IELTS Essay: Formal School Age
Some people think that children should begin their formal education at a very early age. Others think they should begin after 7 years of age.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Many feel that children ought to commence formal schooling from a very young age while others feel classes should start after the age of 7. In my opinion, though there are social benefits to early schooling, many of these can be replicated outside the classroom and there are emotional advantages to attending school later.
There are legitimate reasons for young children to enter school related to socializing. This can be best illustrated by the case of home-schooled children who often have underdeveloped social skills that can persist into adulthood. In contrast, children who are active members of a social group from a young age are far more likely to develop outgoing, positive ways of engaging with others. As they progress through normal childhood developmental stages and become less egocentric, the presence of other children, and teachers to some extent, has enormous benefits. However, parents can reproduce these advantages by ensuring their children have time to socialize with neighborhood friends.
Furthermore, entering school after the age of 7 can serve as a long-term boon for emotional health. When students begin formal schooling, they necessarily feel stressed not only from competition with other children but also due to the burden of homework and grades. If children remain home longer, they will form stronger familial bonds that will encourage healthy relationships later in life. Research has shown that the early years are essential in dictating how a child will develop interpersonally. A child who received adequate love and attention is considerably more likely to feel secure and establish healthy relationships with friends and family in adulthood. Academics can always be strengthened later but this is not always true for unseen emotional work.
In conclusion, despite the social benefits of schooling for young children, the emotional ramifications of remaining home in a supportive environment are more important. School administrators should consider this question carefully.
Analysis
1. Many feel that children ought to commence formal schooling from a very young age while others feel classes should start after the age of 7. 2. In my opinion, though there are social benefits to early schooling, many of these can be replicated outside the classroom and there are emotional advantages to attending school later.
- Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
- Write a clear opinion. Read more about introductions here.
1. There are legitimate reasons for young children to enter school related to socializing. 2. This can be best illustrated by the case of home-schooled children who often have underdeveloped social skills that can persist into adulthood. 3. In contrast, children who are active members of a social group from a young age are far more likely to develop outgoing, positive ways of engaging with others. 4. As they progress through normal childhood developmental stages and become less egocentric, the presence of other children, and teachers to some extent, has enormous benefits. 5. However, parents can reproduce these advantages by ensuring their children have time to socialize with neighborhood friends.
- Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
- Explain your main idea.
- Develop it with specific or hypothetical examples.
- Keep developing it fully.
- Finish development.
1. Furthermore, entering school after the age of 7 can serve as a long-term boon for emotional health. 2. When students begin formal schooling, they necessarily feel stressed not only from competition with other children but also due to the burden of homework and grades. 3. If children remain home longer, they will form stronger familial bonds that will encourage healthy relationships later in life. 4. Research has shown that the early years are essential in dictating how a child will develop interpersonally. 5. A child who received adequate love and attention is considerably more likely to feel secure and establish healthy relationships with friends and family in adulthood. 6. Academics can always be strengthened later but this is not always true for unseen emotional work.
- Write a new topic sentence with a new main idea at the end.
- Explain your new main idea.
- Include specific details and examples.
- Add as much information as you can and make sure it links logically.
- Develop the example fully.
- Conclude with a strong statement.
1. In conclusion, despite the social benefits of schooling for young children, the emotional ramifications of remaining home in a supportive environment are more important. 2. School administrators should consider this question carefully.
- Summarise your main ideas.
- Include a final thought. Read more about conclusions here.
Vocabulary
Many feel that children ought to commence formal schooling from a very young age while others feel classes should start after the age of 7. In my opinion, though there are social benefits to early schooling, many of these can be replicated outside the classroom and there are emotional advantages to attending school later.
There are legitimate reasons for young children to enter school related to socializing. This can be best illustrated by the case of home-schooled children who often have underdeveloped social skills that can persist into adulthood. In contrast, children who are active members of a social group from a young age are far more likely to develop outgoing, positive ways of engaging with others. As they progress through normal childhood developmental stages and become less egocentric, the presence of other children, and teachers to some extent, has enormous benefits. However, parents can reproduce these advantages by ensuring their children have time to socialize with neighborhood friends.
Furthermore, entering school after the age of 7 can serve as a long-term boon for emotional health. When students begin formal schooling, they necessarily feel stressed not only from competition with other children but also due to the burden of homework and grades. If children remain home longer, they will form stronger familial bonds that will encourage healthy relationships later in life. Research has shown that the early years are essential in dictating how a child will develop interpersonally. A child who received adequate love and attention is considerably more likely to feel secure and establish healthy relationships with friends and family in adulthood. Academics can always be strengthened later but this is not always true for unseen emotional work.
In conclusion, despite the social benefits of schooling for young children, the emotional ramifications of remaining home in a supportive environment are more important. School administrators should consider this question carefully.
Answers
ought to should
commence start
formal schooling real school
social benefits advantages for communicating with others
early schooling first years of school
replicated outside the classroom reproduced not in school
emotional advantages benefits for one’s emotions
attending going to
legitimate reasons good causes
enter school go to class
socializing interacting with others
best illustrated by the case of clearest example of this is
home-schooled children kids who learn at home
underdeveloped not grown
persist continue
adulthood as you get older, no longer a child
in contrast however
active members participants
social group peer groups
far more likely much greater chance
outgoing friendly
positive ways good methods
engaging with others talking to people
progress improving
normal childhood developmental stages how kids grow up cognitively
egocentric caring only about yourself
presence being around them
enormous benefits big advantages
reproduce replicate
ensuring making sure
neighborhood friends kids living nearby
furthermore also
serve as a long-term boon help in the future
emotional health how you feel
necessarily definitely
stressed anxious
competition competing with others
burden extra weight to carry
remain stay the same
form stronger familial bonds get along with family better
encourage healthy relationships form good bonds
later in life as they get older
research has shown that studies indicate
dictating determining
interpersonally between people
received adequate love got enough care
attention looking after
considerably more likely much better chance
secure confident
establish healthy relationships have good bonds
academics learning in school
strengthened made stronger
unseen emotional work not immediately obvious mental health growith
ramifications implications
supportive environment loving family
school administrators people in charge of schools
consider think about
carefully with care, not recklessly
Pronunciation
Vocabulary Practice
Many feel that children ought to commence formal schooling from a very young age while others feel classes should start after the age of 7. In my opinion, though there are social benefits to early schooling, many of these can be replicated outside the classroom and there are emotional advantages to attending school later.
There are legitimate reasons for young children to enter school related to socializing. This can be best illustrated by the case of home-schooled children who often have underdeveloped social skills that can persist into adulthood. In contrast, children who are active members of a social group from a young age are far more likely to develop outgoing, positive ways of engaging with others. As they progress through normal childhood developmental stages and become less egocentric, the presence of other children, and teachers to some extent, has enormous benefits. However, parents can reproduce these advantages by ensuring their children have time to socialize with neighborhood friends.
Furthermore, entering school after the age of 7 can serve as a long-term boon for emotional health. When students begin formal schooling, they necessarily feel stressed not only from competition with other children but also due to the burden of homework and grades. If children remain home longer, they will form stronger familial bonds that will encourage healthy relationships later in life. Research has shown that the early years are essential in dictating how a child will develop interpersonally. A child who received adequate love and attention is considerably more likely to feel secure and establish healthy relationships with friends and family in adulthood. Academics can always be strengthened later but this is not always true for unseen emotional work.
In conclusion, despite the social benefits of schooling for young children, the emotional ramifications of remaining home in a supportive environment are more important. School administrators should consider this question carefully.
Listening Practice
Reading Practice
Speaking Practice
School
- Did you like your school when you were a child?
- What did you learn about?
- Did you have a favorite teacher?
- Are there many rules in schools in your country?
Writing Practice
Many students find it difficult to focus or pay attention at school nowadays.
What are the reasons for this?
What can be done to solve this problem?
It’s been argued by some that formal education should begin at an early age, while others believe that the perfect age to start formal school is the age 7. In this essay I will be discussing both views and why I tend to agree with the second opinion.
To begin with, individuals who advocate for the opinion that children should start school early base their argument on the fact that they will have better academic achievement than their peers. Furthermore , it will teach them how to be competitive, independent and motivate them to get the best scores and complete their homework on their own. Therefore in the future they will be able to get the the best opportunities.
On the other hand , I believe that the age 7 is an acceptable age to start formal school. This is due to the fact that over burdening them with academic study and pushing them to compete with others simply will lead to anxiety , stress and even depression. In Recent research that was conducted in the UK showed that children who started formal school at age younger than 7 have a higher chance to be socially withdrawn.moreover, focusing on play based programmes help children to develop better cognitive abilities and this will lead them to be more creative. For instance , countries such as Finland and Sweden where children start formal school at the age 7 have shown better schooling results than any other countries .So this is clear evidence of its benefit.
In conclusion, in my opinion children should be given enough time to learn through play based activity. Formal education at an early age simply leads to stress and does not help children to achieve better in the long run.
Nice Amal!
Really nice structure and ideas – careful with plurals and punctuation though.
Keep working hard!
Hi there. Many feel that children ought to commence formal schooling from a very young ago ….. Shouldn’t it be …………………………. from a very young age ….. ? Pls correct me if I’m mistaken.
You are right, Hojat – thanks for spotting the typo again!