Your English literacy skills are much needed throughout your education. In Primary school, Secondary school, College and University. While in education, your English writing skills will usually be used in writing essays.

Refreshing your basic English literacy skills

Throughout your education, previous jobs and job applications, you will have been judged on your English skills. Getting your thoughts down on paper, the accuracy of your spelling and grammar. Also, how well you can engage your ‘reader’.

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Personality survey

1.

I use different techniques to ensure my audience wants to read on.

2.

I work out the key issues that need explaining; then how I can best express each one.

3.

I use positive and encouraging language.

4.

Before I start writing, I collate all my sources of background information.

5.

Whatever I'm writing, it's clear from the style that I am the author.

6.

When sending group messages I check that everyone needs to read this particular message.

7.

I avoid the use of cliches and overused phrases.

8.

I vary my style to ensure my reader does not get bored.

9.

An emoji is a better way to express most emotions than written English.

10.

It's best to decide upon your key message(s), and only then to start writing.

11.

The best writing is clear and easy for anyone to understand.

12.

I avoid the use of jargon or colloquialisms which may confuse some of my audience.

13.

Whatever issue I'm writing about, I assume my audience's knowledge is at a relatively low level.

14.

I check over any messages before sending them.

15.

I know how to make my intentions clear in my writing.

16.

I match the complexity of my language to suit the audience.


 

English writing could not only do well to prepare you for a career in writing or blogging. It is also a great way to stimulate and nurture logical thinking and gives an outlet to many people. Whether it is for journal writing, blogging or your local village newspaper. 

English Writing Skills. Books and pens

In our most recent survey, we have a look at whether you might need to refresh your essay writing skills. Is your writing clear and to the point?

We also give some great tips on how to improve your essay writing skills if necessary.

How do you write a good essay?

  1. Understand the topic
  2. Structure your essay – Introduction, Body, Conclusion and References if needed
  3. Answer the question of the essay

How to structure your essay:

  1. Introduction: Keep it short and to the point. Only one to two paragraphs. 
  2. Body: Here you summarise your argument or facts. Keep it clear and to the point with an idea per paragraph.
  3. Conclusion: This should also be short and to the point. Here, you want to summarise your points or argument from your essay. 

Your style should always be clear so that you can express your opinion clearly and precisely. 

Do you need to refresh your essay writing style? Try our quiz and see what might be lacking. 

It might just be that you need to practice a bit more. However, taking a look at where you can improve might be just what you need. Getting stuck in a rut might be the problem, so why not freshen up your English writing skills. There is always room for improvement.

Learning to Read

Reading is such a fundamental starting block for any learning. It is the main channel for learning in most schools or educational settings and a necessity for future academic achievement in mainstream education. 

Children are however not always ready for the world of reading by the time they go to school. The reason for this is as important as the solution. Some of these reasons or causes for why they may not be susceptible to the world of reading are exactly what you need to identify in order to find the best solutions.

A younger sibling might feel intimidated by the reading ability of the older. Best solutions would include reading separately with the younger sibling to build their confidence. 

Advice about Learning to Read

  • A child may not be developmentally ready for reading. Ways to help with this is to
    • Make sure your child knows their sounds. This can be tricky as English is not a phonetical language. Find games, whether on screen or paper to help them learn the rules. Teach Your Monster To Read has been a favourite for us. 
    • Start off with pictures, discussing the story told by these and developing a curiosity for the story and expressing themselves in language.
    • Follow your child’s reading with your finger to give them a point to focus on.
    • Find stories that interest them. Whether they are into dinosaurs or princesses. Topics that interest them is the key. 

Always remember not to put pressure on your child to start reading. We all do things in our own time, but a negative feeling towards reading can last a lifetime. Instead, focus on creating a love for readingby reading them stories from a young age. When they are ready they will want to carry on finding the stories they love. Children will more readily follow what you do, so also make sure to show them that you make time to read your own books. 

10 personality tips to help your Study Skills

  1. Find time to study – If you manage your time badly, inevitably you will be less productive than if you manage it well. This can lead to increased stress and anxiety levels, especially around exam time.
  2. Keep to a routine – Work in the same place at the same time each day. Also, make sure you have everything you need before you start.
  3. Work to your strengths – Schedule challenging tasks for when you are most alert, and routine ones for when you may be feeling more tired.
  4. Don’t waste time – Rather than reading irrelevant material, skim and scan to help you decide if you need to read something critically and in-depth.
  5. Avoid distractions – Related to above. Switch emails and social media off to prevent your mind wandering while trying to learn new information!
  6. Regularly review your notes – Edit out what you don’t need. Ask yourself the question: “Is this information is relevant to my assignment, and how does it relate to what I already know.”
  7. Vary how you to take notes – For example, use Mind Maps and diagrams to generate ideas and linear notes to focus your ideas for essay or report plans.
  8. Be critical – Make sure that you always add your own comment to every concept or quotation that you write down. Maintain a critical and analytical approach at all times!
  9. Plan your work – If writing an assignment produce a detailed plan before you start to write it. This will make the drafting process much less stressful
  10. Understand different styles  – By understanding different writing styles – such as academic, journal and journalistic styles – you can put what you read into perspective. In particular, you can become more aware of any particular bias.

 

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