Write about the following topic: Some people argue that primary schools focus too much on formal learning. To what extent do you agree with this opinion? How important do you think it is for children to play as well as learn in the primary school classroom? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
2 IELTSbiz learners have answered this Task 2 question and had it marked on the four official criteria; bands ranged from 6 to 6.5, with a median of Band 6.5. Compare the answers below to see exactly what the higher bands did differently.
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These are learner answers, not model answers — including the ones that scored well. Read them for what the criteria reward and punish, not as text to copy. A memorised essay attached to a slightly different question scores worse than an honest attempt, and examiners recognise recited material quickly.
Nowadays, many individuals believe that the primary education is forcing students to focus a lot on learning in a traditional setting, while play is an equally important activity. In my view, I partially agree with this statement because although formal education is essential in order to cover the basic study plan that helps students continue to the secondary education, play is usually overlooked while it is an essential activity that develops soft skills and trains the mind in many ways.
On one hand, the formal learning is believed to yield the best academic results because it trains students based on a carefully designed study plan that guarantees to give students all the knowledge they need in order to proceed to the secondary education. The ministry of education spends countless resources in order to come up with a study plan which will provide to the students the hard skills that will allow for an easy transition to a higher levels of education. For example, research shows that many children that have attended experimental schools, which focus on music and other artistic activities, tend to have lower academic performance later in their lives.
On the other hand, play is another very effective way of learning. Play is believed by many that is an ability that differentiates humans from animals because it requires imagination, empathy and a conceptual mindset. The activity of play allows young individuals to develop essential soft skills which allow them to function in society. For instance, in neuroscience play is regarded as a high intellectual activity that stimulates the whole brain while it forces the players to experiment and imagine new ideas; therefore, I believe it is important to include this activity within the primary school environment.
In conclusion, although students need to learn all the hard skills that a formal learning environment provides, in order for them to have adequate performance in higher education, I maintain that play is an equally important activity that will allow children to develop soft skills necessary to function in the society.
It has come to a concern that primary schools are too focused on formal learning rather than balancing the learning process between learning and playing. I totally agree with the following statement because play is a very important aspect during a child's developing stages. It provides vital benefits that can support the child's growth.
Play is a crucial aspect in a child's life. Through play, children can learn communication skills and develop motoric skills. Since playing mostly involves physical movement, frequent exposure to these types of activities can help develop a child's motoric skills which can be beneficial for some jobs or activities that requires physicall skills. Additionally, playing often involves multiple people. This forces childrens to learn interactivity skills such as speaking or conveying ideas. Team based games such as football helps build collaboration and skills too since the game involves 2 teams going against each other.
During early ages, children are usually more interested in play compared to formal learning. If play could be brought into a primary school classroom, the learning process could essentially kill two birds using one stone. Children learn theory based subjects while also having fun in doing so. This increases classroom enggagement. International curiculums such as the Pearson curiculum forces interactive teaching methods for early ages. This includes playing. Children are frequently involved in mini games like math battles, a game where children are faced with an oponent and they have to solve mathematical problems as fast as possible. Field trips are also essential in the Pearson curiculum. Regular field trips to the zoo helps children learn about all kinds of species while also being enggaged in the zoo's activities such as drawing pictures of animals, or even riding on elephants. These forms of physical activity allows children to be fully involved in the learning process while having fun.
To conclude, play is a very important aspect in a child's growth. It provides vital benefits such as increased motoric skills, enhanced interactivity skills, and even better knowledge about the nature of the world. Since some primary school nowadays are too focused on formal learning, they should consider incorporating play into the curiculum to ensure that children can be fully involved in the learning process while developing their motoric and interactivity skills.
What band do answers to this IELTS question usually get?
Across 2 graded answers on IELTSbiz, bands ranged from 6 to 6.5, with a median of Band 6.5. Each was marked on Task Response, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range & Accuracy.
What separates the Band 6.5 answer from the Band 6 answer?
The largest difference is Grammatical Range & Accuracy: 6 in the Band 6.5 answer against 5 in the Band 6 answer. Open each answer to read the examiner's reason for every criterion.