DS 15 and A level English?

[Boedatives]

NC recently for this as it feels hugely disloyal......

DS is 15 and doing GCSEs next year. He is predicted all 9s - he's not a genius, just an all rounder at a very expensive school that spoon-feeds the boys, for want of a better word.

He is thinking of doing English A level ...... but he has read ONE book in the last year. I can't think of any before that.

It was Arsene Lupin by Maurice Leblanc, translated from French and it took him 7 months. He has never read anything by a classic english author - this is all apart from what they read and study in class. I mean for 'pleasure'.

By his age, I'd was deep into Thomas Hardy, all the Brontes, JD Salinger, Harper Lee.

I've given him short stories by HG Wells and a couple of PG Wodehouse schoolboy tales. If he doesn't look at them this summer, wibu to go into school before he makes a level choices and advise the teacher of his reading habits, or lack of? It seems ridiculous.

I find this just appalling. How have standards and intellectual expectations sunk so miserably?

I rarely teach kids who love to read at A Level. Which is bizarre, but as hardly any kids take lit anymore (thanks Gove), I'll take what i can get. Some quite cheerfully admit they hate reading, by themselves, but like the discussions in class.

They need to be able to think for themselves... and be able to write well.

@twoshedsjackson I don’t think they want original thought at A level English lit now. Or any A level. My DD made this error! You just learn what you are told. I did an A level in another subject by reading one text book and using real life examples back in the day. A levels are far more regimented now. That’s why so many get higb grades.

@TizerorFizz , you make a very fair point, it's a long time since I took my A levels. I find it very sad to hear what A level study has become.
I taught mostly KS2 during my career, and it saddened me to see it change in so many ways.

It is sad. But they are just going through a process to get their piece of paper ....

They do want original thought! It's often the difference between a band 4 and band 5 answer. In non examiner speak, it's the answer that sparks joy when you read it, because this kid has GOT something else going on.

There's joy when you read an essay by a kid who's clearly struggled and who is just nudging into the next band, but an original, perceptive and sophisticated answer from an 18 year old writing under immense pressure, brings all the angels out in song.

Oof, THIS is why I adored my subject., my A Level English tutor, and my MA supervisor

I did Eng Lit A level - it’s more a case of
knowing the texts you study really well. I
hoovered up books but not everyone on my course did.
We studied two texts and one Shakespeare play. If he has a good memory and really gets the set texts (max 3/4) he should be fine. It’s a very enjoyable A level.

Good posts @stripycats and @TheMoth - I agree that original thought - if backed up by textual referencing - is always wanted in Eng lit. And it's an interesting point that the discussion in class is what is loved by those who do not read so much outside class. Probably more like seven/eight books btw if you include poetry which you need to obvs). DD did one Shakespeare, two poetry and four others. Not sure how long ago it was three books!

Not sure why you think it is an easy A level tho @Mischance - I mean no A level is easy.

I agree with @urbanbuddha - good suggestions of books and I would add:

The Great Gatsby
The Lonely Londoners
Birdsong
The Help
Rebecca
1984
Atonement

Does he want to do English language or literature a level?

I didn't read as a teenager but was/am good at English and did English language AS. It wasn't about reading, it was about language composition and how children learn language.

@Sunshine9218 the OP says defffo English literature.

DD (this is her subject) reckons you don't necessarily need to read for pleasure to take it; she says most of her class didn't.

I am a chronic book pusher and am always recommending books to people.
I have a mid teen ds who only reads on holiday, because he has fuck all else to do. I choose the books and he's quite happy.

My teens basically went like this:
Virginia Andrews
Louise Lawrence
Stephen King
James Herbert
Dean Koontz
Clive Barker
A Levels - where my teacher basically told me I was reading shite and to broaden my horizons.i was mortally offended, but he had a point.
George Orwell
Anthony Burgess
Iain Banks/Iain M Banks
Terry Pratchett

Ds read early James Herbert, Joe Hill and the bloke who wrote World War Z. He will now leave reading until either a power cut, internet embargo or a beach holiday.

The mark schemes seem rigid to me. Dc just follow what the teacher says. That’s assuming they read the books of course. Plenty of less bright dc get As. It’s not sorting out the brightest dc. Like a first at uni. Used to be around 1/100. Now it’s 40/100 at some unis. We just haven’t become that much brighter.

For O level Eng Lit I studied Silas Marner, Macbeth and The Nun’s Priest’s Tale. I bet the last one is uni only now!

He could do A Level English Language them he doesn't need to read any novels but will still use the skills he's acquired at GCSE. It's a really interesting course ☺️

My DH did Eng lit A level and is not a reader at all. He got an A (long before A* at A level) and he went to a shit comprehensive. Leave your son to it.

My DD1 got a 9 for English Lit GCSE (getting 100% in poetry) and an A* in A level - she read all the required texts avidly - outside of school she never really read - she does now but not novels more factual books about politics (her degree) - so as long as he's going to read what he needs for the exam I'd let him crack on.

Yup -mine also when to an RI school!

I’m aphantasic and I’ve always been an avid reader.

My son is 16, never reads books out of school, he did his English Lit GCSE in year 10 and got a 6 and was getting 8s and 9s in Language mocks (we will see in a few weeks!) He’s considering Combined English A level, I don’t doubt he can do well in it. When I was doing my degree I really struggled to read for pleasure because I HAD to read loads for uni.

Wow @TizerorFizz lol I did Silas Marner for O level too (DD did it at uni). No Chaucer tho but it was compulsory at A level.

I'd feel like you if he was thinking of doing English as a degree subject. But you really can get excellent grades in English A level, just reading the set texts and possibly one other book or play by each author. Not ideal but possible.

Watching and acting in plays is exposing himself to literature. Enjoying poetry is too. Perhaps he is less keen on prose. On on reading prose. Try putting some good classics on audio during long drives and see if he gets absorbed in them.

Maths teacher here, and I agree with #Mostlycarbon. A lot of (resonably) bright students do well at GCSE (especially if, as you say, they are spoon fed), but find the transition to A level extremely difficult unless they are particularly hard-working or passionate about a subject. Whatever A level subjects he chooses, he must be prepared to do more than coast if he wants to achieve high grades (spoon-feeding can be effective at GCSE level, but not so much at higher levels). I would make sure he is clear about the level of engagement (and background/additional reading) required to succeed at A level, and yes, also discuss this with his teachers.

Having worked in a private school getting 9's is still brilliant and you do have to be bright no matter how soon fed you are to get those grades

A lot of our students were just average but even the stupidest ones managed a 4

They all do a lot of prep every day after school at school and more during the Easter holidays coming up to GCSEs

Which we bloody hated

My DC have gone to excellent state schools and are sort of spoon fed in which they're worked bloody hard and really pushed especially during A Level

The brightest of the brightest are really pushed that extra mile because they can take it

DD is taking English A level and has never read a book at home for pleasure in her life in secondary school. Just the books required at school. She's been predicted A and been told she'll do well at uni

I forgot to add that DD is taking English language / literature as a combined A Level which she loves and seems to suit her

Are you sure he doesn’t just read crappy junk instead? Maybe on the internet/his phone, rather than physical books (if you haven’t seen him with them). Because I don’t really think it matters if he hasn’t read the classics. If he’s bright and does enough general reading, he can still do well at English Lit A Level. I did well at it - and got a First studying it at degree level too. I enjoyed all the classic novels, poetry and Shakespeare I had to read/watch for my course - but that doesn’t mean I chose to read/watch them in my little downtime, when I could be lazy and read “easier” chick lit or watch US box sets instead for example. Doesn’t mean I don’t still prefer English Literature over most other academic subjects and your son might be the same?