High school students often experience difficulties in writing their essays. Although for young people at college or university this task does not seem to be complex, teenagers consider it as a serious challenge. Among the reasons why so many students struggle with essay writing, it is possible to highlight the lack of instructor’s attention to teaching this academic skill. No one is born an expert in writing essays. However, this skill can be acquired through school years. Students will definitely benefit from this well-developed ability at any USA college. Below, you can find some top tips for teaching students how to write the best papers.
Start with motivation
Any student needs to be motivated to acquire a new skill or develop existing talents. You should state some reasons why young learners need to work on their writing abilities. For example, it is a good idea to demonstrate some real-life cases when being a good writer is important. Many companies look for communicative workers who can contact the customer in a written form. In this case, skills learned at high school may become the helping hand. Further, let your students understand that written works are the major component of their final grade. Almost every learned topic has a consequent assignment that requires writing a paper.
Highlight the importance of the outline
Any good paper starts with a clear and comprehensive outline. This element forms the basis for further writing. Rarely can students produce a from-scratch essay without outlining main points. This step simplifies the assignment and makes the final result submitted for the instructor’s review better. It is recommended that the teacher regularly checks the outlines created by students to notice the primary errors and writing flaws. When the instructor reviews this plan, it is possible to deliver some valuable assistance to the learner. One can also order this type of personalized expert help at the online custom paper writing service CustomWritings which will help in essay writing in a professional way.
Make students remember key academic standards
There is a need to dedicate some time during the class to the key academic standards of writing. Of course, high school students cannot write custom English papers as a professional does. However, they have to align with important institution formatting rules, referencing guidelines, and other crucial policies. Only in this case can they produce a high quality of original writing. Furthermore, the comprehension of these aspects is crucial for future college or university students. It is important to collect the most valuable information on academic writing standards and deliver these lists to the learners, so they can always check complex issues occurring during the completion of the assignment. There is also the need to constantly review and renew this information because existing requirements may change. Inform your students about the anti-plagiarism policy of the institution as well.
Encourage creative thinking
Many young people rarely engage in creative writing activities. In most cases, they have to produce responses to particular questions without the possibility of adding a personal opinion. It is important to motivate your students to express their feelings and experiences on paper. In creative writing tasks, they have more capabilities to evolve as writers. You can look for some general topics for such assignments on an online website and other services. However, do not forget to leave much space for creativity and self-expression.
Dedicate time to reading
Reading is a key to becoming a better writer. The teacher has a duty of encouraging students to read more books and periodicals. During free time, young people should be actively engaged in this activity to expand their knowledge and vocabulary, as well as receive more creative ideas. The teacher should motivate students to buy cheap books, read them, and put down their critical reflection on the material. Thanks to this amusing and useful task, young people can develop a strong dedication to writing as well as a better understanding of self-expression in a text form.
Facilitate research practices
The teacher should foster research completed by students. Enhancing the ability to create good textual material is the key to becoming more successful students and improving their marks. It is evident that young people with good writing skills receive better grades and teacher’s appreciation, even if they are not well-aware of the topic. Students who perfectly understand the discipline but cannot put their opinion down in a correct and comprehensive way usually receive worse evaluations from instructors. In this way, making a good study necessitates strong writing skills. If students often receive this type of task, they are likely to work harder on their papers. The research should not be complex but mirror the ability to think critically and represent findings in a textual form. This step prepares students for college and university life, where self-conducted studies are common practices.
Ask students to respond to their peers
In many cases, the use of peer response assignments helps students to learn how to think critically, analyze information, and put down their ideas on paper. The teacher should regularly encourage young learners to conduct the assessment of their classmates. The attention to other people’s works allows students to witness widespread mistakes and inaccuracies. They also increase their vocabulary and train writing skills. Furthermore, students can acquire more creativity via such tasks. The ability to expand someone else’s written work or produce an opposite opinion is valuable for the youth. Any reputable company or service looks for employees who can respectfully and consciously reply to their colleagues at the workplace, often in a written form. Doing peer response assignments is a great way to prepare students for their adulthood and career.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this article provides you with seven methods of teaching essay writing skills to high school students. Avoid overwhelming young people with theoretical information. It is necessary to facilitate their practice via various critical thinking and writing activities. Do not forget to provide regular and understandable feedback on papers delivered by students, so they can observe their errors and prevent these inaccuracies in the future.
