Tag: English tutor Ely

Gove is like Mamite

Posted on by

Gove
is like marmite.

People either love or hate him.

I can’t agree that knocking our teachers constantly has
helped the education system any, but I do support the need for our children to
be able to spell, write grammatically correct sentences and be numerate.

This term, I’ve seen some great teaching of grammar and
spelling in our local primary schools. Previously, it tends to have been taught
as an add-on, but increasingly, it’s been taught as a main focus. It’s stuff
like correct use of apostrophes – the teachers’ staff room, I’d, won’t. I’ve
lost track the number of times I’ve seen was’ent or similar. It’s about how
it’s taught – if children understand that the apostrophe is showing missing
letters and what it’s a shortening of – it’s so much easier for children to get
it right.

Punctuation can catch children out too – commas often
confuse children and sorting out ways to help them is really useful. Getting
children to work out in a sentence which is the main clause and which is added
information helps to ensure that commas are in the right place. e.g. The boy
walked along the road, towards the swimming pool.  The boy walked along the road is the main
clause; towards the swimming pool the additional information.

Many children find spelling difficult. Learning spellings
by heart is hugely useful, but more so is spelling patterns and looking at
where the difficulties lie. Are there letters we don’t sound – like
environment?

It’s great to see our children being more prepared for
the world of work.

New UK Primary Curriculum from September – Why year F and year 4 children will be most affected.

Posted on by

From September this year, there will be a new curriculum in
our schools. In a nutshell, they aim to take children to a more advanced
stage earlier in their school career than in recent years. 

e.g. telling the time in 5 minute increments moves from year 3 to 2, knowing times tables to 12 x 12 (previously 10 x 10) and the associated division facts by the end of year 4, not the end of year 6. In addition there are new areas introduced such as cube numbers (33) and dividing fractions. The same pattern is repeated with literacy.

The new literacy curriculum calls for a much stronger
phonics and spelling base – with specified spelling lists, again at an earlier
age than before. There is more focus on homophones (words that sound alike but
are spelt differently) e.g., wear and where. The use of dictionaries to look up
words that children have read and not understood is strongly recommended. A more
detailed knowledge of grammar is expected too, with children being taught to
understand other forms of verbs and their effect in writing– such as the perfect
and modal forms of verbs. These are not the only changes.


Those children who
are entering year 2 and year 6 is September will continue to be taught the old
curriculum and tested on it. The other year groups will be taught the new
curriculum. The biggest impact will be on the current year F and year 4 – year 1
and year 5 from September who will face the new tests with the least time to
prepare for these changes.


For more information please contact Rachel Law at Tutor My Kids
www,tutormykids.co.uk
hello@tutormykids.co.uk
01223 858123