S4 English / Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde help!

[BrokenWing]

Ds is in S4 this year, Nat 5 exams next year. English has always been his (and my) weakest subject and I struggle to think how I can support him. Other subjects I can point him in the direction of study books/sites. I can mark past papers together with him. English I am at a loss. Texts I think he will be studying are:

Sailmaker
Poetry by Carol Ann Duffy
Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde

I have found books to help support the first two, but everything for Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde is for GCSE with the different exam types (Edexcel, AQA etc), I am not sure if these would be relevant to NAT5. Has anyones dc found any study books for this useful?

Also considering getting a tutor for English who can give him practice questions and 1-1 detailed feedback. Does once a fortnight sound OK? One week to work together and another for him to do their set work and get feedback the following week? Where is the best place to look for a tutor (East ayrshire)?

Try home tuition scotland for a tutor.

Books will be fine- they just cover content.

Try the Mr Bruff videos on YouTube too.

not in Scotland, but my son studied DrJ and Mr H for igcse ( and again for the IB) and there are loads of free resources on line eg spark notes. It's a short text and ime (from looking at past papers) the same questions and extracts to analyse come up year after year. When ds was taking igcse we looked at questions from other exam boards for extra practice too.

Hi, I'm an English teacher in Scotland. How can you possibly know what texts he would study next year? There is a very wide selection for us to choose from. Even if his teacher "usually" does those texts, teachers move, schools change. I have no idea what I will teach next year's N5, I'm focusing on my current cohort at the moment. Don't rush into texts and study that may be irrelevant. Instead, put time and effort into RUAE - reading for understanding, analysis and evaluation, and look at persuasive language. These are the things you can be sure of.

Try Love2teach for a tutor I've used them before and they were fab

Go to the sqa website for the past paper to see the style of question comparing the gcse

All of the texts you have mentioned are iScottish Set Texts it would be unusual to select all the literature from that narrow (and generally not very popular) range.

There are fairly decent resources on BBCBiitesize for them though. But geared towards set text work not critical essays.

I agree with PP regarding RUAE being vital. Reading a range of good quality fiction and nonfiction will expand his vocabulary and develop his confidence in facing unfamiliar texts. Good readers also perform better in Folio as they can include techniques and devices more readily as they have seen how skilled writers do this.

Fortnightly tutoring (in my experience as a tutor) is not generally hugely successful as it takes time to build a rapport and establish a routine. When folio deadlines loom and prelims beckon that tutor can be a vital source of support.

English is a hard one isn’t it!
I would second what kabocha says about more emphasis on reading for understanding...: get your ds to keep up with personal reading, suggesting books if he will allow it. Also, get him to read broadsheet newspapers (times, guardian, herald etc.) and again discuss it with you, reading the comment/opinion and in depth articles, instead of just the news at the beginning of the papers. Also, get him exposed to reading things like private eye and the economist (he may not understand it at first but slowly with exposure and help he’ll start to).

Thanks everyone for your comments, I will look at all the resources mentioned.

@kabocha Hi, I'm an English teacher in Scotland. How can you possibly know what texts he would study next year?

He is in S4 now. I asked his English teacher at parents evening in February. He confirmed he would be continuing with ds's English class into S4 (which is great as ds really likes him) and which texts he would do. He was particularly excited about SailMaker as it is a favourite of his.

Instead, put time and effort into RUAE - reading for understanding, analysis and evaluation, and look at persuasive language.

Noted! Thanks for the direction.

@Jodri he is reading broadsheets 3-4 times a week. Although, I struggle to get him engaged in a book now a days.

@Lidlfix the thought process around fortnightly is, it is still early for exams next April. I feel he is starting study early (compared to friends) but still needs a life (football, gym things he likes). If English tutor is an hour a week + set work that's 2 hours a week just for English, he has 7 subjects to study. If he did 2hrs per subject that's is 14hrs a week, it feels excessive at this early stage?

Remember that set texts are only 40% of the marks. It is difficult to get all of those marks. In contrast the 30% portfolio marks can be worked on throughout the year with teacher / tutor support and input. Needs plenty reading and writing practice of persuasive texts (decent journalism) and either short stories (creative option) or first person articles (writing from experience). The 30% for RUAE has lots of technical aspects. The average mark for this section is below a pass but it is very much improvable with guidance and effort. BBC bitesize has decent resources for this.

English teacher in Scotland here, experienced marker for N5 for the SQA. Has the teacher confirmed these will be the texts since parents' evening? Many things can change in this time. The two Scottish texts for paper 2 are disappointing really, we have to choose one for the textual analysis (probably sailmaker) but J+H is not the best choice for a critical essay only worth 20%. It's also unusual that they would only do one text for critical essay, I usually do at least two texts so that they have a choice to use the best fit for whatever questions come up.

If these are the confirmed choices, as above the BBC bitesize site is good, myetutor and numerous other blogs and YouTube videos are available.

Tutoring can be helpful, but if the teacher is good, and your son works hard, it's actually not necessary for an A pass at N5.

Again, the focus on RUAE skills and folio are worth 60% of the final grade therefore he can be working on these regularly. Also, check out what the school offer for supported study at lunch times and after school. We often do Easter school too and work shops in study leave.

Thanks again all, this is really helpful and is giving me a good place to start.

He gave up reading really after finishing the Lord of the Rings first book early last year, started the 2nd and just didn't engage with it. Any suggestions of quality books that are modern and engaging for a teen boy to try to relight the reading bug?

Terry Pratchett, Patrick Ness, Neil Gaiman. Also things like the Walking Dead graphic novels, anything really. I hated LOTR I don't blame him. His local or school library will help find things he might like if he chats to them.

I must be an evil maw but I don't think 14 hours studying is excessive at all. My DDs manage/d that quantity balanced with part time jobs, elite level swimming and social lives. One session per night plus a couple at weekend. Mix it up . Keep revisiting and consolidating material from the start of the course. S4 and Nat 5 can be a shock to the system after the BGE and limited amounts of formal assessment. My DD4 just completed S4 and did really well in her Nat5s 6 As 2Bs but it wasn't easy.

Fortnightly tutoring for a high demand subject like English from an experienced tutor would be impossible to come by. Might be different where you are though.

It can be so overwhelming with the choice of books out there can’t it. With my kids I had an avid reader and a reluctant reader and I said to both of them to give a book at least 3 or 4 chapters before giving up.

At S4 stage I let them read anything (as I remember reading Jackie Collins’ Hollywood Wives, Stephen king and the blooming awful flowers in the attic at their age!)
What about starting off with Neil Gaiman’s ‘M is for magic’ it’s short stories so might not be so daunting (a great doorstep of a book can, I think, put teens off) and his Good Omens with terry Pratchett is fab (and then you can watch the amazing adaptation with Neil tennant and Michael Sheen when it comes on the BBC if you haven’t already seen it). George Orwell’s, 1984/animal farm or Philip K dick’s ‘Do androids Dream of Electric Sheep’, George RR Martin’s game of thrones (so much more than the HBO series!), anything by David Gemmell and Bernard Cornwall.
Always have horrible histories and comics available in the loo too 😊
These are just my suggestions though and they may not your ds cup of tea at all but hopefully they are.

Amazon order sent off for Waking Dead graphic novel (forgot he read Maus last year and really enjoyed it). Neil Gaiman The Ocean at the end of the lane and M for Magic, and Terry Prachett disc world book 1. Hopefully one or more of those will whet his appetite again.

Back to school on Monday!! We have a weekday only study plan worked out, he will read at weekends too but otherwise keeping weekends free at this point unless needed to catchup on any missed weekday sessions.

I don't think it really matters that the notes book is designed for GCSE/A-Level. We used to buy these York Notes things and it's more an explanation of the themes and characters, those sorts of questions will come up whatever the type of exam.

DS also sat in on a couple of Scholar sessions - online, free, run through Heriot Watt Uni. Kids can see the teacher, teacher can't see the kids but they can ask questions.