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 IELTS
 JOURNAL 
 
52 
Exercise: Write a full four or five paragraph essay for the topic above using 
the ideas and reasons given here. It is a good idea to keep track of time. 
Homeschooling belongs to the past and is unacceptable in the modern 
society. 
 
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? 
Brainstorming ideas:
 
 
For
 
Against
 
Parents know their children 
best
Learning is more enjoyable at 
home
Children feel safe
Not specific approach e.g. 
associative learning
Not every parent is capable
Parents could forget 
materials
 
Organizing the body paragraphs:
 
 Introduction…………………………………
 
 …………………………… 
.
 
 
The side you don’t agree with…..
 
 …………………………………………………
 
 …………………. 
.
 
 
The side you agree with …………..
 
 ………………………………………………..
 
 ………………….. 
.
 
 
The side you agree with ………….
 
 ………………………………………………
 
 …………………………….. 
.
 
 Conclusion 
……………………………
 

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 IELTS
 JOURNAL 
 
53 
 ……………………………… 
.
 
Exercise: Now read the sample essay about the homeschooling topic on the 
next page and pay attention to items below used in the sample essay. 
Organization and paragraphing 
Punctuation 
Development of ideas 
The range of structures used 
The range of topic specific vocabulary used 
Transition words 
Topic sentences 
Types of examples used 
Sample Essay: Homeschooling
 
Everything has two sides and homeschooling is not an exception. In the past, it 
seemed like the most natural way of educating children, but today, many people 
criticize it. 
We must acknowledge that parents know their children best. That gives them a good 
chance of knowing how to make their children understand certain concepts. Using 
the child’s interest, parents can make the process of learning more enjoyable and 
effective. In addition, being at home makes children feel safe which can greatly 
contribute to their ability to concentrate on studying. 
Nevertheless, many people believe that teaching should be done by professionals. 
There are many proven scientific approaches that produce good and effective results 
and without those techniques parents, who teach their children at home, have no 
chance. Associative learning is a good example of such a technique. Showing the 
child images while learning the alphabet for example ‘Apple’ for ‘A’ or ‘Boy’ for ‘B’ 
makes him or her remember the letters faster and more easily. 
Furthermore, not every parent is capable of teaching his or her child at home, for the 
blind cannot lead the blind. Parents cannot teach the children something which they 
do not know themselves, and let’s face it – not all of us have profound knowledge of 
history or geography even on a school textbook level. Eventually, even those moms 
and dads who had succeeded at school could forget the materials they studied as 
time went by. 
In conclusion, I have more trust in abilities and experiences of professional teachers 
than I do on my own.