MUET MOMENTS: Lesson 16: Writing Skills I

By DR KOH SOO LING



Writing skills I
For the first question, you will have to write a short article of about 150-200 words.

You will be given information from a variety of sources. Look at the example below:

Question 1
Study: Parenting style reduces child’s risk of depression and anxiety

Subjects of Study: 214 children and their mothers
Period of Study: 3 years

“This study moves away from the one-size-fits-all approach to parenting, and gives specific advice to parents on how to mitigate their child’s anxiety and depression,” says Cara Kiff, a psychology resident at the University of Washington School of Medicine in the United States.

“We hear a lot about over-involved parents, like “tiger mums” and “helicopter

parents”. It is parents’ instinct to help and support their children in some way, but it’s not always clear how to intervene in the best way, ” says Liliana Lengua, a psychology professor.

You are advised to spend about 40 minutes on this task.

NEXT WEEK: Writing skills II

ANSWER:
Question 1
Matching your parenting style to your child’s personality can greatly reduce the
youngster’s risk of depression and anxiety, researchers say.

The three-year study of 214 children and their mothers revealed that a good match between parenting styles and the child’s personality reduced the child’s risk of depression and anxiety symptoms.

Basically, the three types of parenting style are authoritarian, permissive and
authoritative. Children who have authoritarian mothers are more likely to be anxious or depressed, do well academically and are not engaged in antisocial activities.

Children who have permissive mothers lack emotional control skills, are defiant when desires are challenged and do not handle problems well. In difficult situations, authoritative mothers help but do not take over. They aid their children in learning to navigate problems on their own.

This study moves away from other traditional studies on parenting, and provides
advice to parents on how to monitor their child’s anxiety and depression.

Source: Learning Curve - New Straits Times