Comprehension tips

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berks_mum
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Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2013 4:52 pm

Comprehension tips

Post by berks_mum »

Having marked DD's English papers a clear pattern of mistakes was revealed. She usually gets the factual questions right. Contextual (word meaning type), she is improving. She now goes back to the passage to find the contextual meaning instead of choosing the literal meaning from the MC. took some time to build the habit though. Inference ones she still gets slightly confused with two nearest options or just doesn't attempt saying I don't think any of the option fits or any single one fits.
Anyone had similar experience ? How did you fix it ? Any tips ?
Is the practice the only way out ?
Daogroupie
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Re: Comprehension tips

Post by Daogroupie »

Inference is the key difference between KS1 and KS2 comprehension and is the skill primary school students find hardest to grasp.

Will she only be doing MC papers? DG
berks_mum
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Re: Comprehension tips

Post by berks_mum »

I wasn't aware that there was comprehension in ks1. So far I have never seen any comprehension homework.

Why do students find it hard to grasp inference type questions ? Does it need any special approach ?
Tinkers
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Re: Comprehension tips

Post by Tinkers »

Ks1 reading test is effectively a comprehension, at least it was when DD did it.
Daogroupie
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Re: Comprehension tips

Post by Daogroupie »

All Y2 students in state schools sit a Level 2 Comprehension paper in April/May. If they get enough marks to get a 2A they go on to sit the Level 3 paper.

Inference can be taught but it is very time intensive. The classroom environment will produce results if you have enough students who want to learn but I have worked in the Y5 and Y6 classrooms of four different primary schools and have never seen it taught. It is the CEM message of having to apply thought processes during an exam rather than reproduce something you have been taught. I write English papers and it is the inference questiions that catch them out every time. Applying inference to daily events is a good way to start to learn how to understand it. DG
berks_mum
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Re: Comprehension tips

Post by berks_mum »

Thanks Tinkers. Yes reading is comprehension. I didn't know it was the same in ks1 as well.

Thanks DG. Forgot to answer you earlier question about MC comprehension. For first round she will mostly do MC comprehension. However, the second round exams seem to have non MC comprehension. She has done just one set of English papers so far so she may improve with time and advice of course. Occasionally, I try to make her do non MC comprehension which she doesn't look forward to but not hate either. When I tell her to answer in full sentences she says in school she doesn't have to do it. Me asking to quote from the passage or put line number in her answers seems unusual for her. I think school doesn't tell them anything about marking scheme. This may be good in some ways but not when you are sitting a competitive exam where marks and only marks are the deciding factor for entry/no entry.
fatbananas
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Re: Comprehension tips

Post by fatbananas »

When I tell her to answer in full sentences she says in school she doesn't have to do it. Me asking to quote from the passage or put line number in her answers seems unusual for her. I think school doesn't tell them anything about marking scheme.
This has been my experience as well. Seems extraordinary.
Seize the day ... before it seizes you.
Daogroupie
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Re: Comprehension tips

Post by Daogroupie »

Marks and only marks! This is my daily mantra. If it is not going to get you a mark don't write it. This is not however a message that school is about. Winning a place by being better than everyone else is not a message they subscribe to either If she does not quote from the passage then she might as well leave it blank as she will not get the mark. Which English paper did she do? I can probably send you an example of one that will get really high marks. PM me.
berks_mum
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Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2013 4:52 pm

Re: Comprehension tips

Post by berks_mum »

fatbananas wrote:
When I tell her to answer in full sentences she says in school she doesn't have to do it. Me asking to quote from the passage or put line number in her answers seems unusual for her. I think school doesn't tell them anything about marking scheme.
This has been my experience as well. Seems extraordinary.
It can also be a frustrating experience. My dd was stuck at low writing levels and talking about it in the parents evening got me nowhere. I was always given the impression that it is a question of time. A lack of concrete feedback results into so much time waste.
My DD was under the impression that keeping the reader engaged is the most important aspect of writing. To achieve this she has to use a highly imaginative and figurative language which she liked. However, she was stretching herself too much and was also ignoring the basics in that process. When I asked to correct her spellings and punctuation her answer was "OH the teacher knows I know these spellings as she has tested me on those." It was an eye opener for her to know that she will be marked low for those basic mistakes and probably the reason for not getting higher level work.
Last edited by berks_mum on Wed May 21, 2014 12:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
berks_mum
Posts: 939
Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2013 4:52 pm

Re: Comprehension tips

Post by berks_mum »

Daogroupie wrote:Marks and only marks! This is my daily mantra. If it is not going to get you a mark don't write it. This is not however a message that school is about. Winning a place by being better than everyone else is not a message they subscribe to either.
Aiming for marks shouldn't be the goal for education yet marks seem to be the deciding factor.
Last evening, DD wrote a highly imaginative piece of work( homework) and asked me to go through it. As usual, I appreciated her work first. Afterwards, I wanted to tell her that despite being fantastic this piece is not going to gain you a higher mark because of the missing mark-gainers. She was in no mood to listen though and with OH taking her side it would have soon got very emotional. OH thinks I try to stifle her imagination.
If she does not quote from the passage then she might as well leave it blank as she will not get the mark. Which English paper did she do? I can probably send you an example of one that will get really high marks. PM me.
She did not do any non MC comprehension paper yet. I think it was one of the tuition comprehension homework. Sitting there I have heard the tutor repeat many times that it is important to quote and write in full sentences. I wonder why schools let them get away with incomplete answers ?

I will PM you.
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