English Comprehension-URGENT ADVICE REQUIRED

11 Plus English - Preparation and Information

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

ontheway
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 11:51 pm

Re: English Comprehension-URGENT ADVICE REQUIRED

Post by ontheway »

svg123 wrote:You can also try "Haydn Richards Junior English Book with answers". They have short comprehensions which will build your DC's confidence.
Go thorough the comprehension together and make him/her understand between the lines. Discuss the questions in the beginning and let yr DC write it in their own interpretation. Go over the answers again, correcting where ever required.
This book also gives you good background on Grammar topics.
I hope you find it useful.
Remember, slow and steady wins the race. You still got time.

There are lots of these books i.e book1 , book2, book3, book4 etc and then their revised editions. Which of these is most suitable to prepare for 11+
nikku
Posts: 60
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 11:41 am

Re: English Comprehension-URGENT ADVICE REQUIRED

Post by nikku »

Hi All
Thank you for your suggestions, I have ordered the CPG books, which Haydn Richards should I start with?
Can anyone tell me what the New First Aid in English is like?

Thank you
yoyo123
Posts: 8099
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: English Comprehension-URGENT ADVICE REQUIRED

Post by yoyo123 »

The Haydn Richard books correspond to the old Junior School Years so
1 is year 3 ,

2 year 4,

3 year 5

4 year 6

They can be useful, but the comprehensions are simple and there is not much in the way of inference.
nikku
Posts: 60
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 11:41 am

Re: English Comprehension-URGENT ADVICE REQUIRED

Post by nikku »

Thank you yoyo123
do you know anything about the new first aid in english?
Tx
yoyo123
Posts: 8099
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: English Comprehension-URGENT ADVICE REQUIRED

Post by yoyo123 »

no, sorry
Optimist
Posts: 424
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2007 10:37 am

Re: English Comprehension-URGENT ADVICE REQUIRED

Post by Optimist »

nikku wrote:Thank you yoyo123
do you know anything about the new first aid in english?
Tx
The New First Aid in English is difficult to use by it self. But the new answer book now has answers to the comprehensions
Last edited by Optimist on Sat Dec 22, 2012 9:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Manana
Posts: 710
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2011 3:22 pm

Re: English Comprehension-URGENT ADVICE REQUIRED

Post by Manana »

yoyo123 wrote:The Haydn Richard books correspond to the old Junior School Years so
1 is year 3 ,

2 year 4,

3 year 5

4 year 6

They can be useful, but the comprehensions are simple and there is not much in the way of inference.
What would you recommend for this stage of Y5, Yoyo? The Bond English 10-11, Bond Comprehension 10-11 or something else?
flicka
Posts: 79
Joined: Thu Dec 16, 2010 6:53 pm

Re: English Comprehension-URGENT ADVICE REQUIRED

Post by flicka »

Hi, my DS, aged 11, has just got a place in a highly selective indie. I was despairing that his english and in particular his comprehension (or lack of it) would let him down. We used Schofield and Sims (much easier and shorter than Bond), no CGP as I don't much care for how they lay things out), lots of Bond, which I then read is the hardest.
It must be harder, because he scored pretty low whenever he did them, and I was tearing my hair out. English is my 'thing' that I can do, yet I found teaching him Maths much easier!
I need not have worried, as the school told me he came in the top 30 for english out of 500. There was a comprehension to do plus an essay.
So do not worry too much if your DS appears to be totally unable to read deeper meanings into the material he reads, it will come.
I suggest you do a lot of reading together (maybe pick books he would not pick up and read by himself to stretch him a little) and as you read, discuss what is meant by certain things. Ask him to tell you if he doesn't quite understand a word or phrase. Talk about what the characters are thinking, their motivations, what he thinks will happen next.
I think this, rather than constant insistence on written work, will help develop your DS into a more thoughtful reader, which is what you want.
Then will come the better written work.
I still read aloud to my DS, although he is well capable of reading alone, and does every night in bed. Reading aloud is such a pleasure, I shall be sad when I can't do it with him any longer.
When his big brothers are home, they quite like to listen in on a good story too!
um
Posts: 2378
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 1:06 pm
Location: Birmingham

Re: English Comprehension-URGENT ADVICE REQUIRED

Post by um »

If your child likes Alex Rider, he might like the notion of being a 'detective' himself.

That is all that comprehension actually is - being a text detective, picking up on the hidden clues, and using your powers of inference and deduction. This is one of the premises on which I teach comprehension. It is about being 'mindful' or aware of things. Even with my 2 year old, I try to get him to notice things around him and think about them. (As in, why did that goose snap at that duck when your threw the bread? How does the duck feel? What will the duck do now? etc)
I also show children pictures and photographs, asking them to tell me what is happening/why the boy looks sad/ what the photographer's intention is, etc.

The Schofield and Sims comprehension books are very rigorous and I like them because their texts are usually shorter and more digestible than the Bond comprehension papers, therefore building up confidence gradually.
ourmaminhavana
Posts: 966
Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2009 11:14 am

Re: English Comprehension-URGENT ADVICE REQUIRED

Post by ourmaminhavana »

I agree completely with Um's great post! I'd go so far as to say that I'd start away from the text altogether. I'd begin by sitting with my DC watching a television programme together and chatting about that, looking at what clues you are given as to what is going to happen, how characters are feeling, what motivates them, predicting what you think will happen in the next episode etc. Then, once they have learnt the basic skills, you can transfer them to a text. :D
Post Reply
11 Plus Platform - Online Practice Makes Perfect - Try Now