The note
How schools teach it now
Schools teach persuasive devices, often remembered as tricks such as rhetorical questions, the rule of three, emotive language, facts and statistics, and speaking directly to the audience ('you'). A balanced argument (discussion) gives both sides in separate paragraphs, then a conclusion.
5-minute kitchen-table activity
Pick a fun debate: 'Should children have homework?' or 'Are cats better than dogs?' Your child gives a one-minute speech while you tally the persuasive tricks they use. Then swap sides and argue the opposite. Arguing both sides is great practice for counter-arguments.
Worked example
Write the opening of a speech to your class persuading them to save the school library.
- Speak to the audience: 'Friends, teachers, readers!'
- Hook them with a rhetorical question: 'Can you imagine a school without stories?'
- Use a rule of three and state your aim: 'It is warm, it is free and it is ours, so we must save it.'
Answer: Friends, teachers, readers! Can you imagine a school without stories? Our library is warm, it is free and it is ours, and today I am asking you to help save it.
Common mistakes to watch for
- Writing an essay with no sense of an audience being spoken to.
- Using lots of exclamation marks instead of strong reasons.
- Ignoring the other side completely, or not ending with a clear call to action.
Encouragement
- Try saying
- “That question really made me think. What's your strongest reason?”
- Rather than
- “Just shout louder and people will agree.”