Studying Tips: The Essay Memorisation Framework

By WR!TERS@WORK

Framework

Writing essays and compositions is a crucial skill to master in school, significantly impacting major English examination scores. While many believe that writing should be a creative process, this creativity can sometimes interfere with achieving high examination scores. Crafting original content poses significant challenges due to various factors. A study by the University of North Carolina reveals that many graduate students grapple with originality because they lack a profound understanding of the subject matter and the ability to synthesize information uniquely. Can you imagine the struggles that primary and secondary students face when we are expected to write creative and original essays under exam pressure? These challenges are exacerbated by the pressure to excel in high stakes national exams, rendering the task of writing original content both intellectually demanding and daunting.

Since the writing component is a permanent section in English examinations, we should find a strategic and effective method to allow us to train our writing skills. I believe we can train ourselves to become better writers just like how athletes prepare for major sporting competitions. Memorising good phrases and essay plans is a useful strategy for students to craft engaging and compelling essays. Although the examination question may not be worded exactly as expected, it is often similar enough for students to apply their pre-prepared knowledge to produce coherent and well-structured essays. In order to help you in your effective examination preparation, the essay memorisation framework can be adopted. This system can be broken down into 2 stages:

1. Building a Storybank

The first thing you would want to do is decide what essay or composition titles to prepare for the examinations. You need to find a reliable source to help you build a bank of stories or essays. It can be top scoring essays or compositions that your school teachers share or high quality model composition or essay books. Alternatively, you could also explore the second hand market to look for sellers who are selling the most recent year notes from their schools. This increases your chances of getting curated essays or compositions that have been graded by school teachers. The next option is to sign up for one of those weekly writing classes in Singapore that provide a high quality curriculum. At WRITERS AT WORK, we cover a wide range of essay topics or primary levels’ compositions every week and we train students to build up their storybanks! Hence, WRITERS AT WORK also teaches students how to prepare and revise for writing examinations. It is important for students to curate your storybanks and ensure that you are equipped with different storylines that can be adapted to fit a variety of exam questions. Take a look at past year PSLE composition questions and see whether your storybank has stories or composition plots that can fulfil those prompts.

2023 PSLE Composition Question:

Write a composition of at least 150 words about a change for the better.

Consider the following points when you plan your composition:

• What change was needed?
• What actions were done to make the change?
• What improvements did the change bring?

2021 PSLE Composition Question:

Write a composition of at least 150 words about a promise.

Consider the following points when you plan your composition:

• What was the promise?
• Was the promise kept?

2020 PSLE Composition Question:

Write a composition of at least 150 words about something that was lost.

Consider the following points when you plan your composition:

• How did it get lost?
• Was it found?

Give yourself ample time to devise your composition or essay plans. If you are starting from scratch, pick a question that is more generalised and allows you a wider scope for your writing. It would be easier to finetune these types of essays to fit more specific questions you encounter. You can refer to model composition sources to find some inspiration for your storyline.

Lastly, ensure that your essays/ essay plans meet high standards and are well-constructed. You can refer to the syllabus document found on the SEAB website:

Assessment Objectives In Paper 1 (Writing):

• AO1 write to suit purpose, audience and context in a way that is clear and effective
• AO2 use appropriate register and tone in a variety of texts
• AO3 generate and select relevant ideas, organising and expressing them in a coherent and cohesive manner
• AO4 use correct grammar, spelling and punctuation
• AO5 use a variety of vocabulary appropriately, with clarity and precision

If you are unsure whether your composition meets such standards, consult your teacher/tutor to get professional feedback and make improvements from there.

2. Memorisation Stage

With a good number of essays and essay plans thought out and written, it is crucial to think how you could load this information into your brain so that you can adapt the plot during the PSLE English Paper.

Using flashcards to memorise paragraphs and storylines is an effective way to get started. You can break down your composition into smaller blocks and assign each block to a flashcard. Try to test yourself by flipping the flashcard over and only looking at the prompt you have given yourself, seeing how much you can remember. Look – it does not have to be recalled word for word. As long as you understand the flow of the story and are able to replicate it without compromising on the language quality and cohesiveness, it should suffice.

However, if you were to memorise paragraphs by paragraphs and not be able to link them together or associate them with the right composition questions, it will be difficult for you to fulfil Assessment Objective (AO) 3 listed above. Thus, after memorising your paragraphs in content blocks, try using an A4 paper to draw up an essay plan or diagram that will help you discern the structure of your essay easier. It could be in the form of a Mindmap, Spider Diagram, Story Mountain etc. Include some keywords that will help trigger your memory about the key points that you wish to include.

Lastly, create a revision timetable that incorporates spaced repetition. Essays are very content-heavy and will take a longer time to remember, so it is crucial for you to stagger your study sessions at appropriate intervals. Creating a spreadsheet and listing the essay questions/topics could help, and you should input the dates you wish to review those materials.

In conclusion, the essay memorisation framework is effective for exam preparation as it combines active recall, spaced repetition and builds a robust revision system. If you are keen on learning about more study tips to maximise your revision, do check out our other blog articles!

Attain Stellar Results With W@W!

English is a compulsory subject which all students must undertake. However, mastering the English language is not something which happens overnight – it takes consistent practice and effort to learn the nuances of the language. Students must read more and practice writing to gradually improve. Cramming for a language subject nearer to the exams is an impossible feat. After all, Rome was not built in a day! Attaining such a skill will have positive implications for not only your child’s education in school, but also employment prospects in future.

At WRITERS@WORK, we are committed to providing the smoothest learning experience for your child sitting for their English exams. With our carefully curated methods of teaching your child how to write well, your child will learn how to present their thoughts and arguments in a coherent and concise manner. W@W reinforces your child’s language skills and provides a strong foundation for their academic success, keeping up with all aspects of their progress both inside and outside of the classroom to nurture them holistically. For more information about how W@W makes a difference, feel free to explore our website and watch our YouTube videos!

If you are interested in our primary English tuition and secondary English tuition in Singapore, WRITERS@WORK has expanded to 9 convenient locations. To find the nearest location that suits your needs, please explore our options. If you have any inquiries regarding our range of programs or class schedules, please feel free to contact WRITERS@WORK!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

1. How Can I Improve My English Creative Writing Skills?

The secret to writing better is to practice more while emulating good examples of writing. Having constructive feedback is extremely important in honing your creative writing skills, as often, students are not aware of what they are doing right or wrong. Trying to copy good examples of writing will help the student intuitively pick up essential skills like grammar rules and vocabulary. Reading good examples of writing will also give the student more ideas.

2. What is the Main Purpose of Creative Writing?

Creative writing helps students express their thoughts more clearly and develop a sense of logic. In crafting a believable plot which flows properly given the premise and characters the story features, a student will be able to hone their critical thinking and their ability to put things in a systematic manner. Creative writing is further important for communicating ideas concisely.

3. What is the Benefit of Creative Writing Classes?

Receiving constructive feedback is extremely beneficial for a student, as parents often leave creative writing to the student to “do their best and see how it goes”. However, this is the wrong approach to creative writing – like all skills, creative writing can be taught. It requires significant effort and a lot of trial and error to master, but it is definitely a valuable skill to learn.

4. How Do You Make a Creative Writing Class Interesting?

Making a creative writing class interesting is something that W@W specialises in! Teachers are engaging, fun, and witty, allowing students to explore many possibilities of plots and characters. Our composition topics are funny and memorable, allowing students to draw on them when they face their actual exam questions. Students participate in discussions with their classmates, giving them the chance to speak up and voice out their own thoughts and ideas during the lesson.

5. Who Benefits From Creative Writing?

The benefits from creative writing are lifelong – all throughout our lives, we will need to communicate with people important to us, not only at work but also in our personal lives. Being able to express our thoughts and ideas clearly is highly important to ensure other people understand what we are saying. Additionally, having a logical flow to our thoughts makes learning other subjects in school much easier, as the English language is the foundation for all learning.