Recommendations for excellent (GCSE equivalent?) chemistry text book for overseas student please?

[Sandycarrots]

Hello, my dd goes to school in continental Europe and, having just turned 14 yrs, has started chemistry as a separate subject for the first time this academic year. As she is not studying in her mother tongue, it would help enormously if she could "back up" her school studies with a text book written in English.

Also recommendations for the same for biology and physics would be greatly appreciated please.

GCSE text books might be the thing - or just a general, very good, chemistry (and/or biology and physics) book that explains things in detail (as long as fairly rigorous academically speaking).

Thank you very much.

[Sandycarrots]

Anyone?

[YesEinsteinsMumDid]

GCSE textbooks can be quiet hard to get hold of. The revision guides just summarise and give questions to practise. It depends what level you want. A good place to start might be with BBC bitesize as they have a lot of revision tools for GCSE level revision, assuming that you can access the information where you are. You can also access free homeschool resources that are american based and the terminology is the same.

Will have a think about the books I have used and see how they tally up with what is general public accessible. Just one thing the syabulluses seem more stringent where you are and you might need higher than GCSE as she progresses through the next year or so. But again it depends what you want and revision guides might be sufficient.

[YesEinsteinsMumDid]

Also look at iGCSE books.

[Sandycarrots]

Thank you Einstein - very much appreciated!

Will investigate all yr pointers, ta. Good suggestion about going for something at GCSE level and beyond - they certainly do go at quite a pace here - it's the English terminology we need than anything else (partic if she goes to UK uni eventually).

[CremeBrulee]

What about the CGP GCSE revision guides? My DD14 has just started her GCSE courses and we've been recommended to buy this one:

New Grade 9-1 GCSE Combined Science: AQA Revision Guide with Online Edition - Higher

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1782945598/ref=cmswrsmsapip_buWJxEfFanzFQ?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[Sandycarrots]

Thank you very much for the recommendation CremeBrulee. I will chase it up on Amazon. Much appreciated.

[YesEinsteinsMumDid]

Just be careful with going for an exam board specific revision guide as different boards will have different syllabuses and requirements of depth etc. Particularly with being out of UK too, it could be hard to get one that covers what dd studies. Especially from what I know about the depth of detail that dd is studying science at appears to be significantly greater than that most students would encounter. Otoh we don't tend to have the same level of death by worksheet/learn by rote poor dd has to deal with.

[Sandycarrots]

Will do Einstein thank you again!!

Yes it's very fact-dense, subjects covered v rigorously; huge long lists of what pupil must know etc. Might need a few general bks to read around subjects (s).

[scienceigcse]

Ok I've had to name change for this as super identifying but as a Chem teacher in a European international school this text is good for IGCSE level Chem https://www.amazon.co.uk/Edexcel-IGCSE-Chemistry-Student-International/dp/0435966898?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

However... from what I know of friend's kids in the local schools here, the science at equivalent age is a lot heavier going, more academic and higher level for equivalent stage. Depends a lot on what country and system you are in.

[Sandycarrots]

That's so kind of you scienceigcse thank you for the recommendation! Will pm you briefly if I may tomorrow ...pls feel free to ignore though as I have an idea of how hugely busy your job must be!

[yellowplumpreserves]

Check out Cambridge.org (Cambridge University Press). They publish course books for lots of different qualifications. So you could get IGCSE, IB, Pre-U etc. Perhaps a mix would be good. You can get full text books not just revision guides. Alternatively just look up "Cambridge Chemistry (insert name of qualification)" on Amazon.

[Sandycarrots]

Thank you very much indeed for those links Yelloeplumbpreserves: it will be good to look at a range of books. Much appreciated!

[Sandycarrots]

Sorry Yellowplumbpreserves could have spelt your nn correctly after you had gone to trouble of posting!

[catslife]

Agree with the suggestion that you need to go for iGCSE books (or equivalent e.g. IB Middle Years Programme [http://www.ibo.org/programmes/middle-years-programme/]]) for this age group.
For the general GCSE there are some topics that will confuse students who aren't based in the UK e.g. in GCSE Physics they learn about electricity and all the voltages, 3 pin plugs etc are totally different in continental Europe so that would be confusing.

[catslife]

Incorrect brackets link should be www.ibo.org/programmes/middle-years-programme/.

[Sandycarrots]

Thank you very much indeed Cat'slife that's exactly the sort of information I was after!

[evenstrangerthings]

Don’t estimate the power of the popular Science GCSE You Tube Channels. Freesciencelessons, Primrose Kitten and Science with Hazel all offer excellent explanatory videos for GCSE Chemistry.

[Sandycarrots]

Thank you very much Evenstrangerthings will definitely check all of them out!