Experiences a Child Has Before Starting School Have the Most Influence - IELTS Writing Task 2 Discussion Essay

The Discussion essay, ‘Experiences a Child Has Before Starting School Have the Most Influence’, would require you to give a balanced analysis first before ending with a conclusion. With this topic, you will learn strategies on how you can clearly demonstrate arguments in favour of the statement and opposing views. The sample answers will give you an opportunity to segment the topic into major areas such as family environment, early social interaction, emotional development, formal education, and peer influence. With strategic brainstorming methods in the IELTS Writing section, you can spot the relevant viewpoints, identify the most reasons, and then put your thoughts in a coherent way.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in ‘Experiences a Child Has Before Starting School Have the Most Influence’

The discussion of a child’s school experiences can help you to get familiar with this topic so that you can brainstorm ideas easily. However, you might make a few errors while attempting this IELTS Writing Task 2 essay regarding misinterpretation of the question, lack of coherence in writing, and usage of repetitive vocabulary. Therefore, you need to be familiar with the common mistakes so that you can structure your ideas properly and show a higher proficiency in both vocabulary and grammar. Let’s look at the common mistakes to avoid for the IELTS Writing Task 2 Discussion Essay ‘Experiences a Child Has Before Starting School Have the Most Influence’.

Question - IELTS Writing Task 2 Discussion Essay ‘Experiences a Child Has Before Starting School Have the Most Influence’

Structure Breakdown for ‘Experiences a Child Has Before Starting School Have the Most Influence’

To achieve a higher IELTS Band Score of 8+, it is important to create an outline before you start writing. Spending some time to brainstorm ideas will help you to move in one direction without diverting away from the topic. Below is the structure breakdown for the IELTS Writing Task 2 Discussion Essay ‘Experiences a Child Has Before Starting School Have the Most Influence’ which will guide you to write your answer effectively.

Curious to know How to Write Body Paragraphs in IELTS Essay? Check out the video below!

Sample Answer 1 on ‘Experiences a Child Has Before Starting School Have the Most Influence’

Many people believe that the experiences toddlers gain are crucial for their future life, yet others refute, claiming that adolescent years, particularly at school, shape their future the most. This essay will expound on both arguments. Nonetheless, I concur with the view that the experiences in teenage life have more influence on one’s adult life.

To start with, a child’s everyday experiences are significant. It is because the architecture of the human brain is built during the very first years of life when a child develops their brain connections rapidly through daily experiences. In addition to this, different areas of our brain are responsible for different abilities, such as emotion, language, movement, etc. Therefore, neural connections determine a child’s temperament. Besides, the skills of our brain greatly diminish as it matures and interacts with more complex situations. Due to this, the initial few years of life are exceptionally vital for supporting emotional, social and cognitive capabilities and thus shaping adult life.

On the other hand, the teenage years are when individuals truly begin to navigate the demands of others against their desires. The critical life events in the adolescent years include increased responsibility at home, academic pressure, more nuanced social relationships and crucially, the biological changes of puberty. These are the cores of finding one’s place in the world and managing wants and needs against what is demanded and expected of an individual by family, school, friends, college and society. Some teenagers find and maintain a balance early and transcend, while others struggle for long periods that may last into adulthood. All things considered, these experiences outweigh those accumulated as a young child.

To conclude, children need to be educated correctly during the period from a kid to an adult due to the reason that all of those experiences will influence what kind of human they will choose to be.

Vocabulary for Sample Answer 1 on ‘Experiences a Child Has Before Starting School Have the Most Influence’

• Refute

Meaning – prove (a statement or theory) to be wrong or false; disprove.
Example – Some rumours are difficult to refute in organizations.

• Expound

Meaning – present and explain (a theory or idea) in detail.
Example – The articles that I read in the newspaper yesterday expound on the virtues of a healthy diet.

• Accumulated

Meaning – gather together or acquire an increasing number or quantity of.
Example – The prosecutor had accumulated a great amount of evidence on the case.

• Transcend

Meaning – be or go beyond the range or limits of (a field of activity or conceptual sphere).
Example – The beauty of Taylor Swift’s songs transcends words and language.

• Nuanced

Meaning – characterized by subtle shades of meaning or expression.
Example – I think my friend Marshal gave such a beautifully nuanced performance.

• Temperament

Meaning – a person’s or animal’s nature, especially as it permanently affects their behaviour.
Example – Anna is a dreamer and a romantic by temperament.

Sample Answer 2 on ‘Experiences a Child Has Before Starting School Have the Most Influence’

Many individuals think that early childhood experiences are the most important aspects in a child's life but others argue that experiences in adolescence, especially at school, are more impactful. This essay will present both viewpoints and elaborate the ideas on whether teenage experiences have a stronger long-term influence.

To begin with, early life experiences play a pivotal role in a child’s development. This is because during this period, kids acquire the basic social skills as well as grasp behavioral patterns from their family. For example, children in a nurturing and caring family are more likely to gain self-assurance and emotional stability later in life. Similarly, early negative experiences such as lack of parental support or neglect may result in psychological problems which last throughout life. Therefore, such events prior to schooling set the stage for inculcating values, shaping their character, and provide them with a diverse viewpoint.

On the contrary, experiences during adolescence, particularly at school, are more potent due to the fact that young people are more conscious and liberal. In other words, children start to create their identity, beliefs, and aspirations when they are young. When they start their schooling, they get experience related to rivalry, peer pressure, learning difficulties, and societal expectations which have a strong impact on their character. For instance, a great teacher or a good group of friends might motivate students to attend school and set high career goals. Furthermore, such experiences help them to analyze their life lessons which make it very enlightening.

To conclude, the experiences which people go through at school are the most important ones that shape their lives even if early childhood is the time that such foundation is laid.

Vocabulary for Sample Answer 2 on ‘Experiences a Child Has Before Starting School Have the Most Influence’

• Pivotal

Meaning – Extremely important and necessary
Example – Education is pivotal to fight issues related to poverty and social inequality.

• Grasp

Meaning – To have a complete and clear understanding of something
Example – Practical demonstrations help many learners to grasp the complicated ideas easily.

• Inculcate

Meaning – To emphasize an idea, value, or habit through persistent teaching
Example – From a very young age, schools should teach discipline and inculcate moral values in kids.

• Potent

Meaning – Powerful, influential, and effective
Example – In today's society, social media is potent in terms of influencing people's opinion.

• Enlighten

Meaning – To make things clear
Example – People are enlightened through public awareness campaigns about environmental problems.

Prepare yourself by learning how to structure your introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion for a specific essay type which will help you to present an essay with both clarity and coherence. Such a focused approach can help recognize and eliminate the common errors and consistently work on the areas of improvement. This will help you to develop your skills and confidence which will make you approach discussion essays with greater accuracy, fluency, and assurance for the IELTS Exam.

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