Thread 3: Continuing to GCSEs Summer 2020 - Happy New Exam Year!

[OrangeCinnamon]

Continuation of previous thread
Thread 2

Thread 1 Year 10

At the end of last thread there was a bit of talk on prom dresses ( recommend Fonthill Rd in London if you can get there) by @proggymat and @crazycrofter

@TigerMum had a query regarding moving to foundation level at this stage.

Sorry peeps thread progressed without me noticing so none can reply to your queries!

I have to say @sansou that since we started micromanaging with a very set structure that the shouting has stopped. We do still needle eachother during the sessions - French speaking being a particularly abrasive one, but generally everything is a lot calmer.

As I sit here now noodling on my laptop, DS is doing a computer science paper.

We structure it so that he does homework and Tassomai each day and then from 9-10 we do a deep dive into one topic. On the weekends the same but with an extra couple of hours in the middle for him to do a whole paper.

He just wouldnt work for hours at a time and I cant make him so this is the compromise.

We wrote out all the topics in all the subjects then he highlighted which ones he didnt know very well and we started there.

@RedskyAtnight
DS is revising but ineffective revising consisting mostly of reading through his class work - some of which are not up to scratch.

So, weekend mornings going forwards is basically us attempting to micro manage/DIY tutor some of the core subjects at the kitchen table. - already had a few strops so definitely not easy.

@ChristopherTracy - decided to try your method for Eng Lit - we're easing into it with some video watching & making notes. It's time consuming!

We started yesterday with DD kicking off about having to revise, but by bedtime, after 4 hours of work, she said she felt good and thanked me for helping her.

I just keep reminding her that if she starts now, every day is a step closer to the finish, and better to work at a steady jog than to have to spring a marathon in a couple of months' time.

@sansou make sure the quote banks are done first for Eng Lit - so 5 for each character and theme for each text.

Can't take the credit for this idea, which I found on the internet somewhere (can't find it now unfortunately) but thought I'd share how DS is creating his character/theme/quote information for English Lit.

Basically for each text he's

1. Identified the main themes and associated each one with a colour
2. Has one sheet for each character with the character name in the middle
3. Added a section for quotes on one side (said by or about that character). Then he's colour coded the quotes (highlighted them) to tie them in with the main themes
4. Created a mind map map (DS has basically written things round the cental name but you could do whatever method you like) of key events/characteristics relating to that character. Again they are colour coded by theme

(he's also adding sheets for historical context and stage directions etc)

So if you want to know about a character you just look at their character sheet. If you want to know about a theme you can just pick out all the bits with that colour.

It's been helpful for DS who struggles to interpret blocks of text all together (so theme/character grids that others are using were too overwhelming as were traditional quote banks). And because he finds it easier to make visual associations he can remember things like Character A has 5 red theme pieces of information and then bring them to mind by thinking about the picture.

Hope that made sense, and might be of use to someone else!

No timetable here yet.
Ds1 seems to be doing a small amount, not much.

I agree with RedSky:
"These days if you google you can get a dozen already produced very succinct summaries of characters, themes, historical context etc etc."

DS has somehow managed to produce HW essays without ever producing quote banks for any character or theme - not surprisingly, he has never got beyond a 5 and I'm now starting to think that his teacher was marking generously in his case.

Better news on the science front. 2 mornings of 1:1 revision with DH has shown a marked improvement in his answers for the topics covered. Still - a bit of a slog for all concerned.

We are trying to take a break over this half term. Not going anywhere jus trying to regroup. Xmas was no break due to Jan mocks and I think a rest is needed.

DS did get a break over Christmas but has mocks round 2 soon after half term so needs to revise.
I however don’t need to do anything this week and have managed my first 8 hours sleep and resting heart rate is down 10 compared to his interview week so half term is doing one of us some good !

We're having a break this week, Luckily for DS all of his mocks ( apart from a random one mid March) were last week so I feel he can take a few days off from his books. We're going away tomorrow till Friday - no WiFi, apparently poor phone signal! Just be nice to escape!

Smart move @namechangenumber2. Just discovered that despite the school telling the girls that they need to take a break that she has been given 'workbooks' to complete for Bio, Chem and Physics which are around 60 pages each, plus maths paper and a good 6 hours of Art.

she's in tears today feeling that she can't even have a day off...I think I may need to email school and ask for a meeting. Its all too much and she needs to slow down.

Similar here wheresthe beach - DD has topic tests in 2 sciences and maths to revise for, 2 maths papers to complete, homework in 4 subjects and lines to learn for her drama performance. Not much of a break happening here ☹️

I feel your pain Seeline - they need some rest. Drama lines - brings back memories of DSD doing drama. Tonne of work.

Quotation banks aren't necessarily the answer for everyone. The exam board repeatedly say rote quoting is not what they want (not all that convinced I believe them). I know I sound like a broken down record but practising writing is what is the holy grail in English.

I use a thing called a text lasso that is quite fun. You cut a hole in a piece of A5 paper like you are making a photo frame out of it. You then randomly flick through your set text and plce the lasso over any page : they should then be able to use that page to discuss charcaters, themes and context and connect I to the wider text. It's lieka kind of randomiser and keep them on their toes.

Not done that with my own DS yet : funny how he doesn't do anything I make my own classes do : no mindmaps , no text lasso (probably because I find the passages, mind), no quotation banks! he has done some quizzes and has a 10 x 10 grid which I shall remind him of, as that's fun. But, more than anything, I get him to practise the exam type tasks. He has had a lot of English teachers and the latest one (new HOD) seems more on the ball so a lot of the mindmaps and so on are being done in lessons. He has yet another English Lang mock after half term. they STILL have not done a Lit exam : ever!

No rest for ‘the wicked’ here for DD over half term.
She has homework which comprises of: past papers, revision for end of topic tests and yet more mock papers (that were not included in the mocks after Chrimbo),
On a positive note, I’ve ‘darkened the doorstep’ of a Prom dress shop and tomorrow is D day for DD as she needs to decide between 2 otherwise neither will arrive before prom and I ain’t expending anymore energy in the quest.
Result

Mocks after half term, so no rest (although DS has done quite a bit of socialising) here either.

Is your Prom quite early Proggy or do you really have to order Prom dresses months in advance? (thinking ahead for my DD currently in year 9 - though she might well refuse to wear a dress ...)

Proggy, we're currently on the prom dress trail too. DD has fallen in love with one online...but it's sold out. I have fallen in love with one...but I am old, apparently, so it doesn't count.

Are you buying from an online site, or a real shop?

@RedskyAtnight
No DDs prom is June but most of her friends chose- and ordered-their dresses in September or October and I’ve been badgered within an inch of my life since then.
Plus, I do not want, nor am I in the position, to buy a gown that is only to be worn once, a fact which is quite removed from her peer group.
DD has a choice between two gowns which can be taken to Uni and used for formals and/or balls and will be partly funded by DD through the wages she earns from her parti time jobs and my budget.
Sorry for the essay -it would have been easier to say ‘no need to order months in advance’!

@Alsoplayspiccolo
Ventured into a ‘Prom dress’ shop , at the weekend, in order to lift DDs spirits.
Caveat was ‘just to try on’ but very happy with the two chosen as either one will see DD through Uni and beyond.

A timetable has landed in my email - for the mocks though!
Well done Proggy, sensible to get something that can be used again and I think her contenting is good.

I do need to check that ‘probably not’ translated does mean definitely not in reality,

Good luck with that! DD1 wore her prom dress once, refused to take it to uni so it hangs in her room. Luckily it was ‘only’ £70. DD2 is not interested in it for her prom.

DD had a clinic appointment today which went quite well. She is seeing the consultant tomorrow and has blood tests at the hospital on Friday.

She has done some work (about an hour today) but is feeling frustrated that she is not as productive as she would like to be.

She managed to go ice skating at the weekend and enjoyed it.

She spent the entire previous weekend catching up on the work she had missed for Latin verse, so hopefully that at least is up to date.

Post that’s a start - probably
lil given what DD is contributing towards said creation it will be her loss not mine if I ain’t dragging it along with her other stuff to Uni

Silverhill, an hour or quality revision is great! And even better that she's been out and enjoyed herself - so pleased for her.