English Comprehension

[Ripcurlrana]

Hi All
Wondered how your children were getting on with the comprehension element of the GL English papers? This is my sons weakest subject scoring around the 70% mark. He does try hard but not knowing some of the vocabulary stumps him.

[kal12003]

Which area are you?
Dd is taking the kent test and these are her lowest scoring papers; we have yet to hit 70% (she is scoring anywhere between 50-60%) and am starting to panic!

[Ripcurlrana]

Hi,
He is sitting the Bournemouth Grammar tests. I have to keep telling him to re-read the extract more carefully, but its his understanding of it that he is getting wrong. In fairness to him some of the multiple choice answers are so close in meaning, I can see why he has chosen them!

[kal12003]

I can relate to that! I can see why dd has got some of her incorrect answers too.
How long will the English test be for your DS? The kent one is 30mins so will be shorter than most of the GL packs. Have you completed packs 6 & 7?, I believe these are the ones that have two shorter comprehension exercises - may be more manageable to break down meanings etc.

[Ripcurlrana]

Hi
He has done test 1 and 2 on GL and lots of BOND papers (he scored 80%+ on these). His actual test is 65 questions and 45 mins. So he is having to do the GL ones in 35 mins, which he is acheiving! Thanks for the heads up on the other tests. I can already see paper 3 is a nightmare!

[kal12003]

His scores sound high, do you know what % would merit a pass for ds? In Kent last year it was 70% - I'm not sure I can get Dd up to that in a month :/

It may be worth going through a paper with him, question by question and working out the answers "together," this what what I plan to do with dd over the weekend.

[Ripcurlrana]

I'm not sure but believe we need to be aiming for 80% on all papers. I have sat with him before and he does well, but he needs to do it on his own now. Im worried he may rely on me too much as a comfort/crutch to help him through.

[jackieg]

Hi
He has done test 1 and 2 on GL and lots of BOND papers (he scored 80%+ on these). His actual test is 65 questions and 45 mins. So he is having to do the GL ones in 35 mins, which he is acheiving! Thanks for the heads up on the other tests. I can already see paper 3 is a nightmare!

hi, please can you tell me where it states the Bmth comprehension is 65 questions? Not saying you are wrong of course just I havent seen this anywhere. Would be really grateful.

[Ripcurlrana]

Hi jackleg. Another parent told me this.

[thescribe]

This concerns me a bit! Surely they wouldn't publish practice papers with far fewer questions that on the 'actual' papers would they?? We've been practising to the test papers so more questions is/would be a bit of a shock!