Need a breakthrough for GCSE English

[Echobelly]

Sorry, I feel like a broken record. DS, inattentive ADHD diagnosis, is starting Y11 in September. He has not been able to sit any English tests in the last year, completely freezes. He can read to an age-appropriate level - Phillip Pullman, Douglas Adams etc - and quite likes to. But he does not get comprehension at all, the idea of unpacking a quote and writing several things about it, what 'feeling' a text is supposed to inspire (he just says 'I don't see any tension/wonder/joy, there isn't anything showing that'), and he can't start writing any stories/non fiction, although he has some creative ideas in his head for settings.

I've had a tutor for him since after summer half term and I know that's not long, but after watching back some of the sessions, it doesn't feel like the tutor is reaching him, like he's not able to do any more than I can, which is draw ideas out of DS at a glacial pace by giving him a lot of hints. And DS needs to be to access ideas quickly and get them on paper.

Has anyone come across any technique, youtube channel, tutoring method or anything that can help him break the barrier? He does OK in class and he's a bright kid if not mature for his age and I'm getting a bit desperate for solutions.

Not what you asked but my son is dyslexic and struggled with GCSE English . Could your son possibly look in to functioning skills level 2 . It’s still classed as a pass for collage / A levels etc. and my son found it a lot easier.

I'm wondering about asking school about Functional Skills - for example, are they likely to have put him in for it if he can't sit English Lit or Language by his December mocks, for example? It does feel like the best solution in some ways. In his end of Year 10 exams he got a 4 in history and 6 in psychology, which shows he can write answers for some subjects at least.

It doesn't help he's a had a really unsupportive, quite harsh English teacher this year and could get him again - if he got one of the ones he likes (and I am praying for he gets the one he had early in school who was one of his favourite teachers ever) as that could also be a game-changer.

It's not comprehension that's his issue really. From what you describe, it's inference, as in reading between the lines.

For literature, some of these can be learned and used in an essay without having to come up with them on the spot, as the vast majority of the texts are studied first and in depth.

For language, the extracts will be unseen and that's where it's trickier. He needs to be reading more widely than the books you mention to become familiar with the types of things he'll come across (including non fiction and from over time) and practising (maybe through discussing, not necessarily writing) alternative interpretations for these analytical questions.

It's also worth considering that there will be simple recall questions, as well as forming an opinion, so it's not all resting on this one skill. The other half of the paper is writing, so again, typical responses can be drafted and edited in preparation and this section might really pull the total up if he focuses on the skills he could improve more easily such as accuracy in punctuation, for example.

Most schools keep classes with the same teacher for year 10 and 11, so I think a change is relatively unlikely. I guess it might be worth asking whether there is a teacher who is experienced with helping someone who has his particular difficulties, and whether a change might be possible if so - but of course there may not be a space in their class.

It might be worth trying a different tutor. DD had a tutor who was better at giving her more of a "formula" for answering the questions. I don't think her school English teacher understood that those of a more scientific bent need a list of what to do/look for. DD completely froze in her year 10 exam, and the teacher thought it was just "exam nerves", even when DD pointed out that she had had no problem with any other subject.

At this level you need to be able to do, or appear to do, what the examiners are looking for. @lanthanum is right about “formula” approaches. There can of course be different ones to deploy in different situations. Having some mental checklists to work through are what a tutor might be able to help with, or it might be something you can support.

Understanding generic rather than specific mark schemes can help the scales fall away.

With DD1 who also struggled with inference we had some success with this strategy.

Read the text.
What is your instant reaction to the tone - scared, happy, excited ...
What words made you feel that? (Alternatively, which words if altered would change the tone?)

Some people have a pre prepared story that they alter to fit the brief. That may help maybe?

(DD2 eventually did Functional Skills, much more straightforward).

It sounds like you used an online tutor, and I am not sure this is the most effective means of engagement for students with ADHD. Try an in person/ face to face tutor, preferably one who is a qualified teacher, who will not only know how to teach the syllabus but also know how to maintain your son's focus.

Does he have any other neurodiversity, or want to take things very literally? I've found with a couple of students that it can help to re-frame the question as "Some people find that this text make them feel like tension is building up. Can you find any words/language devices/techniques that might explain that [or that they might think explain that]?" Or even "The author was trying to make this scene tense/funny/etc. What techniques do you think they tried to use to do that?"

(Already having explained what words like 'tension' mean - e.g., like when you're watching a scary film and waiting for the bit where the bad thing happens; and already having given a list of techniques and examples where they can indicate something like tension).

Just by moving it to "other people often feel this" or "the author was trying to get this across" can get them out of the cycle that they can get stuck in of "But I don't think it's tense/funny/whatever" or "I don't feel anything" or whatever that can then mean they find it very hard to write about something that doesn't feel true to them, or that they think they're reading/interpreting it wrongly if they don't find it tense/funny, and then lose confidence/get sidetracked.

I’m an English teacher and I agree with the suggestion to use a set guide to answer each question to start with, eg writing describe setting in first paragraph using personification and interesting verbs and so on.
I would approach his form tutor about changing classes - if he is not able to complete the paper at all they might be open to this.

Can you get him a neurodiverse tutor?

Try a technique I call a quote explosion.

Put a quote from a text in the middle of a page (not too long - 5 or 6 words max). Turn it into a spider diagram. Identify all language features and some of the word classes (metaphor, personification, verb/adverb etc).
Then write the meanings of some of the important/key words. I usually go for 3 or 4 meanings or synonyms of the words.

For example, the quote:
'he exploded thunderously out of the car'
Metaphor - describing the movement of the man as a projectile.
'exploded' - verb. Indicates violence or anger. Fast movement. Like a weapon. (Looking at the meanings of the words indicates anger, fury, danger).
'thunderously' - adverb. Loud, rumbling, growling, suggesting heavy or violent weather (which can then be linked to pathetic fallacy).

It sounds as if he may have some additional SEN (dyslexia or autism) making the inference and deduction necessary to understand a text hard for him. BUT practising quote explosions will help him spot stuff and make educated guesses at tone/mood.

He needs to read for a minimum of 20 minutes a day. It is essential for progress. And really, it would help if you spent 15 minutes practising/discussing what he's reading with him and doing some example questions. Little and often.

Which exam board is he with? Which course code?

As an online tutor myself, I'd agree with this. If there is any significant SEN, working remotely is a lot harder.

Yes @mugglewump - tutor is online. A friend has just said he son is free for tutoring, and helped a number of friends through GCSEs. He was at DS school and he will probably know him so I am going to ask DS how he might feel about being tutored by him. He might work better with a near-peer and in person perhaps?

I know you said your son has adhd - does the tutor have any expertise/experience working with children with adhd?
Has your son nanaged to build up a rapport with the tutor. DC is dyslexic and had a tutor that specialised in teaching those dyslexia. They had face to face lessons, that changed to online lessons after covid. They had a great rapport, and the tutor understood the best way to get the most out of my child.

It could be that things are still in the early stages, and you will see more progress after more lessons. The tutor could be great, but just not the right one for your child.
Have you asked the tutor how they think the seasons are going? Also, now they have had sone lessons woth him, how much they think they can improve his grade?

This is an excellent YouTube resource https://www.youtube.com/MrSallesTeachesEnglish

Tutor has experience with ADHD, yes, and DS seems to like him. Good idea to talk to him I guess about if he has a longer term plan on how to work things through.

Found these useful for similar child - visual - all broken down. Concise.

flipscocards.com

Is the harsh teacher the head of department or head of year? Because if not, I'd ring in and have a chat to explain the situation. As head of department I'd be inclined to place students where they would do best and match him up for a best fit. Especially in English! It might not be possible of course, but a little wiggle room and flexibility works wonders, and if approached politely and with no expectation could be a solution.

Ps. I know my punctuation is off, I'm sleep deprived 😴

DS has AuDHD and struggled with GCSE English as well. Tutors since Y4, intensive private tutoring from the beginning of Y10, meds for ADHD starting Y11 Lent term, extra time and use of a word processor for mocks/exams, talking therapy for AuDHD, hypnotherapy.

We spoke with his school and agreed for DS to drop English Literature (he hated it) to focus on English Language. All his mock exams for English Lit and Lang were U. School let him retake mocks but nothing improved.

In the same year as GCSE exams, we also booked a Functional Skills English Level 2 exam for him in early August, which he passed. This is equivalent to a GCSE Grade of 4 for English Language, and we’re glad he did because despite all of his efforts he got a GCSE grade of 3 in English Language.

Although his chosen sixth form required a GCSE grade of 5 or higher in English for entry, they accepted him as his GCSE results for Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics were all 8. He’s now going into Y13 studying Maths, Biology and Chemistry for his A levels.

Basically we knew English was very difficult for DS (almost like a version of dyscalculia), so although we hoped for a breakthrough and tried lots of things, we gave him the safety net of FS English and it allowed him to go on to sixth form without having to resit an exam.

With DD, we had to explain it was basically a game and that there were rules to follow. It didn’t matter if she couldn’t see the joy/fear/anguish or that she might not have felt anxious or whatever in that situation (or, indeed, have got herself in that situation in the first place as why would you do something so silly!), she knew that these words meant those emotions so, if she wanted to stay on at 6th form (which needed a 5), that’s what she had to write down. If she didn’t want a 5, that was fine but we needed to look at other options.
Same with creative writing. There are actually only so many key themes which can come up, everything else is just a variation of those themes. So write and learn an essay on each theme and then you can just do minimal adaption in each exam.
I’m the same btw but was surprised that DD had taken until Yr11 to figure this out. All of my essays from Yr9 on were basically the same. Even now I sometimes recite the opening paragraph to one of them if I’m struggling to get to sleep.
Don’t try & be flamboyant. Don’t aim too high. Just get that 5 (or whatever he needs - DD eventually realised a 6 would be a better target for her due to her potential Uni course options) and just roll it out each time. Yes, it’s not the creative in any way, shape or form but it gets the job done!
Also, speak to the school about any adjustments they can make which may make the actual exam process easier for him.