You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Doing an enjoyable activity with a child can develop better skills and more creativity than reading. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.

MODEL ANSWER>>>

It is often said that engaging with children at their activities can develop their skills and creativity better than reading books. I feel the statement is true only in certain situations.

To begin, when children read, there is no doubt that it enhances their cognitive functions. Though this depends on the age and the type of books they read, no one can deny that their intellectual capacities are nourished when they read. For example, when a child reads Harry Potter’, to a great extent he goes with the imagination of the author, and feels the characters real, which eventually makes him creative in framing a story by himself. Skills such as writing and communicating also can be developed by this way. However, I feel the child has to develop good reading skills to make this practical.

At a much younger age, when the child is not much capable of understanding adequate vocabulary and phrases, I think, the better option is to make them engaged in activities they enjoy. To be clearer, every child has his own style of creativity, and with proper supervision, their skills can be fostered properly. For example, at different stages of development, children need different play activities. While some children enjoy painting, others enjoy puzzles. If these interests are not identified properly by the elders, their talents would remain buried.

To conclude, albeit reading books can enhance the skills and creativity of children to a great extent, it suits mostly the older children. At a younger age, an active participation in their activities which are enjoyable can be a wiser idea.

Word count: 265