» Raising Achievement in GCSE English

LESSONS

SPEAKING AND LISTENING

• 7 COMMUNICATE! This page uses discussion and taped roleplay to focus on communicating clearly; suiting talk to situations.
• 9 THE SAME LANGUAGE? This page focuses on enabling students to recognise standard English when spoken, and use it when appropriate.
• 11 IT'S HOW YOU SAY IT Students consider how intonation and expression affect the meaning of speech.
• 13 DISCUSSION Students are encouraged to consider the different roles played in discussion situations.

READING

• 15 READING FOLLOWER Students are helped to consider the use of multiple viewpoints in texts.
• 17 WHAT DOES IT MEAN? This page helps students to find personal meaning in, and a point of view about, a text.
• 19 FACT AND OPINION Students focus on the difference between fact and opinion - that facts can be checked and proved, whereas opinions cannot.
• 21 PRESENTATION IN PRINT Students are asked to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of textual presentation.
• 23 MAKING A CASE Students develop their understanding of how points of view are expressed in a text.
• 25 MAKING WORDS WORK Students are encouraged to consider and realise that words are selected by a writer to suit audience and purpose.
• 27 COLLATING MATERIAL Students gain experience in collecting material for a topic from a range of texts/sources.
• 29 IMAGERY AND SYMBOLISM Students explore the use of imagery and symbolism in poetry.
• 31 FORMAL AND INFORMAL The activities on this page enable students to focus on recognising the difference between formal and informal register, and to realise that our intended audience has a bearing on the kind of sentence structures and vocabulary we use.

WRITING

• 33 STEP BY STEP Students look at the importance of the correct sequence when writing instructions or explanations.
• 35 ZOOM LENS Students work on writing clear descriptions, from a story outline they have been given.
• 37 USING FACTS Students develop the skill of using a set of notes as the basis for a piece of writing for a specific purpose and audience.
• 39 FORMAL LETTERS Students familiarise themselves with, and have practice in, writing formal letters.
• 41 BROCHURES Students analyse the features that make an effective brochure. 43 NEWSPAPER STYLE Students analyse the features of tabloid and broadsheet papers, and then write their own examples.
• 45 SUMMARIES Students learn the key ingredients of summary writing and then practise it.
• 47 REPORTS Students familiarise themselves with the key ingredients of report writing, and write a report of their own.
• 49 GOOD ADVICE Students are given the key ingredients of advice sheets/leaflets, and go on to write one of their own.
• 51 THERE CAME A BIG SPIDER... Students learn how to use a spider diagram to plan an essay which explores issues.
• 53 DISCUSS Students are shown a way of organising ideas for a discursive essay.
• 55 PUNCTUATION Students focus on improving proofreading for punctuation.
• 57 SPELLING This page helps to improve students' spelling of commonly misspelled words.
• 59 FIRST IMPRESSIONS This page encourages students to improve their presentation by giving it careful consideration.
• 61 VOCABULARY This page focuses on the importance for good writing of choosing exactly the right word when there are a number of alternatives.