Frequently asked questions

1. What will my 6 year old learn if he/she comes to you?
2. What will my 10 year old learn?
3. How would you help my 14/15 year old?
4. I live in Clifton, isn't Upper Totterdown too far for me to travel?

1. What will my 6 year old learn if he/she comes to you?

   Firstly, I do an informal assessment to ascertain what his or her strengths and weaknesses are in English.

   Whatever your childs level, we will be working towards having the skills to write simple but well structured and well punctuated sentences.

   The range of vocabulary will increase through the exercises and reading I give. She/He will begin to have an awareness of spelling patterns such as ch, th, sh, ed, ing, ion etc.

   I will give a reading programme which can be practiced at home. We will be working towards some of the attainment tasks in Sats.

   I will start at whatever level your child is and I will tailor the work to meet those particular needs and difficulties.

2. What will my 10 year old learn?

   Many children at this age have fallen into unhelpful habits. It may be their handwriting, spelling, punctuation or even their ability to sit and concentrate that may be the problem. Sometimes it's a combination of all of those and more!

   Depending again on the outcome of their informal assessment, I will be working towards them writing well structured, well punctuated sentences within the context of a story.

   They will learn how to check their work using their own individual check list. They will become more confident at using a dictionary and thesaurus.

   I will refresh or teach them the meaning and application of nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs to develop their own creative writing. They will also learn how to understand a piece of writing through developing their comprehension skills.

   Children at this age who have been struggling for a while with English, may have low confidence in their ability to succeed. I am very mindful of this in children and I teach through praising and reinforcing the positive.

3. How would you help my 14/15 year old?

   At this age your child will be studying for English GCSE. The sooner they can come to me for help the better. Once I know the exam board their school uses I will know what aspects of the syllabus to concentrate on.

   I teach GCSE English Language. I do not teach the literature exam as there are so many different set texts throughout Bristol.

   However, helping your child with the language exam will automatically help them with not only the literature exam but any other GCSE involving the written word. For instance, I help with planning and writing an essay, as well as basic revision of punctuation and grammar skills.

   I will help your child with all aspects of his/her GCSE syllabus they need help with. We may look at comprehension skills, discussion and argument essays, letter writing, reports, speeches, play or book reviews, analysing advertising, making a leaflet or brochure etc.

   If necessary I will help them with specific exam techniques. Above all we will work towards them being able to express themselves in clear, fluent English using a variety of formats and styles.

   After the initial assessment I will start at whatever level and with whatever difficulty they bring. If they need to get a particular grade in their GCSE English I will do my utmost to help them achieve this.

4. I live in Clifton, isn't Upper Totterdown too far for me to travel?

   Not at all. I have many students who come from Clifton and beyond. Having lessons at the weekend means the roads are less congested, with the roads particularly quiet on Sunday mornings.

   Most students from the Clifton area take about 15-20 minutes to get to me at the weekend.