Hello! And a question about Cloze tests

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Brum Dad
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2010 1:53 pm

Hello! And a question about Cloze tests

Post by Brum Dad »

Hello All, :D

Just like to introduce myself. I'm DIY tutoring our eldest son for the test this November, i.e. just under 5 weeks away! (Been doing it for nearly 10 months now). I have been looking on this forum for a few weeks, and only just found the courage to make my maiden post (please go easy on me! :oops: )

For our son, his ideal preference is KECH. (After all the open days/ evenings - my poor feet! :lol: )

As far as preparation goes...
We started on the Bond books, and then focussed on the following for each of the subjects:
Maths: Decimals, Fractions, Percentages, Tables, Graphs, Geometry, Algebra etc etc
English: Building his vocabulary, (using the CD from this forum), general reading, comprehension tests
VR: Old style question types- although I understand these are only really useful for Handsworth Grammar (I thought it woul be good 'general' practice to improve thinking etc)
NVR: Bond and more Bond. Also used the Letts 11+ tests as practice.

I have seen Cloze Tests mentioned on here- is there a link with some examples that someone could kindly send me?
Also in terms of the NVR we have only used the Bond stuff, should there be any other types we should be tackling?
Finally is there anything blaringly obvious that we have missed?

I hope this isn't too long for a firs post, and thankyou for your time reading this :wink:

Brum Dad
KenR
Posts: 1506
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2006 6:12 pm
Location: Birmingham

Re: Hello! And a question about Cloze tests

Post by KenR »

have sent some material
Brum Dad
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2010 1:53 pm

Re: Hello! And a question about Cloze tests

Post by Brum Dad »

Thanks Ken for the speedy response! Much appreciated. :D

Brum Dad
loota65
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 11:25 am

Re: Hello! And a question about Cloze tests

Post by loota65 »

Hello KenR,

Apologies for this cheeky request, would it be possible for you to send me some similar material.

DD is taking test in 2011, and like Brum Dad have mainly been going through Bond Books.

Also is the VR questions similar to the code sequences types that used to make up the old style of the test (before CEM)

Loota65
JaneEyre
Posts: 4843
Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 1:04 pm

Re: Hello! And a question about Cloze tests

Post by JaneEyre »

Hello KenR,

May I add another cheaky request?
My DS is also sitting the tests this November and the time is getting really tight for us to cover everything... I would be grateful if I could check that we are not loosing too much time on secondary things.

Thanks in anticipation!
JaneEyre
no_ball

Re: Hello! And a question about Cloze tests

Post by no_ball »

From DS feedback at last year's KECH test, cloze was definitely not secondary. Also a few words from the vocab thingy advertised on this site came up by coincidence.
mike1880
Posts: 2563
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2008 10:51 pm

Re: Hello! And a question about Cloze tests

Post by mike1880 »

loota65 wrote:Also is the VR questions similar to the code sequences types that used to make up the old style of the test (before CEM)
In a word, no. The "verbal reasoning" component is made up of the comprehension, cloze and synonym/antonyms sections. Or at least, that's what it's been in recent years.

If you employ a tutor they may well not be aware of this (still!), our tutor last year was clearly basing her expectations of content on the pre-2005 test.

Mike
JaneEyre
Posts: 4843
Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 1:04 pm

Re: Hello! And a question about Cloze tests

Post by JaneEyre »

mike1880 wrote: If you employ a tutor they may well not be aware of this (still!), our tutor last year was clearly basing her expectations of content on the pre-2005 test. Mike
My feeling is that many tutors know about the new trend but consider that it is still important to work on traditional VR as it improves the level in English and logic of the children.

And may be , one day, the CEM exams content will change again. How can we be sure it will stick to what they have done for the last years. Isn't it better to be prepared for all eventualities?

I know that doing traditional VR can be felt as a waste of time for those not sitting Handsworth boys, but at the same time, how can we really prepare a child for cloze test? The subject of the latter will induce the vocabulary the children will be asked upon. So I do feel rather lost as for the choice of text and choice of vocabulary to choose for the missing letters!!!
Does really the quantity of cloze tests done improve the level or isn't it rather important to spend much time reading and learning the 'new words' encountered?
DenDe
Posts: 390
Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2010 1:45 pm

Re: Hello! And a question about Cloze tests

Post by DenDe »

Does really the quantity of cloze tests done improve the level or isn't it rather important to spend much time reading and learning the 'new words' encountered
I think that, perhaps, the quantity of cloze tests may not improve the level but I do think it is important to familiarise th DC with cloze tests so that in the exam it is not a new concept. The more you can take out the surprise element for the child the better IMO.

I actually really enjoyed making cloze tests for my DC. I scoured the internet for fiction and non-fiction texts at what I thought were an appropriate level, copied and pasted them into a word document and then took out letters as I saw fit. The texts were actually beneficial in many ways; the non-fiction texts sparked off healthy discussion and the fiction texts gave my DC tasters of books that they then went on to get out of the library. Win win really.

I did,however, do some traditional VR with them as well as lots of reading, learning new words and time on Free Rice, as I wanted give them as much exposure to language as possible.
DIY Mum
Posts: 744
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2007 10:08 pm
Location: Not in a hole in the ground but in a land where once they dwelt-the Beormingas

Re: Hello! And a question about Cloze tests

Post by DIY Mum »

I actually feel that this is an area if practised regularly, pays dividends. Well, it has been in my experience.

In the summer, DD would initially score a miserable 12/50 in her tests. Increased the no. tests in September to around 3 a week and she peaked in October scoring a respectable score of +30/50 in home tests.

But I do agree with Dende's strategy: whilst good cloze exercises seek to address a lacuna in vr, you simply can't just 'do' cloze tests in isolation.

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