Writing for Academic Discussion Grades for Elementary School Students

Writing Topic: Should grades for elementary school students be abolished or continued?  (education)

 

 

☆Let’s Think

What are the advantages and disadvantages of grading?

 

☆Hints for Points

Advantages

1.        Mostly accurate, objective, and fair.

2.        Grading system helps children see their weak points and strong points. It also shows how much progress they have made.

3.        Grades help children which subject they should work more and how much they should do it.

4.        For children who enjoy competition, grades can motivate them to work harder in comparison to other children.

 

Disadvantages

1.        Evaluation can be a stress and can make children lose interest in the subjects, especially when they keep getting low marks.

2.        Both children and teachers can get focused on raising scores rather than real learning. For instance, they can spend more time on learning spells rather than appreciating reading and writing in language classes.

3.        Numbers do not always reflect how well a child works. For example, some children solve questions quickly although they make many mistakes, while other children solve questions slowly although they hardly ever make a mistake. Since tests are timed, the former types of children tend to get higher scores than the latter types of children.

 

☆Sample Answer for Ideas and Expressions

【Thesis】As Einstein said, not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted. However, if I play the devil’s advocate, grading can help children find their aptitude, helping them taking a right course for their future, and this facilitates society function better.

【Supporting Details】Society is made up of people, and therefore, whether it functions well depends on the happiness and job performances of each individual. Grading helps individuals objectively overview their ability in each field. Therefore, it helps children see their position in each field and know which field is the best to choose for a happier and fulfilling life if they reach the full potential.

【Reservation】Of course, self-realization is related to many other factors such as passion and personal history, but property plays a huge part of a person’s performance and taking a wrong course will cost too much to compensate for.

【Conclusion】In order for children to live a life with little regret in career choice, grades are necessary.

 (164 words)

 

 

Write your response in 10 minutes. Show each other your responses. Write down questions or suggestions to each other’s response.

 

 

                                                   DRAFT