Bond Assessment Papers for English Comprehension...
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Bond Assessment Papers for English Comprehension...
.. are they anything like the real tests ? My son is struggling with the level 3-4 assessment papers for English comprehension, and tbh so am I sometimes! It's often seems possible to put an answer that's credible but 'wrong', and sometimes there doesn't seem to be any evidence for an answer in the given extract. Mind you it's been a long time since I had to study myself so it's a learning process for me too!
Just wondered what other people's thoughts/experiences were ?
Just wondered what other people's thoughts/experiences were ?
We have just finished the 11+ exam and if I were to do it again the one thing I would do for sure is go through the BOnd COmprehension (9 to 10) in year 5 and try to ensure that DS has mastered it.
We bought the books in October 2009 and it was too late for the Essex Nov 09 exam.
My plan is to take him through the papers slowly as i find them very hard.
So I think they are worth it so long as you start in good time.
We bought the books in October 2009 and it was too late for the Essex Nov 09 exam.
My plan is to take him through the papers slowly as i find them very hard.
So I think they are worth it so long as you start in good time.
I too have used the Bond 9-10 with my DD who is due to sit the 11+ this NOV. Her exam will be in Uni of Durham style (Birmingham).
She found the Bond English hard especially the comprehension.
It had things on reported speech etc, replacing nouns with he, she etc.....is this all the kind of stuff that is tested in the 11+?
Also the questions in the bond papers sometimes were complicated and I had to check the glossary of meaning at the front and the answers to figure out what was being asked!!
She found the Bond English hard especially the comprehension.
It had things on reported speech etc, replacing nouns with he, she etc.....is this all the kind of stuff that is tested in the 11+?
Also the questions in the bond papers sometimes were complicated and I had to check the glossary of meaning at the front and the answers to figure out what was being asked!!
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fm
No, it's not. If you just want to stick to what is relevant for the KE exam, then do the comprehensions, vocabulary and spelling exercises. That said, a good knowledge of grammar will help with foreign languages.
Most of my pupils find the comprehensions hard. I have had one so far that really understood the Toad of Toad Hall and he'd already read the book so had an advantage.
But if they found them easy, there would be little point in them doing them, would there?
Most of my pupils find the comprehensions hard. I have had one so far that really understood the Toad of Toad Hall and he'd already read the book so had an advantage.
But if they found them easy, there would be little point in them doing them, would there?
anything good comprehension exercises simpler than bond ?
My son is finding Bond comprehensions hard too. I was wondering if there is any other book that has comprehensions at a slightly simpler level so my son can first do them, before moving on to Bond.
I do agree with you Minesate that lower age group levels BOnd papers are easier to start with. But once a book is finished, when you move on to the next level, DS finds it hard to keep up. Currently we are working on 10 minute Bond English tests which he seems to like a lot better than the actual assessment papers.
I like the Bond books, they are very good for the Essex 11+, although there is little need for the grammar sections I do like children to complete these just to improve their general English skills. I don't use them in my lessons (I have my own papers) but I do think they are great for DIY or extra.
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Sassie'sDad
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- Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 3:36 pm
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Just a comment passed on from an overheard conversation between dd (12) and her mother after last week-end. Daughter spends week-ends with my ex and daughter's simillarly aged oldest childhood friend after a sleep over.
"You shouldn't be so scathing about friends homework!" Well, she only had six questions to answer and it took her ages: even after help!"
This about comprehension set on Skillig. "We had 56 questions to answer, during our English class."
Friend is at the 'desirable' Comprehensive in adjacent LEA, dd at Rugby. Friend has no books in household and (though loving) parents do not support child's school work. DD had reverse Bond et al.
"You shouldn't be so scathing about friends homework!" Well, she only had six questions to answer and it took her ages: even after help!"
This about comprehension set on Skillig. "We had 56 questions to answer, during our English class."
Friend is at the 'desirable' Comprehensive in adjacent LEA, dd at Rugby. Friend has no books in household and (though loving) parents do not support child's school work. DD had reverse Bond et al.
I honestly agree that Bond comprehension are set at a very high level.
My son still struggled with Bond 4th papers comprehension at the time of his exam, and fifth papers may as well have been written in Japanese! He did say that the 4th papers were harder than any exam he took, though (and he took quite a few!), if that's any consolation.
I'm now getting him to do 1 fifth paper a week to iron out this weakness, he thinks I'm very cruel as he's now got his first choice grammar and reckons he should chill out until September! But I pointed out that he should go into it strong, and he grudgingly does them. Amazingly, just these extra few months of loads of reading and a bit more maturity, have paid off, and perhaps now the pressure is off too, he's finding the papers manageable.
My son still struggled with Bond 4th papers comprehension at the time of his exam, and fifth papers may as well have been written in Japanese! He did say that the 4th papers were harder than any exam he took, though (and he took quite a few!), if that's any consolation.
I'm now getting him to do 1 fifth paper a week to iron out this weakness, he thinks I'm very cruel as he's now got his first choice grammar and reckons he should chill out until September! But I pointed out that he should go into it strong, and he grudgingly does them. Amazingly, just these extra few months of loads of reading and a bit more maturity, have paid off, and perhaps now the pressure is off too, he's finding the papers manageable.