves to live her life on her own notes and completely agrees with the idea of ‘live and let live. Apart from writing and travelling, most of the time she can be seen in the avatar of 'hooman' mom to her pets and street dogs or else you can also catch her wearing the toque blanche and creating magic in the kitchen on weekends.

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Tips for Teaching Your Kids How to Write an Essay

Tips for teaching your child how to write essays

By Sandra Miller

Your kids may not be thrilled when they are first faced with an essay writing task, but writing skills are very important for their future educational and emotional development. Although it can be difficult for you to teach them how to write an essay and start loving that activity, your effort won’t be left without results. The most important thing to keep in mind is that children have difficulties in expressing themselves in a structured from that requires crafting strong sentences.

If essay writing is mission impossible for your children and you really want to teach them how to write, you should work on your own skills first. You need an organized and methodical approach that will make it easy for them to understand what you are trying to say.

Start with the basics

The first thing you need to make sure of is that your children have a basic understanding of spelling and grammar concepts, which are appropriate for their grade, age, and essay writing requirements. If your children’s education lacks these building blocks, you will only confuse them with the attempt of teaching them more complicated writing skills. The result will be nothing more than frustration to both you and your children.

After you make sure that their knowledge is ready to be advanced to the essay writing stage, you should start by introducing the concept of a thesis. The first difficulty children face is directing their essays and keeping them focused. If your children struggle with writing concepts, you can provide thesis prompts or thesis statements for them. Once your children advance their writing skills, they will easily think of their own thesis statements. The thesis should be the main point around which the essay is written. Make sure to explain to them that every page, every paragraph, and every sentence within the essay, no matter how short or long it is, should be associated to the thesis statement.

Advanced stages: Creating an outline

The next step of the process is explaining your kids how to create an outline of the writing. The outline will help them maintain the logical progression from the beginning to the end of the paper. Once your kids understand sentence construction, they may have difficulties in keeping the logical context within the paper because they will be focused solely on creating sentence units that are grammatically correct, expressive, and cohesive. You should teach them how to relate those sentences to one another and stick to the outline.

Explain the meaning and purpose of the introductory and concluding paragraphs, and tell them how to structure the paragraphs in between in a logical order.

Key to success: examples and practice

If you provide examples of good essays to your children, they will immediately get ideas on creating their own papers. They won’t understand what you are trying to say if your approach to teaching is based solely on explanations. You need to be as hands-on as your kids need during the development of their first essays. Once they develop an increased confidence in their abilities, they will be able to work on their own. It is easy to find essay examples online and use them to show your kids what works and what doesn’t work in essay writing.

Practice is the key to perfection. There isn’t a more effective way of teaching children how to write essays than helping them practice as many times as possible. You should make the process interesting, so they won’t see it as a torture. Once you provide them with the conceptual foundation of knowledge, you should help them implement that knowledge through practice.

Remember: striving for perfection is out of the question when you’re teaching your kids something. Don’t put too much pressure on them and don’t require impossible achievements. Essay writing is a very useful skill that will increase their vocabulary and improve their skills of grammar, so you should approach the teaching process with those humble goals on your mind.

Sandra Miller

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very helpful. Thank you

Before essay writing my son always looks for examples. Is it bad?

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How to Teach Your Students to Write an Essay

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Their college life is impossible to imagine without paper work, and that is why it is very important for them to know how to write an essay, an assignment, a dissertation, a composition, etc. So, your task as a teacher is . How to do that? What aspects to pay attention to in order your students could become the best essay writers?

Here you are welcome to find some tips concerning the most important essay aspects to tell your students about. Step by step, you will make it much easier for them to understand the principles of essay writing and their importance for their future practice.

Remember, that an essay is not only about writing skills, but it demonstrates the ability of your students to research as well. So, you task is to teach them to research. That is why try to reject the chosen topics if they are too easy for a student, and you see that it will not take much time to write such a essay.

An essay is not an essay without any research. Explain your students, that it is always better for them to choose a topic they understand well and have an opportunity to make a research on. is important for every student to get, that is why do not forget practicing different research tactics with them: tell in details about the methods they can use to find all the information needed, how to use this info wisely, and what are the best ways to distinguish the important facts.

An essay can not be just a piece of writing about general things everybody knows and understands perfectly. So, teach your students that they should not be in a hurry to write their essays at once they've chosen the topic. Make them

When a student perfectly understands what he writes an essay for, it will be much easier for him to draw the outline and start writing.

For your students to understand what a good piece of writing actually is, just give them some examples of excellent essays. It may be an essay of your former student for example. When they see a sample, your students will have an idea what a good essay should look like.

Use samples to tell students about each element their essays should include. They will perfectly understand what the good introduction is, what an informative body of an essay should look like, and how to make an appropriate conclusion. Moreover, your students will also have an opportunity to see how sentences are built, and what grammar constructions are used in an essay.

Choose some topic and make a list of points your students would need to mention if they wrote an essay on it. Such a technique will give them a better understanding of what and essay is, and .

Make sure that all students perfectly understand the fact they should follow an essay outline, because it will be much easier for them to write this piece of paper. Make it clear to them that every point of the outline should start from a new paragraph. Moreover, the smaller these paragraphs are – the more attractive an essay will look for its readers. It is not very comfortable to read very long paragraphs, as it will be more difficult to get the point in such a way. Eventually, it will be easier for students themselves to compose shorter paragraphs of an essay.

And here comes its most important part that is called an introduction. As a rule, students find it very difficult to write this part of their essay, as they do not know how to start a piece of writing in order to attract readers' attention and tell them shortly about what this essay is about.

It is clear, that an essay will not be good without a proper and attractive beginning, so, your task is to explain this moment to your students. Tell them, that no one will continue reading their essays if they do not make it eye-catchy and clear for a potential reader. Moreover, an essay introduction should be intriguing a bit.

Depending on the topic of an essay, students can start it with a story from their personal experience. This is a good way to grab an attention. Discuss this option with your students, listen to their suggestions. Discussions will help them learn the material better.

Now it is high time for a conclusion, which is not less important than an introduction by the way. It is a real art to finish your in a way your reader would feel good and satisfied with everything he has read.

Tell your students how to conclude their essays appropriately. Explain, that it is not good to abrupt a piece of writing. And do not forget to mention, that a conclusion of their essay should contain a summary if all points they discussed in the body!

To summarize everything mentioned above, we can say that the importance of essay writing skills should not be underestimated. Such skills will help students express their thoughts clearly and write really good and even professional essays and other kinds of paper work during their further study at colleges or universities. Be sure, they will thank you for teaching such a necessary information to them.

. Alex is a copywriter of website and a passionate reader of Stephen King's books.

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Great White Shark Information Report – Writing Project

Updated:  29 Aug 2024

Get your students writing an informational text about sharks using this age-appropriate fact file and writing scaffold.

Editable:  Google Slides

Non-Editable:  PDF

Pages:  1 Page

  • Curriculum Curriculum:  CCSS, TEKS

Grades:  3 - 5

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CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.2

Ccss.ela-literacy.w.5.2, elar 3.12(b).

Compose informational texts, including brief compositions that convey information about a topic, using a clear central idea and genre characteristics and craft;

ELAR 4.12(B)

Elar 5.12(b).

Great White Shark Information Report – Writing Project teaching resource

Write an Informational Text About Sharks

At the end of a writing unit, teachers tend to assess students’ understanding of the genre by having them write a text independently.

This informational text writing project has been designed by our experienced teacher team for this very purpose! This resource will support your students in writing a high-quality information text about one of the ocean’s most iconic apex predators  – the great white shark. Students will be guided through the process of researching facts about great white sharks and then using these facts to write a detailed information report. Here’s how:

  • Research – Students will gather important information about great white sharks using the fact file included as well as other sources of their choice.
  • Record – Students will complete the graphic organizers to sort the information they have collected into groups.
  • Write – Students will use the research they have gathered to write a great white shark information report on the pages provided. Alternatively, they may like to present their information using a medium of their choice.

You’ll find everything you need to implement this great white shark information text project in the comprehensive student workbook. The workbook contains the following:

  • Great white shark fact file
  • Research graphic organizer
  • 2-page writing scaffold
  • Lined writing page
  • Unlined writing page

This great white shark information text writing project downloads as a:

  • PDF with full-color fact file
  • PDF with black-and-white fact file
  • Google Slides file (containing both the color and black-and-white fact files)

This writing project is an engaging way to teach students how to write a comprehensive, well-structured information text. By combining structured support with opportunities for research and creativity, this resource caters to a wide range of learning needs. Whether working independently, in groups or with the whole class, students will strengthen their writing skills while gaining a deeper understanding of one of the ocean’s top predators.

Differentiate This Informational Writing Project

Are you looking for some ideas as to how you might differentiate this writing activity in your classroom? Here are some suggestions you might like to consider:

  • For less confident readers and writers, simplify the task so that they only research one characteristic of the great white shark, for example, its appearance, its habitat or its diet. This makes the task less overwhelming and increases students’ likelihood of being successful in the task.
  • For more confident readers and writers, extend the task so that they research and write about additional characteristics of great white sharks not included in the fact file. This enables students to make choices and research other aspects of the shark that they are interested in.

Download to Start Writing Great White Shark Information Reports

Use the dropdown menu on the Download button above to access the PDF or editable Google Slides file. (Note: You will be prompted to make a copy of the Google Slides template before accessing it).

This resource was created by Lindsey Phillips, a teacher in Michigan and a Teach Starter collaborator.

Browse More Informational Writing Prompts

Teach Starter has created a wide variety of informational writing prompts to support and engage your students. Click below to explore a selection from our range:

[resource:2658998] [resource:5108311] [resource:2659062]

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I'm a high school teacher and still encourage my students to write by hand. It helps them to learn new things.

  • As a high school teacher, I still ask my students to write essays by hand.
  • It not only takes them away from screens, but also doing it helps with learning.
  • I'm sure there are ways in which AI can help with learning, but I still like essays the "old way."

Insider Today

I'm a high school English teacher , and I recently had a parent say to me, "ChatGPT can produce a decent essay on just about any topic in 3.4 seconds. You're not still teaching kids essay writing the old way, are you?"

Good question. Like most good questions posed to humans, my response requires more than 3.4 seconds to create and read, but it is one I'd like every parent of a high school student to consider as we head back into another academic year.

AI can be a great resource

Yes, it's true: generative artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs) are incredible resources. An entire essay produced in 3.4 seconds? That's almost faster than I can type "3.4 seconds," and I am not above marveling at the technology that makes this possible.

I can also envision many reasons that kind of efficiency would be appealing to students, as well as their parents, who — in many instances — not only have been successfully using AI in their own work and personal lives but also have witnessed and worried over their children's busy schedules .

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If the "new way" creates more time for students' other activities — extracurriculars, jobs, families, friends, even Netflix — and less stress for students , as an educator, I am interested in how I might encourage my students to use AI in various teacher-vetted, revision-based ways that support their academic goals. A good example of this is using Grammarly while writing an essay.

Related stories

But, if by "old way" that parent meant that I'm still asking students to write without ChatGPT, occasionally even with a pencil and piece of paper, my answer is also yes. Here's why.

Their brains are still developing

Adolescence is a pivotal time for brain development. T he prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for skills like planning, prioritizing, and decision making, is not fully developed yet. This might mean lots of friend drama, but it equals academic opportunity in a classroom, because the adolescent brain is primed to take in new information and adapt.

This is exactly why it's important to ask students to engage in challenging activities like arguing an original point with specific, verifiable evidence. It's hard, and they might struggle .

We are still figuring out how AI can help in the classroom

Teachers are still learning how to most effectively guide students through the acceptable use of artificial intelligence and determine its merit in their classrooms. T wo out of every three educators polled by EducationWeek in January 2024, said they hadn't yet used AI-driven tools in their classroom .

Many of the educators cited lack of time and training as reasons they hadn't yet explored how AI could both assist their own work and potentially the work of their students. Even the most seasoned tech integrationist teachers I know mostly navigate AI best practices through instinct since very little in the AI-in-education realm has had the longevity to be tested.

In addition to the issues raised above about brain development, LLMs can "hallucinate," leading to misinformation that can also contain bias that many students might miss. It's critical that students don't simply see these technologies as "cool tools that know everything" and instead — before they use them — are taught by the educators they trust about their limitations.

Writing by hand helps learn new things

Although my students will certainly use computers and other assistive tech as they work on their writing — which can come with spellcheck tools, for example — I was serious about asking them sometimes to use pencil and paper .

Studies suggest that writing by hand prompts distinct and more complex brain connections that are fundamental in encoding new information. In other words, the actual act of writing by hand can deepen retention and comprehension of whatever concepts students are learning in their classes, and stimulate the original ideas that can evade students when they only type into an electronic document.

Also, writing by hand — to state the obvious — gets them off screens, away from the daily barrage of notifications, and hopefully into a headspace that is quieter, slower, and more primed for authentic, inventive thought. And doesn't that sound beneficial for our often over-stimulated, over-scheduled young people?

As teachers get better at helping students learn how to use generative AI appropriately and students get better at using it, there will certainly be reasons for them to do so for the sake of efficiency. However, remember the adage that "childhood goes so fast"? It's true. There will be plenty of time for young people — after they've learned to think for themselves — to adapt to AI's role in their futures. While they're young, let's not rush them.

Watch: AI allows marketers to make data-driven decisions faster, says NICE CMO Einat Weiss

how to teach my child to write an essay

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Jekyll and Hyde: Essay Planning - Study Guide

Jekyll and Hyde: Essay Planning - Study Guide

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Scrbbly - A* Grade Literature + Language Resources

Last updated

1 September 2024

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how to teach my child to write an essay

Before beginning to write essays, essay planning can act as a useful exercise. Essay planning refers to the planning of essays before you actually write them. This is mainly done so that you can hone your ideas and think more deeply about the kinds of questions you will be asked in your exams. In any exam, it’s important to make a quick (5-7 minute) plan before you write the piece, so you can organise your ideas and structure your paragraph correctly. Outside of timed conditions, when you’re practising essays, you want to practise writing extended plans where you explore your thoughts on the question in detail.

Have a resource on us! Grab our FREE resource here: Jekyll and Hyde: Character Breakdown / Analysis

If you’re studying this particular piece, you’ve come to the right place. This is a massively in depth document that goes through everything you need to know to get absolutely top marks on exam papers, essays and coursework.

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A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.

A MEGA REVISION 'JEKYLL AND HYDE' BUNDLE! (Digital + Printable PDFs, PPTs and worksheets!)

This bundle contains everything you need to teach or study Stevenson's novella 'The Strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' in the form of digital and printable PDF documents. It’s perfect for students aged 14+. **This bundle is currently available at a 50% discount! ** Preview this document for free, to check whether it’s right for you [Jekyll and Hyde: Character Breakdown / Analysis](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13110830) With this bundle, students will be able to: * Understand the structural elements and key moments of the plot * Deepen their knowledge of characters, including understanding the deeper messages behind each one * Integrate the significance of the setting into their analyses and interpretations of the play as a whole * Memorise a range of carefully chosen key quotations for use in essays and analysis * Develop their language, structure and form analysis skills, with guided support and examples * Identify and analyse the thematic and contextual details * Learn approaches to a range of essay question types: discursive, argumentative, close reading * Become confident with extract interpretation and analysis * Develop their knowledge of tragic conventions and apply them to the novella * Expand their critical aptitude via exposure to key critical frameworks and critics’ quotations (for higher-level students) * Write their essays on Jekyll and Hyde, after support with planning help and example A* / top grade model answers Reasons to love this bundle: * Downloadable PDF documents, graphically designed to a high level, PowerPoints (ppts) and worksheets * Visual aids (photographs and drawings) to support learning * Organised categories that simplify the text for students * Print and digital versions - perfect for any learning environment * The unit has everything you need to start teaching or learning - starting with the basic story summary, going right up to deep contextual and critical wider readings * Lots of tasks and opportunities to practice literary analysis skills - students will be guided through writing a literary analysis response to the novella This is what you’ll get with this bundle: (each document includes digital + printable revision guide + PowerPoint + worksheet) THE COMPLETE JEKYLL AND HYDE COURSE: 1. Character Analysis / Breakdown (FREE!) 2. Plot Summary / Breakdown 3. Context Analysis 4. Genre 5. Key Quotations 6. Narrative Voice 7. Setting 8. Themes 9. Critical Interpretation / Critics' Quotations 10. Essay Help 11. Essay Planning 12. PEE Paragraph Practise 13. Essay Practise (Gothic Atmosphere) 14. L9 / A* Grade vs L7 / A Grade Example Essays + Feedback (Frightening Outsider) 15. L9 / A* Grade Essay Example (Tension and Mystery) 16. L8 / A Grade Essay Example + Feedback (Unnatural and Threatening) 17. L6 / B Grade Essay Example + Feedback (Suspicious Atmosphere) 18. L4 / C Grade Essay Example (Secrecy and Reputation) 19. Study Questions / Exercises 20. Essay Questions + Passage-based Questions Please review our content! We always value feedback and are looking for ways to improve our resources, so all reviews are more than welcome. Check out our [shop](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/Scrbbly) here.

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KNXV - Phoenix, Arizona

Valley students share their future goals as education essay competition kicks off

how to teach my child to write an essay

PHOENIX — September marks the beginning of college savings month in Arizona. Arizona’s state treasurer Kimberly Yee is kicking it off with an essay competition asking students to write about their dream jobs.

Twenty winners from all across Arizona will get $529 for their AZ529 account.

At the Boys and Girls Club of the Valley, there are a lot of kids with big dreams.

“I want to be a volleyball coach and a teacher of either math or ELA," sixth grader Bellamar Scott-Ramos said.

“I want to be a soccer player and a lawyer. Because I’m good at arguing," Charles Strand-Flores said.

To achieve those goals, these fifth and sixth graders want to pursue a college degree.

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Treasurer Yee is telling them about the essay contest they can submit to so they can get a jump start.

“It’s a very short paragraph you need to write about what you want to be when you grow up," Yee said. "That will give you a chance to submit it and give you a chance to win $529 for your future education.”

Yee is trying to reach as many kids and parents as possible, heading across the state again to promote the contest and the savings plan.

“We have seen so much growth in this program. In just 46 months, we have seen 44,500 new families sign up for an education savings plan," Yee said.

Strand-Flores says he plans to take what he learned today and start saving.

“If you save, you have it when you need it. And when you have a lot, you can give it to other people.”

Yee adds if your child eventually decides college isn’t for them, the saved money can be spent on other types of education like vocational schools, trade programs, and workforce development.

The essay contest runs through October 6 and submissions can be made online. Learn more here.

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It just won't go away extreme record-breaking heat baking the valley again.

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how to teach my child to write an essay

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Write about the following topic. Many children these days have an unhealthy lifestyle. Both schools and parents are responsible for solving this problem. To what extent do you agree with this statement? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Writing9 with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Include an introduction and conclusion

A conclusion is essential for IELTS writing task 2. It is more important than most people realise. You will be penalised for missing a conclusion in your IELTS essay.

The easiest paragraph to write in an essay is the conclusion paragraph. This is because the paragraph mostly contains information that has already been presented in the essay – it is just the repetition of some information written in the introduction paragraph and supporting paragraphs.

The conclusion paragraph only has 3 sentences:

  • Restatement of thesis
  • Prediction or recommendation

To summarize, a robotic teacher does not have the necessary disciple to properly give instructions to students and actually works to retard the ability of a student to comprehend new lessons. Therefore, it is clear that the idea of running a classroom completely by a machine cannot be supported. After thorough analysis on this subject, it is predicted that the adverse effects of the debate over technology-driven teaching will always be greater than the positive effects, and because of this, classroom teachers will never be substituted for technology.

Start your conclusion with a linking phrase. Here are some examples:

  • In conclusion
  • To conclude
  • To summarize
  • In a nutshell

Discover more tips in The Ultimate Guide to Get a Target Band Score of 7+ » — a book that's free for 🚀 Premium users.

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In their advertising, businesses nowadays usually emphasise that their products are new in some way. Why is this? Do you think it is a positive or negative development?

More and more plastics wastes are polluting world cities, countryside and oceans. what are the problems caused by plastic wastes what measures should be taken to solve it, nowadays animal experiments are widely used to develop new medicines and to test the safety of other products. some people argue that these experiments should be banned because it is morally wrong to cause animals to suffer, while others are in favour of them because of their benefits to humanity. discuss both views and give your own opinion., you have recently started work in a new company. write a letter to your friend. in your letter: * explain why you changed jobs * describe your new job * tell him/her your other news., some people think computer and internet are important in children’s study. but others think students can learn effectively in schools and with teachers. discuss both sides and give your own opinion. give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience..

Catholic World Report

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How to pray Mother Teresa’s famous emergency ‘Flying Novena’ to Our Lady

Joseph Pronechen

September 5, 2024 Catholic News Agency News Briefs 0 Print

how to teach my child to write an essay

National Catholic Register, Sep 5, 2024 / 14:40 pm (CNA).

When you are in need of an answer to prayer but time doesn’t permit a multi-day petition, you may want to follow the example of St. Teresa of Calcutta — whose feast day is today, Sept. 5 — who turned to the Virgin Mary and prayed her “Flying Novena.”

Monsignor Leo Maasburg, her friend and spiritual adviser, explains in his book “ Mother Teresa of Calcutta: A Personal Portrait ” that it was “Mother Teresa’s spiritual rapid-fire weapon. It consisted of 10 Memorares — not nine, as you might expect from the word ‘novena.’ Novenas lasting nine days were quite common among the Congregation of the Missionaries of Charity. But given the host of problems that were brought to Mother Teresa’s attention, not to mention the pace at which she traveled, it was often just not possible to allow nine days for an answer from Celestial Management. And so she invented the ‘Quick Novena.’”

Maasburg calls it by this name rather than the “Flying Novena,” which her Missionaries of Charity continue to use and pray.

Here are the words of the centuries-old Memorare:

“Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To you I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your clemency hear and answer me. Amen.”

Maasburg writes that Mother Teresa said this novena all the time — “for petitions for the cure of a sick child, before important discussions, or when passports went missing to request heavenly aid when the fuel supply was running short on a nighttime mission and the destination was still far away in the darkness. The Quick Novena had one thing in common with nine-day and even nine-month novenas: confident pleading for heavenly assistance, as the apostles did for nine days in the upper room ‘with Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the women’ (Acts 1:14) while waiting for the promised help from the Holy Spirit.”

Maasburg goes on to explain why Mother Teresa always prayed 10 Memorares. “She took the collaboration of heaven so much for granted that she always added a 10th Memorare immediately, in thanksgiving for the favor received.”

Typical quick answer

Father Brian Kolodiejchuk of the Missionaries of Charity, who served as the postulator of the cause for Mother Teresa’s canonization, shared an example of what happened when Mother Teresa prayed this 10-day novena as the need arose or a difficulty presented itself.

He quotes Mother herself describing one of many instances: “In Rome during the Holy Year (1984), the Holy Father was going to celebrate Mass in the open, and crowds of people were gathered. It was pouring rain, so I told the sisters, ‘Let us say a flying novena of nine Memorares to Our Lady in thanksgiving for beautiful weather.’ As we said two Memorares, it started to pour more rain. We said the third … sixth … seventh … and at the eighth one, all the umbrellas were closing, and when we finished the ninth one, we found all the umbrellas were closed.”

Novena opens Vatican locks

Maasburg also recounts in his book the time he drove Mother Teresa and one of her sisters to the Vatican for Pope John Paul II’s private morning Mass. Arriving very early while all was still locked up, Maasburg describes how together they prayed the entire rosary and novena of Memorares while waiting in the car.

“No sooner had we finished the Quick Novena than the Swiss guardsman knocked on the steamed-up windshield and said, ‘Mother Teresa, it’s time.’ Mother Teresa and the sister got out.”

Maasburg said he’d wait in the car for her, but she turned around and called, “Quick, Father, you come with us!”

Mother Teresa was already on her way to the elevator; she swept aside the timid protest of the Swiss guardsman with a charming “Father is with us!” and a grateful twinkle of her eyes.

“The rules were unequivocal: Only those who were on the list of announced guests could enter. And only the names of Mother Teresa and one other sister were on that list. … Even in the company of a saint I would not get past the elevator attendant — much less the civil police in front of the entrance to the Holy Father’s apartment,” Maasburg recalled.

“Mother assured the hesitant elevator attendant … ‘We can start now. Father is with us’ … I had already tried again and again to explain to Mother Teresa in the elevator that it is not only unusual but absolutely impossible to make your way into the pope’s quarters unannounced. But even my resistance was useless…”

Two tall policemen in civilian clothes stood at the door to the papal apartments.

“The older of the two policemen greeted the foundress of a religious order courteously: ‘Mother Teresa, good morning! Please come this way. The padre is not announced. He cannot come in.’ He stepped aside for Mother Teresa, whereas I had stopped walking,” Maasburg continued. “She gestured to me, however, that I should keep going, and explained to the policeman, ‘Father is with us.’”

“‘… Mother, your padre has no permission; therefore he cannot come with you.’”

“… She stood there calmly and asked the policeman in a patient tone of voice, ‘And who can give the priest permission?’” Maasburg recounted.

“The good man was obviously not prepared for this question. With a helpless shrug of his shoulder he said, ‘Well, maybe the pope himself. Or Monsignor [Stanisław] Dziwisz….’”

“’Good, then wait here!’ was the prompt reply. And Mother Teresa was already … heading for the papal chambers. ’I will go and ask the Holy Father!’”

“A short pause, then Italian-Vatican common sense prevailed and Mother Teresa had won. ‘Then the padre had better just go with you!’”

“Turning to me, he said, ‘Go. Go now!’” Maasburg said.

Not only did Maasburg get to the Mass, but Mother Teresa told Dziwisz, the pope’s private secretary, later the  archbishop of Krakow and a cardinal, that the priest with her would celebrate the Mass with the Holy Father. And Maasburg did. (Read all the details here .)

Impossible becomes possible

Mother Teresa “definitely inspired the same devotion in her sisters, but also in others,” Kolodiejchuk affirmed.

Father Louis Merosne, the pastor at St. Anne’s Cathedral in Anse-à-Veau, Haiti, shared his own amazing experience with the Flying Novena.

Once he had planned to join the Missionaries of Charity priests, had been accepted, and spent two years with them in Mexico before he said God made it clear he was to serve in Haiti instead. Active with youth and young adult conferences, in 2008 he was going to World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia. On his return he was to have a one-day stop in Boston, then catch a flight to the Netherlands, where he was to speak at a conference.

“I went to the consulate in Boston to apply for their visa,” he said. “They told me I would have to leave my passport in order to put the visa on it. I couldn’t because I had to leave for Sydney.” Boston insisted the central office could not process anything until they had his passport. “I told them I’m going to the Netherlands and I had one day in between my two travels. They said, ‘Sorry.’”

Calling from Sydney about the visa, he got a surprise. “They told me, by the way, they don’t do urgent, express applications. They need at least two weeks once they get the passport.” He told them the conference would be over by then.

Returning to Boston, he took an early train to New York City to the main consulate office. He continued: “I went to the office to explain the situation again, but they said, ‘You can leave your passport and pick it up in two weeks. We’re very sorry.’”

This was the day he was to travel to the Netherlands, and he had to get back to Boston and board his booked flight that evening, which would then fly back to New York on the first of two legs to the Netherlands.

“Maybe if I call the airline, they would allow me to get on at New York for the Netherlands flight,” he thought. The airline’s answer? “No, we don’t do that. If you don’t get on your flight in Boston, your entire flight will be cancelled. You cannot get on in New York.”

Still in the consulate, he called the airlines a second time hoping to find a sympathetic listener. But again he was told the airline could not cancel one leg of the flight.

At that point Merosne knew it was time to say a Flying Novena. He said: “‘Only you, Blessed Mother, can help me do this if it is God’s will.’ I said the novena.”

Shortly after he finished, “the representative from the consulate called me over and said, ‘Give me your passport.’ And within minutes I had my visa! And I called the airlines a third time, and this time the lady said, ‘We don’t do this, but we’ll do this once for you. Get on the plane in New York.’”

“Once I said that [Flying] Novena, it was all over for them,” Merosne said with much joy. “That which was impossible for man was quite possible for our Blessed Mother.”

“I am a believer,” he said of the Flying Novena.

About the Flying Novena

Kolodiejchuk noted that Mother Teresa taught: “Get into that habit of calling on her [Mary]. She interceded — at the wedding feast, there was no wine. … She was so sure that he will do what she asks him. … She is mediatrix of all graces. … She is always there with us.”

One of the Missionaries of Charity sisters explained that the Flying Novena wasn’t hard and fast in some ways. For instance, the nine Memorares might be for our Blessed Mother’s help in getting a house, or nine Memorares in thanksgiving for that (rather than one 10th Memorare) because the house was already attained.

The spiritual situation and the time come into account.

She said the sisters use the Flying Novena from the simplest things such as getting out of traffic when they are stuck in it to serious life-and-death things.

The Memorare is so powerful, she said. We are to pray the Memorares with confidence and in thanksgiving knowing Our Lady will grant this.

“The Memorare is a prayer that effectively expressed Mother Teresa’s trust in the power of Mary’s intercession as the mediatrix of all graces,” Kolodiejchuk explained. “It flowed from the love and confidence she had in Mary and was a simple way to present her petitions to her. The speedy response she received inspired her with ever-greater confidence to have recourse to Mary with the words of the Memorare.”

Mother Teresa wanted everybody to learn and use this prayer. “Mother said [to] teach the poor to pray the Memorare. Write it down for them and teach them,” the sister said. Praying it, Our Lady will be gloried and Jesus will be glorified.

There’s always a reason for the Flying Novena.

This article was first published Aug. 30, 2016, by the National Catholic Register , CNA’s sister news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.

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