Help Your Child Improve Composition Writing at Home
Composition writing is a fundamental skill that primary school students should master. The key to writing a good composition is a solid grasp of the basic elements of story-writing.
Furthermore, effective written communication is crucial for success in secondary school and beyond. Thus, it has an impact on both your child’s exam grades and future career opportunities.
Whether your child is just learning to write compositions or preparing for PSLE, there are several common effective strategies to help them improve their composition and creative writing skills at home.
This article will explore practical strategies to help your child improve composition writing and boost their creative abilities at home.
1. Guide your child to identify the composition’s central idea
A central idea or theme is at the core of every well-written composition. This is the main point or message that the writer is trying to convey through their story. In PSLE Continuous Writing tasks, the question clearly states the topic, and the students must ensure their story revolves around this theme to score well.
In the simplest form, most well-written compositions follow a four-part structure: introduction, rising action, climax, and conclusion. This framework helps the writer organise the story logically and lets the reader follow the plot easily. Encouraging your child to practice this format will help them learn to create cohesive narratives.
When tackling a composition, please make sure that your child studies the keywords and pictures from the question thoroughly. For instance, if the topic is about a “memorable event,” the story should centre on the experience and why it is unforgettable for the character(s) in the story. This will help them stay on track and craft a story that aligns with the topic.
2. Develop a writing routine
Consistency is critical to improvement. You can only expect your child to deliver a well-written composition by constantly upgrading their literary and story-writing skills.
Please encourage your child to set up a daily or weekly writing routine. Writing consistently helps them practice organising thoughts, improving sentence structure, and developing unique ideas. It would be best to let your child take the lead but be there to provide support or suggestions.
Regular practice will undoubtedly lead to significant progress over time, whether writing in a journal, composing short stories, or working on school assignments. By integrating writing into their regular activities, your child will be more confident and prepared when it’s time to write exam compositions.
3. Encourage your child to read more
Reading and writing often go hand in hand. The more your child reads, the better their composition writing will become. Encourage your child to read various materials, including storybooks, newspapers, magazines, and online articles. This helps to introduce your child to different writing styles, vocabulary, and storytelling techniques.
Reading helps improve vocabulary and grammar, which is essential for effective composition writing. It also sparks creativity and can inspire new ideas for writing. Ask your child questions about their reading to encourage critical thinking and help them reflect on the story structure, plot development, and characters. This reflection will help them become more mindful of how to craft their own stories.
At the PSLE level, good compositions should reflect students’ creative, linguistic, literary, and storytelling abilities. Markers always appreciate coherent and well-crafted stories that show originality.
4. Let your child practice freewriting
Freewriting is an excellent technique for improving creative writing skills. It allows children to write without the pressure of following a strict format or worrying about grammar and spelling. Set a timer for a short period (e.g., 10-15 minutes) and encourage your child to start writing whatever comes to mind. This exercise helps overcome writer’s block and generate fresh, novel ideas.
Freewriting encourages spontaneous thinking and can help your child develop a unique writing voice. This activity is beneficial when writing more descriptive and creative compositions than factual ones.
5. Explore different writing styles
Composition writing encompasses various styles. For instance, descriptive writing focuses on creating vivid imagery and setting a scene, while narrative writing is about telling a story with a clear beginning, middle and end. Persuasive writing allows them to argue a point of view, and expository writing helps explain facts or processes.
Please encourage your child to experiment with different styles to broaden their writing skills and to improve their ability to express themselves in diverse ways.
Keep in mind that only by letting them explore would they be able to discover and develop their distinctive writing style!
6. Mastering Composition Introductions and Conclusions
The introduction and conclusion of a composition are two crucial sections that often determine the story’s impact. A strong introduction grabs the reader’s attention, while a well-thought-out conclusion closes the story. Teach your child the importance of starting with a hook—a sentence or two that draws the reader into the story. This could be a question, an intriguing statement, or a description of a dramatic event.
Conclusions should tie up loose ends and give the story a satisfying resolution. Please encourage your child to reflect on the message or lesson they want to convey through their story and ensure the conclusion aligns with the central theme.
7. Expand their vocabulary library
A rich vocabulary is essential for good writing. As we like to say, big words are only sometimes the right words. What matters more is using the right words in the proper context. An effective composition is based on aptly chosen words that capture the reader’s attention and evoke the desired effect.
As a matter of exercise, try asking your child to replace ‘very easy’ with as many equivalent words, phrases or expressions as possible.
Introduce your child to new words and figurative language (including metaphors, idioms, similes, etc) regularly and encourage your child to use them in their writing.
Please ensure that your child keeps a vocabulary journal where they can jot down interesting words and their meanings.
(update of the blog first published on October 2023)
Help Your Child Achieve Better Results With Joyous Learning Now!
At Joyous Learning, our team of nurturing and passionate educators offers personalised composition writing tuition lessons to help your child improve their written communication and critical thinking skills. These writing skills are taught in both the English and The Thinking Writer classes.
We do this by designing the conditions for joyous learning, focusing on holistic constructive engagement in everything from our curricula to class size.
For example, our classes are limited to a maximum of 9 students to ensure each student receives the guidance they need to develop and flourish.
This ensures a conducive and positive classroom environment that fosters academic growth and captures young minds. We aim to cultivate their interest and understanding in each subject rather than relying on rote memorisation.
Furthermore, given how hectic life can be for Singaporean parents, we also offer online classes, a more convenient and effective way to accommodate you and your child!
Our goal remains unwavering from primary to secondary school: to provide a quality education that inspires and empowers.
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