Gcse 2018 (10) The one with half term

Morning all - I was heartened by seeing the Chemistry Grade boundaries from last year (DD still working on old IGCSE syllabus)...so with a bit of luck a good paper 2 she could possibly get that A (60%).

Just a difficult revision period coming up with so much History to cover...

Same situation here. English language is causing the most anxiety. Dd has been consistently getting 3s although she managed a 4 in the final mock. She just freezes. Thanks for the tips above.

It's the one I'm most involved in. She's completely self sufficient in all other subjects but she's clueless about where's to start with EL.

This week I'd like her to:

Watch a Mr bruff or Mr salles video on each question and then do a timed practice of that question. We'll then mark it together.

Think of about 8 possible obvious interpretations or emotions she could find in a photo e.g. fear, loneliness, anticipation and look up some good vocab, think of good metaphors and similes and then learn them. It's likely she'll be able to use one or a combination of a couple of them.

There are some good language activities on YouTube. One where you take an extract and remove all the nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs and then replace them with a new story. It's good for grammar and creative writing.

Dds main issue is she has no imagination. She freezes when she's faced with a blank page. It's the big 45 minute question that always let's her down.

If anyone has any other ideas I'd be very grateful.

Copied and pasted from what Loose posted on the previous thread.

I found this site for anyone wanting help with Maths ...it also has great links to Maths at all levels and YouTube videos that talk through any Maths aspect you may not understand.
mathsaurus.com/gcse-and-igcse/

That's exactly what I thought I wrote one small paraghraph whilst Teen......good job I'm not doing English Language next week, 'd be lucky to write a page.....

Good grief! How long does it take me to write one short post! Massive x-posting going on!

Inmysparetime you are very welcome.
The threads fill fast, especially when there is an exam that nearly every year 11 takes. So, English language and maths to come.

I think that's a good plan - focus on English. DS needs to make sure of a 5 in English language too. He needs to prepare, but how do you prepare for English language??

@inmysparetime
AQA paper 1 section B
Allow about 45 minutes for this - if you’re down to 30 minutes, do the description. Check your work because marks are awarded for SPAG as well as content. The correct use of the semi colon is the icing on the cake!
A lot of people suggest doing this section first. However, the writing section is linked to the first section by theme. If you’re not fond of creative writing you may find you get some ideas from the extract.
There’s always a photo. You pick one of two options. If it’s a description, the key word is that it’s ‘suggested’ by the picture so you can imagine as well as describe a scenario and incorporate what you might hear, smell, touch etc as well as what you can see. You can place yourself in the description or imagine other people in it. Try to be really precise about colour rather than just red, blue etc.
The other option is a story with a title or opening line - sometimes they ask for the opening of the story and sometimes a whole one.
For either task:
Have some fun with it. Vary lengths of sentences for dramatic effect. Make sure you vary the start of paragraphs even if it’s just adding ‘Suddenly’ or ‘Cautiously’ to a sentence beginning with I.
Use some interesting adjectives and adverbs. Use some of the language techniques - a rhetorical question (with question mark), alliteration and rule of three are simple to remember. Don’t have a checklist and just try to shoehorn everything in.
Punctuation - beware the comma splice, where a comma is used instead of starting a new sentence or where a connective or semi colon would do the job much better. Creative writing is quite useful for demonstrating the ellipsis... to build up suspense/have a dramatic pause. If you use dialogue, you’ll demonstrate variation, more punctuation and even better make your story longer and more interesting!
Spelling - don’t abandon a really good word just because you’re not quite sure of the spelling. The sophisticated vocabulary will top the spelling error as long as it’s clear which word you mean.

Welcome Inmysparetime for English Mr Bruff seems to be the one that everyone agrees is great and he's free of course. Would your DS English teacher be willing to mark essays if they were emailed to them, you could encourage he does an English question a day and either you or his teacher could mark it, with feedback to hopefully get him up to a 4.

Sure others will be along with more suggestions.

@Inmysparetime - On one of the last threads - Looseattheseams posted some tips for Eng Lang (she teaches Eng). I have copied below for you - they may help your DS:
Here we go, bear with me for doing this paper by paper...
English Language Paper 1 is the creative writing one. AQA use one extract from 20th or 21st century fiction. 50% marks on comprehension and 50% on creative writing. Timing is essential, as is attempting every question. As a rough rule it’s a minute per mark.
Skim read the extract as soon as you open the paper.
Q1. Very easy - the information is definitely there. Usually only need lines 1-5 or similar.
Q.2 - This asks a question about how the writer uses language about a specific thing in one section. Look for interesting words, techniques or sentence forms related to that thing only in that part of extract. Sentence forms means short sentences or long, complex descriptions. Make sure you say why the writer used that device and what it conveys about that thing. Nothing else. You only have 8 minutes!
Q.3- structure. The question is trying to get you to say why the author varies the beginning/middle/end so you’re looking for changes. Start with the beginning - is this description or dialogue? Are we outside or inside etc. Imagine you’re directing a film and notice at which point you have to change - what’s the difference now and why? Now look at the ending - is this different again? Does it refer to the beginning or has it moved the story on? Why has the author done this? (imagine a small child in your head saying ‘But why?’)
Q. 4 has a statement referring to part of the text and asks your opinion on that statement. You are safe in agreeing with it. You will do even better if you mostly agree but find a point of disagreement; if you completely disagree you will struggle to find enough to write about. The best technique is to take a step back and give your overall impression as the starting point and the rest of the answer explains why you think that - because of the way the writer uses language and structure. Include short quotations as part of your argument, commenting on the use of language as you go. Show you can make inferences from the text based on the author’s skills in using language and structure.
Section A should take 45 minutes. Terms should be used accurately but it’s even more important to comment on the effect of language. This means using phrases such as ‘this conveys the impression’, ‘suggests that’, the reader may infer from this... etc. Remember that the writer implies something, but the reader infers.
No marks awarded or deducted for spelling in this section but try to allow 5 minutes to check it over.
Back soon with section B.

Can I join? Seen previous threads but they're always nearly full by the time I see them so I've never joined.
DS is pretty confident about everything except History and English. I've more or less written off any chance of him passing History, and have focused my nagging reminders on the fact he'll find it easier to pull his finger out and pass English this year than he will resitting it alongside A levels. This seems to be working, he got his grades up from a 1 in January mocks to a 3 at Easter mocks. Hopefully he can get the 4 he needs.

DS has arranged his text books, study guides, useful handouts and notes into 3 shelves: still needed, likely to bin and, the one that he seems happiest with, the stuff that's to be passed into DS2. He takes great pleasure in knowing that DS2 will have to endure all this in two years time!

That's a nice thing to say Coolaschoola.
I feel so sorry for those DC who have to walk into an exam hall, sit down and know that they gave very little chance of being able to do enough to pass. The stress must be immense.

DS still remembers the bonfire we had with DD1 A level notes and DD2 gcse s when we had the double dose a couple of years ago. I think it was on results day with appropriate fizz but can’t quite remember - but he wants to do the same. Every time I go to throw something away he says we ve got to keep that for my bonfire - hopefully the neighbours won’t mind ,

This is the first time I've read one of these threads. As a GCSE teacher I've found it very heartening reading about all of the revision taking place. I've also loved reading about the breaks from revision because they are so important.

As a 16-19 resit teacher specialising in disengaged and disadvantaged learners I've also found myself wishing a lot of my students had parents like you.

to you all and for your DC.

CIE do igsces in November, not sure which ones, obviously a slightly different sylllabus but for emergencies could be useful (ie a bombed science) It is pricey though because you have to find a centre to invigilate the exam.

DS doesn't want any of his notes recycled at the moment he wants to wait till after the exams, I think he's become quite attached to them.....

Only maths and English Language can be retaken in November everything else would have to be done the following summer. That's for GCSE's don't know if igcse is different.

Retakes well I think you can take them in November or Jan too? it is really just belt and braces on ds2's part, he would have to do it as a private candidate and possibly a new syllabus, but it comforts him to think he has all his hard work safe in a box..

we are considering the option of taking a year before embarking on A levels if his marks are bad, strangely reassuring to know there is that option, and possibly retaking Maths at Higher level, as he is only doing Foundation now, and some new Gsces perhaps a language even (he didn't do one, a special exemption from his school)

ds said he has only done I hour of revision - the truth will out!

very hot here

Just to correct my pay before last DH, not DS says I was so tired that that I didn't notice the storms as we went to bed.

DS has worked this weekend but he seems to need a rest now, so having a day off tomorrow.

I'm only finding about the storms now whilst watching the 10 o'clock news. DS says they happened as we went to bed last night. Shows how quickly I must have fallen asleep!

Nettleskins when you say re-takes, do you mean June 2019? Won't that be a long time between when the subject was last taught and taking the exam?

I managed to sleep through the storm but DS and DH were watching it and DH videoed some of the lightning!
Poor DS isn't feeling great - suspect he may have picked up the bug DS2 had in the week, in which case he's going to feel off colour for about 3 days.