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!
Teach Your Kids How to Write an Essay
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.
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
The top tips for teaching your kids how to write an essay will make life a little bit easier for your child and you. To get more great parenting articles like this, use that purple button below to sign up for our updates!
