Resources for L6 KS2 SATs English - esp comprehension

[PastSellByDate]

Hi:

I've posted elsewhere about our recent parent/ teacher meeting (www.mumsnet.com/Talk/primary/2029136-And-the-prize-for-this-weeks-most-pointless-homework-goes-to?msgid=45904120#45904120) - where basically we were told they want to sit DD1 for L6 English and asked us to do more with her at home.

In particular they want us to work on her comprehension and especially improve how she discusses an author's writing.

They didn't have any notes for us to take away - so that we know what particularly we should be working on and they couldn't suggest any websites. We rather got the impression they were pushing us to buy a L6 KS2 SATs workbook, but studiously avoiding directly saying that.

If parents/ teachers out there have any ideas for useful websites/ workbooks etc... which can help in this area I'd be grateful.

Lots of schools have them, though. Manchester grammar doesnt have one for Year 7 that I could find, but their one for years 5 and 6 is available from:

mgs.org/downloads/junior-school-publications

I'm also a Leading Literacy teacher for the borough and a dyslexia assessor. So I speak through experience.

Genuine question, MightBe - how do you manage to fit this in alongside working as a fully booked tutor with a waiting list?

Suitability?
Go here: www.arbookfind.co.uk/
Then: Collections | What Kids Are Reading | 2013 | 20 Most Read Books by High-Achieving Pupils | Year 6

What do you see?

[That site is vaguely useful for their reading difficulty levels.]

Easily. I work part time.
Again, you're trying to challenge and derail the post into a bun fight.
Getting boring!

These are brilliant, ladies - thank you!

Ah, I see you don't understand the meaning of 'genuine question'.

Bun fight? At least I have contributed to the thread without resorting to personal attacks.

Derailing? See your posts above for examples.

No, Feenie. That's not what I'm 'telling you' (yawn). I'm pointing out the difference between most, not all, primary and secondary-trained teachers (in their experience and confidence with L6 and beyond. That is all.
OP I'm going to leave these lovely ladies to it. Haooy to gel by responding to PMs asking for guidance, if I can help, but not to involve myself with nasties.

Since you're so brilliant at what you do, perhaps you'd kindly respond to the OP's question: Do you 'have any ideas of useful websites/ workbooks etc. which could help' their child to achieve L6 in English.

Sorry, having trouble spotting where you do this - all I can see are past papers, which as an advisor you know the school will be using, and level descriptors.

But a plethora of posts with recommended text/textbooks from everyone else.

but not to involve myself with nasties.

The only 'nasties' I have seen are now deletions - from PSBD and yourself.

Cheerio, pot.

I've read your posts, thanks - you asked tonight, in this manner, for suggestions:

I'm sure that you're rightly defensive because you are, indeed, perfect teachers. Since you're so brilliant at what you do, perhaps you'd kindly respond to the OP's question: Do you 'have any ideas of useful websites/ workbooks etc. which could help' their child to achieve L6 in English.

Other posters have come up trumps, recommending textbooks and books to read. There followed a useful discussion on the difficulty of finding appropriate texts for very able readers without age appropriate content.

You only responded on Sunday evening with a link to last years SPAG (that's not reading, btw) - which you presumably know as an advisor would be unhelpful for parents to use even for writing. That isn't what the OP asked for. You also gave some level descriptors for reading.

If I was as unkind, I could possibly phrase it as 'I'm sure that you're rightly defensive because you are, indeed, a perfect advisor. Since you're so brilliant at what you do, perhaps you'd kindly respond to the OP's question: Do you 'have any ideas of useful websites/ workbooks etc. which could help' their child to achieve L6 in English?*

I'm guessing you don't, then?

I knew I should've kept my mouth shut.

Again, I haven't resorted to the same personal attacks as some. The only bullying I can see on this thread came from you, cecily and PSBD.

Walk away feeling proud.

Feenie

My apologies if my post upset you - I shouldn't have risen to your 'NO GRACE' comment - which let's face it Feenie wasn't particularly nice nor was 'What the hell are you on about'.

You did join in with mrz - and I therefore took it that you agreed with her sentiments regarding mightbe.

You both are regulars. You have and do give good advice - especially in areas where your particularly confident (e.g. mrz early reading skills). But, ladies, you also can be incredibly dismissive of parents and colleagues.

And that's unpleasant and frankly unprofessional.

Yes, but psbd, why get upset about it? It is just a load of rot. I think the phrase is smile and nod!

Words of wisdom Column - words of wisdom!

And I agree - not a lot of resources for how to support/ help a child on author's use of language to attain L6 standard.

But thank you to those who have provided some ideas & of course TES, where a search has lead to a few productive resources.

At the point of your false accusation, where you made a mistake, I had not interacted with either mrz or Mightbe.

You had every opportunity to say you were mistaken, and you chose not to.

Even this 'apology' is backhanded, and manipulated into yet another personal attack on me and now mrz for mysterious past threads - which is also against site rules.

Dd is being entered for L6 English and Maths.

She has done a few papers at home (Bond?) but I find that the "author intent" thing is incredibly difficult. Looking at the answer booklet, I can't imagine how a 10/11-year-old child could possibly get some of the nuances required for top marks. I know I don't - and don't even agree with - half of them!

Furthermore, there was a question asking to choose which of three pieces one would place in a time capsule. So dd answered this and said would put in X because of... But when we looked at the answer, a good mark could only be achieved if one had not only given reasons for choosing X, but had explained why it was better than Y and Z. Now, the question didn't even vaguely hint at requiring this, so imo the mark scheme was unfair. It didn't occur to me to make a comparison of texts, only to decide which I preferred.

Isn't author intent supposed to be based on guesswork. I mean, how can we know the author's intent. And, if you're one of these people who goes to public readings, half the time the author himself/herself can't answer those types of questions either!

Author intent (in a literal sense) it's a bit of a bullshitty concept.

But in an ideological/philosophical sense lots of people go on about it all the time. I know why Karl Marx wrote The Communist Manifesto far better, and in far more detail than he did when he was writing it. I've been to university where I could study it for three years. He hadn't. So, it stands to reason that I should know more about it than he did.

Fortunately column it's less about intent but discussing how the author uses language to help move the story along/ make his/ her point add tension etc...

What DD1 is missing (and I'm casting about for) is the vocabulary & examples to do this to L6 standard.

She knows simile/ metaphor

probably has enough naos to talk about humour diffusing desperately sad situations

But (and risking mrz and Feenies wrath) things like Mightbe usefully suggested:

For this, I find the following useful explanations / focus points:

• sentence structure - short/ long/ beginning with emotions or dramatic verbs / effective use of punctuation, etc.
• use of language - persuasive / emotive / dynamic
• varied vocabulary
• use of sense
• use of imagery
• comparisons (simile and metaphor)
• repetition
• contrast
• personification
• hooking devices
• style - is there a sarcastic / melancholy / light-hearted tone?
• layout / structure - what presentational devices are used? (columns / sub-headings, photographs, captions, logos, slogans, etc.)
• language - what types of words are used? (informal/ formal/ colloquial/ persuasive). Comment on the sentence structure - length, variation in pace, rhetorical questions, etc.
• audience - who has it been written for? (age/ beliefs/ social groupings/ gender)
• purpose - why has it been written? To discuss an issue / entertain / shock/ inform/ persuade, etc.
• effect on the reader - how does it make you feel? Indifferent, amused, entertained, shocked, guilty, sympathetic, angry? Has it changed your views?
• personal response - how effective is the article in achieving its purpose? What could have been improved?

I found this really helpful as a starting point - so thanks MightBe!

But as I said the mark scheme is quite specific and if a candidate has a differing opinion of author intent then they're shafted.

Eg a question about Anne of Green Gables: "How does Anne feel?" The answer was "optimistic" but I would have said "apprehensive" and dd said "very nervous". We got nul points!