The topic of parents’ influence on children’s eating habits is a recurring theme in IELTS Writing Task 2. Given its relevance to public health and child development, it’s likely to appear in future exams. Let’s examine a common question format related to this subject:
Some people believe that parents should be solely responsible for teaching children about a healthy diet, while others think schools should play a more significant role. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
This question addresses the role of parents in promoting healthy eating habits in children, while also considering the potential involvement of schools. Let’s analyze the question and provide sample essays for different band scores.
Question Analysis
The question presents two contrasting views:
- Parents should be solely responsible for teaching children about healthy diets.
- Schools should play a more significant role in this education.
To answer this question effectively, you need to:
- Discuss both viewpoints
- Provide reasons and examples to support each view
- Give your own opinion
- Use appropriate vocabulary and grammatical structures
Now, let’s look at sample essays for different band scores.
Sample Essay 1 (Band 8-9)
Parents and schools both play crucial roles in shaping children’s dietary habits, but I believe that while parents should bear the primary responsibility, schools can provide valuable supplementary education on healthy eating.
On the one hand, parents are uniquely positioned to influence their children’s eating habits from an early age. They control the food purchased and prepared at home, setting the foundation for lifelong dietary preferences. Moreover, parents serve as role models, demonstrating healthy eating behaviors that children naturally emulate. For instance, parents who regularly consume fruits and vegetables are more likely to have children who do the same. Additionally, family mealtimes provide opportunities for parents to educate children about nutrition and foster positive attitudes towards healthy foods.
On the other hand, schools can significantly reinforce and expand upon the healthy eating principles taught at home. They have the resources and expertise to provide structured nutrition education as part of the curriculum. School cafeterias can offer balanced meals, exposing children to a variety of nutritious options they might not encounter at home. Furthermore, schools can implement programs like gardening projects or cooking classes, which make learning about healthy eating engaging and hands-on. This approach can be particularly beneficial for children whose parents may lack the knowledge or means to provide comprehensive nutrition education.
In my opinion, the ideal approach is a collaborative effort between parents and schools. While parents should lay the groundwork for healthy eating habits, schools can provide valuable reinforcement and education. This partnership ensures that children receive consistent messages about nutrition from multiple sources, increasing the likelihood of developing lifelong healthy eating habits. For example, a school’s healthy eating initiative could include take-home materials that encourage parents to continue the education at home, creating a seamless learning experience for the child.
In conclusion, although parents should bear the primary responsibility for teaching children about healthy diets, schools play an indispensable role in supporting and enhancing this education. This collaborative approach offers the best chance of instilling lasting healthy eating habits in children.
(Word count: 329)
Parents teaching children healthy eating habits
Essay Analysis (Band 8-9)
This essay demonstrates excellent qualities that align with Band 8-9 criteria:
Task Response: The essay fully addresses all parts of the task, discussing both views and clearly presenting a personal opinion. It provides well-developed ideas with relevant examples.
Coherence and Cohesion: The essay is well-organized with clear progression throughout. It uses a variety of cohesive devices effectively (e.g., “On the one hand”, “On the other hand”, “Moreover”, “Furthermore”).
Lexical Resource: The vocabulary used is sophisticated and precise (e.g., “uniquely positioned”, “reinforce”, “collaborative effort”). There’s a good range of less common vocabulary used appropriately.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: The essay demonstrates a wide range of grammatical structures used accurately and appropriately. Complex sentences are used effectively without errors that impede communication.
Development of Ideas: Each main point is well-elaborated with explanations and examples, showing depth of thought and analysis.
Now, let’s examine an essay that would likely score in the Band 6-7 range.
Sample Essay 2 (Band 6-7)
Nowadays, there is a debate about who should teach children about eating healthy food. Some people think it’s only the job of parents, but others believe schools should do more. I will discuss both sides and give my opinion.
Firstly, many people say parents should be responsible for teaching kids about healthy diets. This is because parents are with their children from birth and can start teaching them early. They buy the food for the house and cook meals, so they can control what their children eat. Also, children often copy their parents, so if parents eat healthy food, their kids will probably do the same.
However, others argue that schools should play a bigger role in teaching about healthy eating. Schools have teachers who know a lot about nutrition and can teach this to students. They can also provide healthy meals in the cafeteria and show children good eating habits. Some schools even have gardens where kids can grow vegetables, which helps them learn about healthy food.
In my opinion, both parents and schools are important for teaching children about healthy diets. Parents can start teaching at home, but schools can give more information and show children different healthy foods. If parents and schools work together, children will learn more and be more likely to eat healthy food as they grow up.
To conclude, while parents have a big responsibility in teaching their children about healthy eating, I believe schools also have an important role to play. The best solution is for both to work together to help children learn about and choose healthy foods.
(Word count: 269)
School cafeteria offering healthy meal options
Essay Analysis (Band 6-7)
This essay demonstrates qualities that align with Band 6-7 criteria:
Task Response: The essay addresses all parts of the task, presenting both views and offering a personal opinion. However, the ideas are less fully developed compared to the Band 8-9 essay.
Coherence and Cohesion: The essay is generally well-organized with clear overall progression. It uses some cohesive devices (e.g., “Firstly”, “However”, “To conclude”), but less skillfully than the higher band essay.
Lexical Resource: The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with some attempts at less common words (e.g., “nutrition”, “cafeteria”). However, the range is more limited compared to the Band 8-9 essay.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures with generally good control. There are fewer complex structures compared to the higher band essay.
Development of Ideas: Main points are supported with relevant ideas, but the level of detail and elaboration is less than in the Band 8-9 essay.
Key Vocabulary to Remember
- Dietary habits (noun) – /ˈdaɪətəri ˈhæbɪts/ – Regular practices related to food consumption
- Nutritious (adjective) – /njuːˈtrɪʃəs/ – Providing nourishment, especially to a high degree
- Emulate (verb) – /ˈemjuleɪt/ – To copy or imitate, especially a person’s actions
- Reinforce (verb) – /ˌriːɪnˈfɔːs/ – To strengthen or support
- Curriculum (noun) – /kəˈrɪkjələm/ – The subjects comprising a course of study in a school
- Collaborative (adjective) – /kəˈlæbərətɪv/ – Involving two or more parties working together
- Initiative (noun) – /ɪˈnɪʃətɪv/ – An act or strategy intended to resolve a difficulty or improve a situation
- Indispensable (adjective) – /ˌɪndɪˈspensəbl/ – Absolutely necessary
In conclusion, the topic of parents’ role in promoting healthy eating habits in children is a significant one in IELTS Writing Task 2. By understanding the question types and practicing with sample essays, you can improve your writing skills and achieve a higher band score. Remember to analyze the question carefully, structure your essay logically, use a range of vocabulary and grammatical structures, and support your ideas with relevant examples.
For further practice, try writing your own essay on this topic or related ones such as How does fast food advertising affect children’s eating habits? or Should governments regulate the sale of unhealthy food? Share your essays in the comments section for feedback and discussion with other learners. This active practice will help you develop your writing skills and prepare effectively for the IELTS exam.