As a tutor, I can count on one hand the number of times a student has written a story that has blown me away or left me wanting more. It’s so rare in fact that I hardly award marks of 90% or more. When I do, it’s usually because the student’s work meets the criteria of excellent or outstanding writing.
Now, every child has a different writing style. Some children write very descriptively, others include a lot of dialogue, and some use a mix of devices. I believe that children with naturally unique or quirky writing styles should retain as much of this as possible as it helps to set their work apart from others. One of my students (who’s now at Harrow) is a prime example of this. His writing is very descriptive and I’ve always encouraged him to keep and foster his natural love of descriptive language and expression.
Although I’m sure you’re eager to download the writing example from one of my students, but before you do, I want you and your child to pay attention to the notes underneath the example. They contain key tips that reflect the criteria that examiners and admissions tutors base mark allocation on. It’s key that you read this section with your child and encourage them to follow the tips mentioned.
Furthermore, it’s vital to write on a daily basis. Even if it’s just for 10 minutes. In fact, if your child is pressed for time, encourage them to simply spend 5 minutes coming up with a plan for a story or composition title. In doing so, they’ll improve their ability to think quickly and come up with story ideas in a few short minutes.
This is vital as students often struggle with creative writing in the 11+ exam because they can’t think of a story idea or can’t think of a way to start their story and they therefore end up stuck. This slows them down and costs them marks.
I’ll be sharing my best tips and tricks for creative writing success in a future post so keep an eye out for more details by checking the blog regularly.
Here’s to your child’s success!
Victoria, The Tutoress.