How to help my Child Write a book report or essay

Book report or essay writing can be a nightmare for some children. For others, its not the most favorite thing to do, especially after enjoying a good book. But, simple steps can help the child write a book report or essay. It is necessary to understand the    plot, setting, the protagonist the antagonist and the theme and therefore, writing a book report is more of a pre-activity to the essay that includes information of the complete book and its various components.

To start off your child on book report writing, the best way is to create a questionnaire. Put down questions, such that all the components of book report writing are completed and the child has a clear understanding of these various components. You could begin with the title and the author and then, the setting of the story. A few lines on the setting of the story will give him/her a clear picture and then, character sketch can follow. Make your child write the sketches of the main characters in the story, but for the report these sketches should be very brief, while they should be in detail in the essay. When writing the character sketches, your child should identify the protagonist, the antagonist and the supporting characters.

The next part of the questionnaire should be the plot of the story. For the book report, the plot should be put down in as few sentences as possible, at most 5-6. Its an art to write a short summary of a long text and the earlier the child learns it, the better for him/her. So, make the child write the summary of the plot as succinctly as possible. Then, let you child describe their favorite part, the parts they did not enjoy and why for each of these questions. You should also make them compare the book with the previous one they read and then, help them decide the next book they want to read. With this questionnaire in place, your child will be able to easily write the book report and the essay.