The Undervalued Benefits of Developing Writing Skills
by Albert L.
If there’s one thing that we can count on in our shifting society, it’s that STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) will lead us into the future with lucrative careers solving the problems of tomorrow. Even as a writer and essay mentor for many years, I too sing in the praises of entering and focusing on such fields, especially if students have the talent and passion.
However, parents and students should not overlook their writing for just math and science. Over my years of teaching different students, their needs have varied. It might be beneficial to have a diagnostic for yourself or your child to gauge where a student might need help.
• Many students who are particularly strong in math and science might neglect other subjects, not realizing that their lack of foundations have put them behind.
• Some students come from immigrant families and have parents that might not feel they can adequately help their child in English.
• Other students will feel completely comfortable with the mechanics and grammar of English but will overestimate their abilities of their native tongue.
Years might go by where students have adopted poor habits, and think writing is just a matter of proofreading for grammatical mistakes that a grammar check will catch.
Unfortunately, that mentality could also potentially stunt students from developing skills beyond just grammar. A student can create essays that are technically void of grammar mistakes, but they can sound drab and overly simplistic.
Having honest self-reflection about your writing can be deceptive because people often think of it as an extension of the brain. I know what I mean, so obviously when I put it on paper, others will too. Unfortunately, that translation to the written word can be awkward.
Practicing and reinforcing the fundamentals can not only keep grades up in English, but allow better absorption of material and communicate more effectively in all classes. And beyond fundamentals, without learning how to do deep reading and textured literary analysis, students won’t be able to show the relationship between ideas and their critical thinking.
We here at IvyBoost have created multiple services through our Essay Narwhal Programs to help students with the different needs they’ll encounter as they navigate school and beyond.
Tutoring – With one-on-one tutoring, our passionate and qualified tutors can tailor help to the individual needs of your child. If a student is struggling, we can find ways to get them back on track.
Even if a student is performing well, the quality of instruction is highly variable from teacher to teacher. Some teachers at school might not be exposing students to the kind of rigor that will prepare them for more advanced classes. With some classes having few writing assignments or limited feedback, tutoring can be a great way to supplement learning to get students to hit standardized benchmarks for AP tests.
Group Classes – These classes which are typically offered in the Spring and Summer will teach fundamentals for academics as well as important narrative skills that are almost never touched upon in school.
The Essay Narwal curriculum trains students to write beyond academic papers. These kinds of creative and narrative works are necessary for college applications, writing cover letters for important jobs and internships. Ultimately, having grades might not be enough. Students must be able to learn how to weave compelling stories about themselves that show their values and unique backgrounds.
Counseling and Essay Mentoring – If colleges are on your horizon, IvyBoost has a variety of counseling and essay mentoring packages to help you with your application needs.
With college essays being an important component of applying to schools, having a mentor to guide you from the start to brainstorm, outline, and structure essays for the many schools you’ll be applying to can relieve a lot of the stress for students. While your resume and GPA will show you’re qualified, the essays give you a chance for schools to see if they LIKE you as a person through your writing.