Primary School English Exams

Primary School English Exams English for Kids: Statutory Assessment Tests at KS1 KS2 ChaptersKey Stage One Key Stage Two Exam ParticularsOf Special Note for Key Stage One 2018Key Stage Two Exam SpecificsReflecting on the ExamsSecondary Education results are in! Our BBC has published reports of academic success stories: high marks, even under the new points system.News of other students' achievements might cause you to wonder about your own young scholar.When will your child sit for his/her corresponding Key Stage exam?And how does the updated tabulation correlate to your child's academic accomplishments?In this article, you will find the latest standards and updates to the Key Stage program in UK public schools.Your young learner will sit for his/her first formal exam toward the end of Year 2, during the month of May.English language aspects that are measured at that time are reading, grammar, vocabulary, punctuation, and spelling.Maths capabilities will also be tested.Reading is the best way for your child to gain English skills Source: Pixabay Credit: OldiefanKey Stage 1 Reading SkillsThis segment of the exam consists of two parts.The first involves a short text, between four- and seven hundred words, with questions throughout.The questions are targeted to specific portions of the text that the learner should answer before moving on to another expressed idea.The second is a collection of short paragraphs totaling a maximum of one thousand, one hundred words, with questions drawn from the text.Answer formats include, among others:multiple choicematchinglabelingshort answersranking/orderingFor this part, you child will record his/her responses on a separate sheet of paper.Reading comprehension is generally allotted thirty minutes per segment, for a total of one hour.However, students are not held to that constraint as the exam is designed to prove ability, not intellectual agility.Year Two Grammar Skills, English Spelling and Punctuation AssessmentTo measure proficiency in these aspects of English learning, pupils will sit for two separate exa ms.The spelling test covers twenty randomly chosen words, and lasts approximately twenty minutes.Help your child become a champion at English  with these engaging activities!The grammar, punctuation and vocabulary part is taken separately, in two segments.Each lasts about ten minutes, and students may enjoy a small break between them, if needed.Response formats include multiple choice and short answers.How the Exam is MarkedThe ceiling is one hundred and fifteen points; the lowest bar is set at eighty-five.The median, one hundred, means your English learner competence level as expected.If s/he tests below that bar, more support and guidance is indicated. If returned results are above it, performance is rated as higher than his/her peer group.If your child is an Esl student, she will also have to sit for the exam. To better prepare for it, we suggest additional English courses, or enrolling him/her in an extracurricular language school.Test takers's results are interpreted along a sp ectrum, much like the letter marks one receives on a composition paper.You will not be told your child's actual results unless you ask.The tests are not composed by the Department for Education. However, they are marked by the teachers at individual schools.Do you want an in-depth look at specifics of Key Stage learning? Or you're looking for an English tutor?Of Special Note for Key Stage One 2018Because of an accidental online publication of the exam's spelling paper last year, prior to the exam, the Schools Minister rescinded public school students' obligation to sit for that portion of the test.This year, the SPAG segments remained optional.SPAG stands for English spelling, punctuation and grammar.As yet, there is no official word that the optional portions of the last two years will be compulsory next year.Your child's Year Six exam is a bit more strenuous Source: Pixabay Credit: Ska_ChaiKey Stage Two Exam SpecificsWhereas the UK educational system's Year 2 exam is not considere d an official measurement of students' abilities, the Year 6 exam carries substantial gravitas.Because this more exacting test weighs heavily on your child's official academic record, it is accorded an expanded schedule.Furthermore, the various components are spread out â€" across the third week of May.Reading  Comprehension is planned for Monday. SPAG will be administered on Tuesday.Maths will round out the week.Both Key Stage One and Key Stage Two exams were updated last year to reflect new standards in the national curriculum.This new test has been deemed more rigorous than past years' versions.You can look here the best Key Stage revision resources.Here is what you need to know before your child sits for his/her Year 6 exam.Key Stage Two ReadingThis reading test poses a series of questions over three separate passages.Texts include poetry, classic literature and select portions of news and magazine articles that reflect current events.Students will have one hour to read and unde rstand these English texts, and then respond to queries in any of these formats:Find and copyLabelingRanking and orderingShort, one-sentence answersOpen end questions â€" essay answersAll time limits are observed for this exam because working at speed is a measure of literacy by this age/grade.Key Stage Two Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation AssessmentAs with the Year Two exam, this SPAG portion consists of two parts.Grammar and punctuation are incorporated into one paper, with a forty-five minute time limit.Here, the student will face two response types:Selected response â€" identifying indicated word types, verbs or adjectives, e.g..Open-end questions, in which s/he is called on to justify punctuation placement or rewrite a sentence to a prescribed format.Spelling competencies are challenged through dictation, meaning the student hears each word and must write them from that prompt.Pupils are given up to fifteen minutes to accurately spell twenty words.Need some help for English GC SE exam, get a private tutor to boost your grade.How the Exam is GradedAs with Key Stage One, your child's official result will be a composite score, and the target of one hundred remains as the national average.However, the maximum and minimum limits have been moved, to one hundred twenty and eighty five, respectively.Students sitting for the Year 6 exam are expected to fall in the one hundred and above spectrum.Learners must achieve an overall mark of four (4) or above, else they will be scheduled to resit during Year 7.If your child has missed that mark, you might consider extra English classes or maybe even learning English online to reinforce learned skills.Contrary to Key Stage One, you will be notified of your learner's actual marks for each portion of the exam.Another significant difference from the previous exam is that the Department for Education  oversees and is actively involved in all phases of the exam.The test is set and marked outside of official educational channel s, and the results are used to evaluate the school, as well as measuring the students' English skills.In addition to those external marks, your child's teacher will add a layer of evaluation to render a broader picture of your his/her language skills.Do you think Key Stage exams are necessary? Source: Pixabay Credit: Robin HigginsReflecting on the ExamsBesides teachers' concerns over constant exam revamping, there is substantial debate among educators over whether the Standard Assessment Tests truly assess measured progress in key areas.Does constant evaluation of English language learning hinder true learning? This idiom expresses the conundrum exactly:You don't fatten a pig by weighing it.Opponents of these standard exams express the concern that, if student assessment is truly needed, let classroom performance and routine assignment grades serve that purpose.They contend that exams only offer a snapshot of students' reading and writing abilities, and do nothing to evaluate a teac her's ability to teach English.This overview has tips, resources and pertinent links to help your English learner at these Key Stages, as well links to finding a private English tutor.Little accommodation, if any, is given to students with learning challenges such as ADD or dyslexia, even if they have a current SEN certificate. Such English speakers are expected to sit for exams alongside their peers.Non native students, those who are learning English as a second language, are given no consideration or exemption at all.If you are the parent of an Esl student, your child must sit for the exams, even though s/he is not a native English speaker. S/he will be tested on listening skills and writing skills, the same as the rest of the class.Perhaps the greatest concern is that, gradually, school teaching is evolving into teaching the test.The educator who contends these exams are necessary sees them as a way to uphold and maintain national educational standards across the country.An Engli sh tutor who favors these standardised tests appreciate the guidelines for effective language teaching that they provide with help for English.What are your thoughts on these national exams?Whether you agree or disagree with the necessity of these tests, there are ways to insure your child succeeds academically.Be involved at every step of your learner's English teachingProvide reinforcement, especially for tricky grammar rules and verb tensesIncorporate fun learning activities into your everyday English, to promote fluencyyou can occasionally launch English vocabulary questions at mealtime, for exampleFoster a love of learning English, especially the more challenging parts, such as grammar and irregular verbsMuch of your child's attitude toward education comes from you.The more you participate, the more he will.The more you are involved, the more she will be.The more you invest in your child and his/her education, the greater your â€" and his/her return.

How to Tap into Your Creativity Whenever You Need it - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / How to Tap into Your Creativity Whenever You Need it - Introvert Whisperer How to Tap into Your Creativity Whenever You Need it Just think about it â€" we need creativity to address just about every challenge that comes our way. From overcoming a housing dilemma to building a successful career, you will have to think outside the box in order to be content with the outcome. One big hurdle that we face as humans is that creativity seems to go out the window right when we need it. Stressful situations often lead to mental blocks and even conscious efforts aren’t going to lead to a resolution. The good news is that just like many other skills, creativity can be strengthened. Here are a few approaches and techniques you can practice for the purpose of accessing the best solution whenever you’re in need of some inspiration. Always Plan Ahead   Chances are that unpredictable situations stress you out. In order to counter this effect, you should attempt to plan ahead as much as possible. Planning ahead is one of the best ways to minimize stress and as already mentioned â€" stress can kill all of your creativity. In addition, dealing with organizational tasks and knowing you’re not going to have to focus your mental powers on those will make it much easier to dedicate all resources to creativity when the time is right. A creative process can also be highly structured and organized if you train your mind this way. Accept the fact that you have a lot of creative potentials but don’t stop there. Work on creative ideas even at times when such isn’t needed. When all of the preliminary work is done and you have a “shortcut” in your mind, you will find it much easier to respond adequately when the time is right. Don’t Stress about it Let’s say you have a highly creative job like essay writing, for example. If this is the case, you know that coming up with a truly original idea during an assignment can be a mission impossible. You will probably feel that your idea isn’t good enough, original or innovative enough. Many people suffer from self-doubt, especially at a time when they’re asked to step outside the box and contribute with something brand new. If you’re such a person, you may find out that you’re truly afraid of sharing the idea with the rest of the world because it could get judged or it could be considered not original enough. Don’t stress about it! Remember that you probably are your harshest critic. Once you overcome the idea and share with the rest of the world, chances are that you’ll get a much more positive reception than what you anticipated. If you are striving to get that brilliant idea every single time, chances are that you’ll never get anything done. Instead, accept what you’ve managed to come up with. Chances are that it will need some tweaking in the future but this is something you can do without causing yourself unnecessary stress right from the start. Enjoy Alone Time Renewing your creative voice is often about spending some quality time on your own and being active when it comes to listening to that inner voice and developing your ideas. Solitude silences all of the clutter that you otherwise have in your life. The opinions of others, TV, internet and communication channels all keep you busy and incapable of focusing on what matters the most. Getting rid of those every now and then will feel truly refreshing. There is sufficient evidence that solitude helps for creative work. If you’re an introvert, you already enjoy spending time on your own. Instead of feeling troubled by this aspect of your character, however, you should learn to embrace it. Challenging yourself to go out there more is admirable but don’t push yourself too hard. Doing a bit of research will show you that some of the world’s most creative minds have always been introverts. Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg, Mark Zuckerberg, JK Rowling, Michael Jordan, Meryl Streep and many other talented individuals are all self-professed introverts. Instead of fighting against this characteristic, you should learn how to make the most of it. Switch it Up Focusing at one and the same thing incessantly will drain your creative juices. Chances are that you’ve faced such situations at work and in your personal life. To train your creativity, you should simply get in the habit of switching things up. It’s always a good idea to opt for something new whenever you feel that you’re at a standstill and you’re not being productive. A side project will take your mind off that block and allow you to take a break. You’ve probably noticed that some of your most creative ideas have come to the surface at a time when you weren’t consciously engaged in the process. They could have occurred under the shower, before you go to sleep or while you’re handling a mundane task. This is precisely the sub-conscious mechanism that you’ll be trying to tap into by switching things up. The same rule applies to your routine. Are you used to doing one and the same thing every single day? Going to work following the same route? Exercising at the same gym two times per week? It’s time to change things. Anything that is out of the ordinary will stimulate your brain, even if the change pertains solely to a simple change of breakfast. Do Something Artistic You don’t need to be the world’s greatest painter in order to give drawing a try. Who knows, you may discover a passion that you have never been aware of. Doing something artistic isn’t about excelling at it. The activity focuses much more on finding a new outlet for your creative potential. Art brings an array of mental health benefits to the table. It’s a wonderful anti-stress tool. In addition, artistic processes are great for getting those creative juices flowing, they increase self-esteem and can even be used in the fight against anxiety and depression. You can choose among a wide range of options â€" drawing, improv theater, pottery, jewelry making, photography, sculpting â€" you name it, there’s probably a course for it. Alternatively, you will have to get some supplies and experiment with those at home. The purpose of art isn’t to establish a direct connection with the creative problem you’re trying to solve. Rather, it trains your imagination and gives your mind a break. Both of these can be particularly beneficial in the long run. Bonus Tip: Start a Journal Just like art, starting a journal is a lovely exercise that will be beneficial for your mental health. Allowing your thoughts to flow freely will enlighten you about things you’re troubled by, things you think about, your creative potential, hopes, and desires. Don’t edit yourself when attempting to journal. There aren’t correct or wrong methods to do it. Just get a notebook and a pen and allow your mind to wonder. Journaling may feel a bit uncomfortable at first because it will bring many emotions to the surface. Once you get used to it, however, you’ll find out that it build a better connection with your inner self and makes it easier to verbalize your ideas. Needless to say, you don’t need to master all of these approaches in order to make your creativity flow. Try the ones that appeal to you, modify them and focus your efforts on self-awareness. While one strategy delivers amazing results for some people, others will be in need of a completely different approach in order to get the desired results. There’s no universal approach and that’s the beauty of it. Bio Author: Amelia White is a passionate writer. She likes writing about creativity and productivity. In spare time, Amelia travels around the world. Befriend her on  Facebook Go to top Personal Branding starts with how well you speak about YOU.  I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook â€" The Definitive Guide to Creating and Using an Elevator Speech.  In this guide, I give you simple to follow instructions for creating a “wardrobe” of ways to talk about you â€" to leave a lasting impression. Get your copy now! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer