Why writing skills are vital even in our digital world.
It’s often said that kids these days just don’t bother with reading or writing anymore. Gone are the days of writing letters or recording your day in a diary. Why write three paragraphs when you can take several pictures? The media we consume nowadays are often in picture or video form as well. If a kid reads for entertainment, it’s usually comic books or manga. While inspiring the imagination for exciting plots and settings, these forms of books do not expose the reader to story writing styles.
The lack of exposure and interest is the main reason why kids groan the moment they hear the words ‘essay writing’. Language teachers struggle to motivate them to write even more than one paragraph. When students are not used to writing at all, they would definitely struggle in writing powerful essays. What’s worse is when a coursework crops up! An 800-word essay with research on history? Help!
Here’s a few reasons why writing skills are still relevant and necessary despite our technological advances:
Writing improves reading (and vice versa)
Reading and writing often go hand in hand when kids are learning a language. It’s common knowledge that a good reading habit can do wonders for writing, but did you realise it works the other way round too? The more a student writes, the more they are aware of what they need for a successful essay. We’re not just talking about giving supporting details to a main point. Students will be able to detect powerful vocabulary or analyse sentence structure they have read and think about how they can apply it to their own essays. Writing an essay that requires research would lead them to boosting their own general knowledge as well.
Writing well helps with work
You know how sometimes you find it hard to explain something to others even though you know it pretty well? Imagine struggling with that for all the projects and essays your kid needs to do! With good writing skills, students can spend less time worrying about how to write and focus on what to write. A number of coursework, projects and exams require students to read up and write about a topic. They need to be able to summarise points concisely and also make the writing compelling enough to convince the teacher or lecturer to give them good grades. Although it’s easy to write accurately, writing effectively is a different thing altogether, which is why students find it difficult to ‘just write’.
We learn how to communicate in different context
Even though we are not penning lengthy letters once a week to our loved ones, we communicate through writing more than we think, and some students take it for granted! A common complaint some teachers and lecturers have is that their students do not know how to write emails. They use short forms, colloquial language and incomplete sentences when communicating in a formal setting. Imagine an email with just one line: ‘Hey Ms, can u extend my deadline? TQ.’ The appalling lack of courtesy or formality might end up putting off the reader. Acquiring writing skills help students understand the different tones they can use in writing to ensure that they get the message across, politely.
We express ourselves better
When we write, we usually put in more thought compared to when we speak. The conscious effort of putting words on paper or a chat message box actually helps us look at what our intended message is. Through writing, students can have a good and healthy outlet for their emotions. Journaling or writing a diary lets them reflect on events and their emotions about it. When they read back on a bad incident that happened a month ago, it also helps them think about their own emotional reactions and whether the problem they faced was actually as bad as they thought. Although we often scoff at the idea of genuine friendships online, many people have actually connected with others due to someone talking about their own insecurities or someone giving a message of encouragement on the internet. The eloquence in a blog or social media post can bring people together too!
If you’re looking to encourage your kids into improving their writing skills, why not check out our workshop we’ll be holding next week? Our Fast Track to an A: Writing aims to help students ace the writing section for the English paper for 13+ Common Entrance Exams, but also serves as a good workshop for improving the general writing skills for 11 to 13 year olds. They will be guided by an experienced tutor who teaches English and Literature subjects in both fiction and non-fiction writing.
Wondering what to do with the kids during the holidays? Save yourself the hassle from sifting through Google classroom folders, or making sure videos are in order. Our workshop is fuss-free and easy to join:
Parents just need to click on the same Zoom Conference link at 10.30am every day for one week. That’s it!
Your child gets to interact with our teacher via livestream. 14 years of teaching experience straight to your computer in real time!
Your child gets to view their document being edited live as they learn various writing techniques.
Join us today, and hurry! Spaces are limited.
