Here, we have an example of a young man in year 5, given the opportunity to write about anything he enjoyed and the computer gaming section came to the fore immediately. The work was written by hand and corrections to punctuation have come from the computer itself; one day he will do more on the computer and type all his work too. When that day comes his true writing ability will leap even further forward than it is now. He has already improved his skills and as many of you will be aware, a boy writing anything at this age is unusual...... this is a good piece of writing and gives an insight into the mind of a boy of this age.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
A boy and a computer
Once upon a time there were children whose favourite thing was a doll, a toy gun or a space-ship, but no more; now it is a Blackberry, a computer and perhaps a bike, skates or scooter.
Here, we have an example of a young man in year 5, given the opportunity to write about anything he enjoyed and the computer gaming section came to the fore immediately. The work was written by hand and corrections to punctuation have come from the computer itself; one day he will do more on the computer and type all his work too. When that day comes his true writing ability will leap even further forward than it is now. He has already improved his skills and as many of you will be aware, a boy writing anything at this age is unusual...... this is a good piece of writing and gives an insight into the mind of a boy of this age.
Here, we have an example of a young man in year 5, given the opportunity to write about anything he enjoyed and the computer gaming section came to the fore immediately. The work was written by hand and corrections to punctuation have come from the computer itself; one day he will do more on the computer and type all his work too. When that day comes his true writing ability will leap even further forward than it is now. He has already improved his skills and as many of you will be aware, a boy writing anything at this age is unusual...... this is a good piece of writing and gives an insight into the mind of a boy of this age.
Monday, June 3, 2013
Levels of English
As a country the style of teaching, learning and absorbing has changed considerably, if for no other reason than the wealth of interaction available on our phones via the internet. It is more common to see a child clutching a phone than it is a hand, and their relationships are now governed by Facebook and other social media sites.
But we still expect standards. We still expect them to be able to write well and to write fluently, to spell effectively and to create interesting pieces of written work. So what does the role of the computer and all its peculiarities have to offer?
The spell check program and the grammar checker are a great help and they don't take away the skill of either; to be able to choose the correct word they have to have a recognition of the word shape and letter organisation, and as for the grammar checker, unless you know grammar well it can cause more problems than is realised. To be told the sentence is passive means nothing unless you have grasped the concept of passivity in the first place.
Being able to edit the work on screen is always a great bonus because the changes are made easier by cut and paste and children can make the change instantly rather than making a mess of their page of writing with all the crossings out and re-wording over the top. Little wonder few like to edit work on paper, by the tine they have finished it can look like the proverbial 'dog's dinner'.
As you can probably tell I am all for the idea of creating literacy using computers and for reasons more than I have listed here. The very action of striking the keys in a specific order teaches you how to spell a word without realising and often I have seen children striking imagined keys so as to transfer the spelling onto paper using a pen. Mild dyslexia is supported by various specialised programs which learns the child's own peculiarities in repeated spelling errors and flags it up for them. They have the choice then of changing it or not.
This piece of work was created by a girl in Year 5 using a computer. She has edited and considered not only what she is writing but the vocabulary and the flow. She was able to 'beautify' the work in her style and the pride with which she gave me a copy revealed how much time and consideration she had paid to completing it. The language is hers.
But we still expect standards. We still expect them to be able to write well and to write fluently, to spell effectively and to create interesting pieces of written work. So what does the role of the computer and all its peculiarities have to offer?
The spell check program and the grammar checker are a great help and they don't take away the skill of either; to be able to choose the correct word they have to have a recognition of the word shape and letter organisation, and as for the grammar checker, unless you know grammar well it can cause more problems than is realised. To be told the sentence is passive means nothing unless you have grasped the concept of passivity in the first place.
Being able to edit the work on screen is always a great bonus because the changes are made easier by cut and paste and children can make the change instantly rather than making a mess of their page of writing with all the crossings out and re-wording over the top. Little wonder few like to edit work on paper, by the tine they have finished it can look like the proverbial 'dog's dinner'.
As you can probably tell I am all for the idea of creating literacy using computers and for reasons more than I have listed here. The very action of striking the keys in a specific order teaches you how to spell a word without realising and often I have seen children striking imagined keys so as to transfer the spelling onto paper using a pen. Mild dyslexia is supported by various specialised programs which learns the child's own peculiarities in repeated spelling errors and flags it up for them. They have the choice then of changing it or not.
This piece of work was created by a girl in Year 5 using a computer. She has edited and considered not only what she is writing but the vocabulary and the flow. She was able to 'beautify' the work in her style and the pride with which she gave me a copy revealed how much time and consideration she had paid to completing it. The language is hers.
What I like doing most
by Nicola ******
Have you
ever been fighting along side warrior cats or flown on the back of magical
horses? Well I have, in wonderful,
fantastic books I have read and you could too. Reading, as you can guess, is my
hobby. I love books so much that without
them I would be a lostperson.
Throughout
the years I have grown to love books more and more and now I have reached a
stage where books are one of the only things I ask for on my birthday and at Christmas.
I find books very interesting because they can tell you facts and how to do
things which is one of the reasons I like them.
I have
listed some of the books that I have read before: rainbow magic, fire and ice,
the 39 clues series, the omen of the stars series and into the wild. The omen
of the stars series I have read most of the series but I just need to read the
book sign of
The moon.
Another
reason I like books is because it is a way to entertain your self and learn at
the same time. Books have inspired me to write great stories at school and at
home.
One of the
series of books I have been reading is called Warriors, I have really enjoyed
this series and I am on the fourth book in the series, which is called
dangerous path, which I love. Books I think are brilliant and I would recommend
reading to anyone who doesn’t read.
As I said I
love books and I want others to read to because it is a great thing to do when
you have spare time, the reason I like reading is because you can find out
about the character and their life. Another reason I like reading is because I
am good at it, my usual speed is one chapter book a day but sometimes it takes
two days.
The books I
like to read most are cat books some of my favourite are Thomasine, the omen of
the stars series and white chin. The reason I like cat books is because it’s
from the cat’s point of view which is different from the adults and children’s
point of view.
Well that
basically sums up why I like reading books.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
This year's 11 plus exam
Good news! It seems KCC have decided to leave the format for this year, so we will have the three areas as expected with a story of some kind rather than the possible change to grammar and punctuation. This does mean if your son or daughter still resists story writing, or has problems getting something down on paper to a level 4a standard and he/she is borderline, this will go against them.
Regardless of whether KCC had changed or not, the level of English is important and all grammars like their students to be at level 4a/5c so there is a building block on which they can hang their expectations, not only in English lessons, but also in all the other subjects where writing is a component part.
If you feel you need to address their level of English and would like to know a good book to work from, then I would suggest you look at CGP books where you will find the range of 11 plus support materials they have produced.
Regardless of whether KCC had changed or not, the level of English is important and all grammars like their students to be at level 4a/5c so there is a building block on which they can hang their expectations, not only in English lessons, but also in all the other subjects where writing is a component part.
If you feel you need to address their level of English and would like to know a good book to work from, then I would suggest you look at CGP books where you will find the range of 11 plus support materials they have produced.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
September 2013 11 plus intake
To those of you who have already responded to m y letter with an email, thank you very much and I will be getting back to you shortly.
I have had a question about the completion of the tests;
When do you want these sent back to you by, because they are doing SATs at the moment?
If you could get them back to me by the end of this month that would be great. I can then look at them and pair students together with similar strengths and weaknesses.
I will contact all those of you who have responded over the next couple of weeks and give you details of the course costs, contents and frequency of classes. Until then, I do hope the weather holds and the wind subsides and they all do well in their end of year exams.
I have had a question about the completion of the tests;
When do you want these sent back to you by, because they are doing SATs at the moment?
If you could get them back to me by the end of this month that would be great. I can then look at them and pair students together with similar strengths and weaknesses.
I will contact all those of you who have responded over the next couple of weeks and give you details of the course costs, contents and frequency of classes. Until then, I do hope the weather holds and the wind subsides and they all do well in their end of year exams.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
The downloaded test for Year 4
In one of the confirmation emails I received a question which I thought was a good one to be answered for you all;
I have downloaded the test papers and will post them as soon as ****** has finished them. I do have one question about the papers.
It does give you a set amount of time do do the test. Do I have to time ****** for this amount of time or can he carry on until he is finished?
The answer to this is, allow him or her the 50 minutes [they don't have to do this all in one sitting] and if they haven't finished place a mark at the point they reach and then let them finish. At the moment it really doesn't matter how long it takes, just what they can and cannot do. We will work on exam techniques later but at the moment these tests are daunting enough!!
Yes, to another question I received, you can mark them which is why I enclosed the answers for you to go through once they have done the work. You don't have to go through the papers with them afterwards or worry, you really should clear up the areas he/she didn't get right, this will happen automatically throughout the course with me.
Any other questions please come back to me and I wil do my best to answer them, but in the meantime,
Watch this space
and more articles will be posted.
I have downloaded the test papers and will post them as soon as ****** has finished them. I do have one question about the papers.
It does give you a set amount of time do do the test. Do I have to time ****** for this amount of time or can he carry on until he is finished?
The answer to this is, allow him or her the 50 minutes [they don't have to do this all in one sitting] and if they haven't finished place a mark at the point they reach and then let them finish. At the moment it really doesn't matter how long it takes, just what they can and cannot do. We will work on exam techniques later but at the moment these tests are daunting enough!!
Yes, to another question I received, you can mark them which is why I enclosed the answers for you to go through once they have done the work. You don't have to go through the papers with them afterwards or worry, you really should clear up the areas he/she didn't get right, this will happen automatically throughout the course with me.
Any other questions please come back to me and I wil do my best to answer them, but in the meantime,
Watch this space
and more articles will be posted.
Monday, April 22, 2013
This year's 11+ students
As yet they have not made it clear what they are going to do with the English component of the tests; up until now it has been a story which has only been marked if the child was borderline.
Now, with the feeling that standards in English is falling, there is a push to bring those who will be going to grammar schools to be at a similar standard to those who will have had the advantage of a private primary education.
I have a feeling they will replace the story with a comprehension and that it WILL count. I cannot prove my statement but I do believe it is the only way they can move forward and satisfy the DfES.
As a consequence I am going to recommend a comprehension book which is quite cheap to buy and freely available in most bookshops and internet providers; Schofield and Sims: KS2 Comprehension 3 which is currently available on Amazon at less than £3. It is an excellent book and will give them plenty of practice at the level they require.
It will also stand them in good stead for next year when they do their end of KS2 exams ready for the secondary school; for grammar school they need to be comfortably working at level 5 or above for them to be able to keep up with the pace expected of them when they get there.
Now, with the feeling that standards in English is falling, there is a push to bring those who will be going to grammar schools to be at a similar standard to those who will have had the advantage of a private primary education.
I have a feeling they will replace the story with a comprehension and that it WILL count. I cannot prove my statement but I do believe it is the only way they can move forward and satisfy the DfES.
As a consequence I am going to recommend a comprehension book which is quite cheap to buy and freely available in most bookshops and internet providers; Schofield and Sims: KS2 Comprehension 3 which is currently available on Amazon at less than £3. It is an excellent book and will give them plenty of practice at the level they require.
It will also stand them in good stead for next year when they do their end of KS2 exams ready for the secondary school; for grammar school they need to be comfortably working at level 5 or above for them to be able to keep up with the pace expected of them when they get there.
11plus students beginning September 2013
We are almost at that time of the year when I will be contacting you to ask for the best dates and times so I can start putting the timetable together for this coming academic year. It may seem strange to be thinking about September when we have only just got back after Easter, but you will be surprised just how quickly the next six months will flash past. Ask any of the parents already on the countdown and they will tell you how quickly time passes.
The first communication you will receive will be to suggest if you are not already reading the blog then to begin, because I will be placing downloads and items of news which will be of relevance to you directly. To start me off getting to know your child, I am going to ask you all to get them to complete four different tests, English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, so I can see what they have already developed and what still requires developing. I will ask you all to NOT help your child even if they tell you they can't do it;NO reading it to them, explaining how to do the first one, NO help what's so ever, otherwise I will be finding out what they can do with support, not what they can do on their own and for me its important to know if they freeze. Often a child left to its own devices will find a way in the end and that is something else I want to see.
Freezing in a test can be attributed to many things but fear of the whole situation is one of them and the way it affects a child is not always what one would expect. I have known children to almost go blind, unable to read, whilst others just cry and don't want to face it. Each way they react to a situation requires different support and this is something I will teach them when I get to know them and support them with exam practice.
The following website has a perfect set of free tests to use, please use the link below and download a copy of each for yourself. Once your child has completed them can you please forward them to me; you will have received a copy of my address via email.
http://www.cgpbooks.co.uk/pages/books_11_Plus_free_tests.asp
The reason I use CGP as opposed to any other is because I have a great deal of time for their products and their standards. I have used them extensively in schools since they first started publishing and have found them excellent at keeping tabs with current requirements and syllabii.
If your child scores low on any of these tests, that is less than 60%, I would suggest you buy a copy of the relevant Study Book. The following link will take you to the page where they link you to all their products for 11+
http://www.cgpbooks.co.uk/pages/books_11_Plus_explained.asp
I would suggest you do not buy their test papers as I have plenty of test paper practice here on site and more may 'muddy the water' with too much testing - it can make the child stale and not perform in the test.
The first communication you will receive will be to suggest if you are not already reading the blog then to begin, because I will be placing downloads and items of news which will be of relevance to you directly. To start me off getting to know your child, I am going to ask you all to get them to complete four different tests, English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, so I can see what they have already developed and what still requires developing. I will ask you all to NOT help your child even if they tell you they can't do it;NO reading it to them, explaining how to do the first one, NO help what's so ever, otherwise I will be finding out what they can do with support, not what they can do on their own and for me its important to know if they freeze. Often a child left to its own devices will find a way in the end and that is something else I want to see.
Freezing in a test can be attributed to many things but fear of the whole situation is one of them and the way it affects a child is not always what one would expect. I have known children to almost go blind, unable to read, whilst others just cry and don't want to face it. Each way they react to a situation requires different support and this is something I will teach them when I get to know them and support them with exam practice.
The following website has a perfect set of free tests to use, please use the link below and download a copy of each for yourself. Once your child has completed them can you please forward them to me; you will have received a copy of my address via email.
http://www.cgpbooks.co.uk/pages/books_11_Plus_free_tests.asp
The reason I use CGP as opposed to any other is because I have a great deal of time for their products and their standards. I have used them extensively in schools since they first started publishing and have found them excellent at keeping tabs with current requirements and syllabii.
If your child scores low on any of these tests, that is less than 60%, I would suggest you buy a copy of the relevant Study Book. The following link will take you to the page where they link you to all their products for 11+
http://www.cgpbooks.co.uk/pages/books_11_Plus_explained.asp
I would suggest you do not buy their test papers as I have plenty of test paper practice here on site and more may 'muddy the water' with too much testing - it can make the child stale and not perform in the test.
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