If you are studying or teaching Cambridge IGCSEs or GCSEs, please come and tell me what textbooks and revision books you use

[nighbynight]

Would be very grateful for some tips.
Our Au Pair is going to sit Cambridge International GCSEs this year, and dd will start next year, doing them alongside her normal schoolwork (which is in german).

we are a bit stuck for textbooks, as there is a list of around 35 resources for each subject, and we can't actually look at any of them before buying.
What are the best textbooks or revision books in any of the following:
(eg are Letts revsion series good, or are there any text books that stand out particularly?)

Maths
English Language
German as a foreign language
French as a foreign language
Geography
Combined Sciences
Latin

[nighbynight]

.
anyone any subject?
we are clueless

[scaryteacher]

Look at the exam board website and see if they publish any books for the courses, then get those. I'm going to start teaching ds RE GCSE this year, so have bought the textbooks and will get the teachers books written by the Edexcel Chief Examiner that go with the course.

Hope that helps.

[nighbynight]

Thats the problem - they have a page that lists 35 resources for IGCSE physics, for example. I dont know which ones to choose.

We cant even see them in a bookshop, as we are in germany. Because we dont have access to teaching notes, we will be completely reliant on the textbooks/revision books for the whole syllabus.

[scaryteacher]

Try Amazon uk - they sometimes have a feature that lets you look at the contents of the book.

The other way is to download the syllabus and check the content description of the book with the topics listed on the syllabus.

[BonsoirAnna]

Try talking to Galore Park, a publisher of text books for independent schools. I don't know whether they have books that meet your needs, but they are very knowledgeable and very nice people.

[scaryteacher]

Just had a dekko at the resources list on the student part of the site. Go for the most up to date publishing date, and then for those recommended by CIE.

Found this on there:
Physics for IGCSE New! CIE Endorsed
Physics for IGCSE is part of a unique Science series from Nelson Thornes that is designed to meet the needs of students and teachers of the Cambridge IGCSE.
Author: Breithaupt, J. and Newman, V.
ISBN: 9781408500194
Published in 2009.
Published by Nelson Thornes
www.nelsonthornes.com [New window]

It's £17.99 on Amazon uk (they let you pay in Euros!)and the description says this:
'Physics for IGCSE is endorsed by CIE and completely matches specification 0625. It is written in a clear and direct manner by a team of experienced authors and CIE examiners, making it ideal for international school students. It takes an exam focus and features include exam-style questions, activities, case studies, key points & did you know?'

If the spec for physics is 0625, that's what you'll need. Nelson Thornes are a v respected publisher of textbooks at GCSE and A level. I have loads.

Hope that helps.

[LauraIngallsWilder]

Hi nighbynight (I hope you ds is sleeping better now btw)

You could try asking onMN Home Education if you get insufficient joy here.
A lot of HE kids study IGCSEs

HTH

[nighbynight]

thank you everyone who answered. I have only just got back to this thread.

scary - thank you for looking at that. Yes, "completely matches the spec" is exactly what I am looking for.

I think I will try the HE'ers for advice, as you suggest Laura. We are in germany, where HE is illegal - but the schools are so crappy at handling late developers like dd1, that we are having to HE alongside the regular school, because she's now ruled out of so many subjects! Crazy.
(ds is not sleeping better . Its 23.18 here, and I just sent him back upstairs AGAIN. After he came down dressed as a lawyer, in ds2's glasses and a paper tie.)

[scaryteacher]

If there is a local British school as there is in Paris, Brussels and the Netherlands, can you not contact them for some help and advice?

[scaryteacher]

Should qualify that....as I know the British School of Brussels for instance does IGCSEs.

[nighbynight]

I am going to email a local school (where we hope to take the exams). But am in touch with the supervisor for the exams, and suspect that the books will be decided by individual teachers, so thought I would canvas for opinions on here as well.

[LauraIngallsWilder]

Nighbynight - I am really sorry to read that you ds is still giving you evening grief
But your anecdote about the lawyer in glasses and paper tie will keep me grinning for several days (its so similar to the sort of thing ds would do too!)

I hope you manage to sort out this igcse issue out too