English Key Stage 3
How to help
Reading
Students should read a range of texts such as newspaper and magazine articles, short stories and sections from novels.
As well as explaining what they have read they should be encouraged to choose the most effective sections identifying ‘how’ the writers have created effects through their choice of words and images.
Discussing a range of texts that you have read will provide invaluable support.
Much Ado About Nothing
Ask your child to explain the plot of the play and the two key scenes that they will be examined on.
Can they talk about the main themes of the play?
Can they describe the way Shakespeare portrays the characters Beatrice and Benedick?
Can they explain what their relationship is like? How does it develop between the key scenes?
Can they back up their ideas with quotations from the scenes?
Key Scenes for 2008:
Act 4, Scene 1 (lines 196 to 325)
'Pause awhile', to 'dead; and so, farewell.'
Act 5, Scene 1 (whole scene)
'Did I not tell you she was innocent?' to 'Strike up, pipers!'
The scenes can be found by clicking here.
Writing
Students should practise writing as often as possible and to short time limits. In the exam a range of tasks could be chosen so spending time writing a newspaper article (no columns needed!) descriptions, short stories, letters and diary entries will be extremely useful.
Key Websites
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks3bitesize/english/
http://www.learnthings.co.uk
http://www.channel4.com/learning/teachers/websites/
http://www.qca.org.uk/libraryAssets/media/muchado-22.pdf
Key Information about the examinations
Reading Paper: Students are given 15 minutes to read three texts. They then have one hour to answer a variety of questions that test their knowledge of the texts and how the writers create their effects. They can reread the texts and are expected to use quotes to support their ideas.
Writing Paper: Students are given 45 minutes to plan and write in response to a specific task.
Shakespeare: Students are given 45 minutes to write an essay proving understanding of two scenes from Much Ado About Nothing and the language of Shakespeare has used using quotes to support their ideas. The two scenes this year are Act 1 Scene 1 and Act 2 Scene 1.
English Levels
Reading
| Level |
Students should be able to... |
| 3 |
Understand and write about the plot and main ideas in a text |
| 4 |
Show understanding of important events, ideas and characters. Refer to the text when explaining your ideas. |
| 5 |
Pick out important sections and use quotations. Understand the main themes in a text. Identify important ways in which something is written. Show understanding of why a character behaves in a certain way and show exactly where you got this information from in a text. |
| 6 |
Explain how writers create their effects. Explain your personal response. Back up your views with evidence from the text. |
| 7 |
Comment on sentence structure. Understand how and why a text is structured in a particular way depending on its aims and audience. Choose and summarise the most important ideas in a text clearly. Explain effectively what a text makes you feel and think and how it does this. |
Writing
| Level |
Students should be able to... |
| 3 |
Produce writing which is well put together, imaginative and clear. Write in full sentences. Spell most words accurately. |
| 4 |
Produce lively and thoughtful writing. Choose words that have unusual and strong effects. Use full stops, capital letters and question marks accurately. |
| 5 |
Write in a range of forms. Use words precisely and imaginatively. Use paragraphs. Spell longer and more difficult words accurately. Use commas, apostrophes and speech marks. |
| 6 |
Vary the length of sentences to create specific effects. Vary vocabulary using imaginative or unusual words. |
| 7 |
Write effectively in different styles and forms. Choose the best vocabulary, spelling even difficult words accurately. Use paragraphs and punctuation to make writing as clear as possible. |
Top Tips to help pass the English exam
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