Support with the spelling and grammar test

Tricky areas Words which don’t follow the rules! Identifying standard English

Key ideas and tips Spelling Chunking When faced with long and complex words it is wise to chunk them down rather than look at the whole thing at once. This enables you to see the smaller words within the larger ones and this in itself often makes the task of remembering the spelling much easier Mnemonics Personal and often highly individual mnemonics are useful – Making up your own mnemonics is often better than borrowing someone else’s, because you are more likely to remember it and for it to be helpful Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check Many people find the look, say, cover, write, check sequence useful – as it is often used in primary schools to help young children with their spelling power it will be a useful addition to your personal set of spelling strategies: LOOK – look carefully at the word breaking it down into its chunks in your head. SAY – Say the word out loud – make sure you are saying correctly (spelling mistakes are often related to hearing mistakes) COVER – Cover the word up – with paper or hand WRITE – Write the word down CHECK - Success!!!!! No? Try again.

Key ideas and tips Grammar For each sentence read the whole of it very carefully What is its meaning? Look carefully at all the options. Select the option that provides exact agreement in terms of number and tense as well as making sense Read the completed sentence to yourself so that you know it sounds right

Work in pairs to practise other question types… The role of play in education Answers: Argues, express, creative, prescribed, curb, explorations, uncertain, key resources

Top Tips to take away Before the day Prepare well READ! As with all aspects of English, reading widely is key. If you read for pleasure and to find information, your understanding and use of language will grow. As experienced readers of texts you will instinctively be able to sort the correct from the incorrect – instinct plays quite a large part in grammar, that and experience that tells you if the sentence ‘sounds right’. Practise, practise, practise! Complete as many practice tests as you can and find out which areas you are confident with and which you need to work a little harder at. If you need a copy of these slides, head to the facebook page where there will be a link to the student blog. Hard work does pay off!!

Top Tips to take away SPELLING RELAX… TAKE YOUR TIME… On the day Remember that you can click on the audio icon to hear a word as often as necessary Ensure you have completed this section to the best of your ability before leaving it; the spelling section is the only part of the test that you can’t return to once you have moved on GRAMMAR Remember that each question is part of a continuous text; if you have difficulty identifying the correct answer, it might help you to read through the whole passage When you have completed your selections, read the whole passage to check you have made the best selection in each place

Any questions? Many ideas and resources have been sourced from this booklet. Download to find out more and work through more practise materials