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There are 7 key questions in the 2006 reading paper which students across a range of schools in Hertfordshire
answered incorrectly.
All 7 questions were linked to the same two Assessment Focuses
The intention of this pack is for teachers to give high currency feedback to students based on these 7 tricky
questions
Assessment for Learning suggests that our students would benefit from close work on the skills and understanding
required in order to respond correctly to these Assessment Focuses
The understanding our students gain from these AFs is the same understanding they will need when they embark
upon their GCSE courses
Analyses of different groups of students have shown these AFs to be a weakness for higher and lower ability students as well as both boys and girls – and particularly students
with English as an additional language
Year 9 Lesson ResourcesHigh Currency Feedback
for Year 9 Students using the
2006 English SATs Reading Paper
1. These resources are intended to be used for whole class teaching; small group work; or as part of booster sessions.
2. Resources need to be prepared in advance in the form of OHTs, Handouts and Card Sorts.
3. These resources are also available electronically for use with Interactive Whiteboards at www.thegrid.org.uk/learning/english
4. It is interesting – but perhaps unsurprising - to note that the questions which students found the most tricky (across a range of Hertfordshire schools in 2006) were the questions which address Assessment Focuses 5 and 6:
AF 5 - Commenting on the writers’ uses of languageAF 6 - Identifying and commenting on writers’ purposes and
viewpoints
Reading Text Qs AF No. of Tasks
What is Fame?
4a AF6 7
4b AF6 1
6 AF5 3
Brit School9 AF5 4
10 AF6 3
Ellen Macarthur 11a AF5 1
11b AF5 1
12 AF5 1
14 AF6 2
Top 7 Tricky Questions on the2006 English SATs Paper
Resources to help your students once they have completed this paper
2006 Reading Paper Q4 (part a) ‘What is Fame?’:
Task 1: Read Paragraph 5 from ‘What is Fame?’:
The growing number of TV channels, the internet and numerous
magazines and newspapers not only promote celebrity culture but also
depend on it. There are not enough famous people to go round so the
same celebrities appear over and over and over again – making them
more well known. Celebrity status is something our society aspires to –
and nowadays everyone has the opportunity to achieve it. With so-called
reality television programmes, ordinary people have instant fame within
their grasp, simply by being themselves.
Task 2: Now read Q4 (part a)In this extract the writer has a negative attitude towards celebrities and reality television programmes.Explain how the writer shows her negative attitude in this quotation:
‘the same celebrities appear over and over and over again’Task 3: On your desk, you have 4 cards which show four different student’s answers to this question
In pairs, rank order these student answers – from best to worst - which explain how the writer is showing a negative attitude to this quotation from paragraph 5 :
‘the same celebrities appear over and over and over again’
Task 4: Now, with your partner, decide on the 1 correct answer! The other 4 were awarded 0 marks!
The writer repeats ‘over’ so that you can take in what she’s saying
She is saying that celebrities just want more fame
it shows she has had enough of celebrities when it says she sees them over and over and over again;
she is saying over and over and over again because of how many times they’ve been on TV
Task 5: Here are two more examples of correct answers: With your partner, be ready to come out to the board and circle the words and phrases which you think have helped both these students gain full marks.
the repetition of over and over makes her feel like she is actually seeing the same celebrities again and again and is bored of them
when she says the same celebrities it shows she finds it tedious when she keeps seeing the same ones
Task 6: Match up the student answers with the teacher comment:
Student Answer Teacher Comment
The writer repeats ‘over’ so that you can take in what she’s saying
This answer is too general and does not explain the negative attitude (0 Marks)
the repetition of over and over makes her feel like she is actually seeing the same celebrities again and again and is bored
of them
This answer explains the technique used by the writer by using an English Specific
word – ‘repetition’ and then goes onto explain that the writer is ‘bored’ and
bored answers the question because it is a negative attitude (1 Mark)
She is saying that celebrities just want more fame
This answer doesn’t explain the negative attitude we should be ‘taking in’ from the words the writer uses. Not enough clear
explanation.( 0 Marks)
it shows she has had enough of celebrities when it says she sees them
over and over and over again;
This answer tries to explain the use of the key words from the quotation but does
not explain the negative attitude
(0 Marks)
when she says the same celebrities it shows she finds it tedious when she
keeps seeing the same ones
This answer explains the negative attitude by explaining how the writer has ‘had
enough’ (1 Mark)
she is saying over and over and over again because of how many times they’ve
been on TV
This answer focuses on one single key word from the quotation and explains the
writer’s negative attitude as being ‘tedious’ (1 Mark)
Match Up Teacher Answers and/or Card Sort Activity
The writer repeats ‘over’ so that you can take in what she’s saying
This answer doesn’t explain the negative attitude we should be
‘taking in’ from the words the writer uses. Not enough clear explanation. (0 Marks)
the repetition of over and over makes her feel like she is actually seeing the same celebrities again
and again and is bored of them
This answer explains the technique used by the writer by using an
English Specific word – ‘repetition’ and then goes onto explain that the writer is ‘bored’ and bored answers
the question because it is a negative attitude (1 Mark)
She is saying that celebrities just want more fame
This answer is too general and does not explain the negative
attitude (0 Marks)
it shows she has had enough of celebrities when it says she sees
them over and over and over again;
This answer explains the negative attitude by explaining how the
writer has ‘had enough’ (1 Mark)
when she says the same celebrities it shows she finds it tedious when she keeps seeing the same ones
This answer focuses on one single key word from the quotation and
explains the writer’s negative attitude as being ‘tedious’ (1 Mark)
she is saying over and over and over again because of how many
times they’ve been on TV
This answer tries to explain the use of the key words from the quotation
but does not explain the negative attitude (0 Marks)
2006 Reading PaperQ4 (part a) ‘What is Fame?’:
Task 7: Now that you have looked at these sample student answers, have a go at answering these questions:
1. Look at all the Teacher Explanations for the students who got 0 marks – which ‘action word’ (a word which tells you what you have to do) appears in all 3 teacher comments?
Answer: ‘Explain’ is something which all of these students have not done.
2. Again, look at all the Teacher Explanations for the students who got 0 marks – which phrase appears in all 3 that tells you the content you need to explain?
Answer: ‘Negative Attitude’ (I.e. the student hasn’t explained what the negative attitude of the writer actually is)
3. So, how did the students who got 1 mark know to include this in their answer?
Answer: They had underlined the key words from the main question ‘negative attitude’ and made sure they explained what the negative attitude was in their answer.
4. Look at the answers where the students did get 1 Mark. List the 3 words/phrases which explain the negative attitude:
Answers:
B_ _ _ _ Bored
T_ _ _ _ _ _ _ Tedious
H _ _ E _ _ _ _ _ Had Enough
5. Can you think of 3 other synonyms for this writer’s negative attitude? You can use a thesaurus if you like.
6. Now write a sample answer which explains the writer’s negative attitude using your synonym.
Top Tips for Answering Questions on the Reading Paper
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Twice
Action Word
Content Word(s)
Literary Technique
Quotation(s)
Purpose/Effect
Clues
Top Tips for Answering Questions on the Reading Paper
1. Read the question twice
2. Underline or Circle the ‘Action’ word (i.e. the word that describes what you have to do in your answer – EXPLAIN, DESCRIBE etc)
3. Underline or Circle the key ‘Content’ word or phrase (i.e. the word or phrase which tells you what you need to be thinking about in order to explain or describe etc)
4. If you have spotted a Literary Technique used by the writer (e.g. repetition or personification etc) then refer to it and explain it if it is part of the correct content for your answer.
5. Use short quotations – sometimes even just single words – to add more meaning to your answer
6. Remember that everything we read has a purpose and the writer wanted to have an effect on their reader so be prepared to explain what you think the writer wants the reader to think or feel- even if you don’t necessarily agree with them!
2006 Reading PaperQ4 (part b) ‘What is Fame?’:
Explain how the writer is showing a negative attitude to this quotation from paragraph 5 :
‘so-called reality television programmes’
Task 1: Answer the following questions:
What is the key word in the above quotation? Why?
Why might someone choose to use this particular key word in their sentence?
Talk to your partner about how this key word helps you answer the question.
Look at the following student’s answers. Talk to your partner about why these answers are good answers.
Be ready to explain each one:
ANSWER A: so-called reality television programmes means that the writer thinks they shouldn’t be called this because they are not real at all;
ANSWER B: she is being sarcastic when she calls them ‘so-called’ reality television programmes.
2006 Reading PaperQ6 ‘What is Fame?’:
Task 1: Answer he following 3 questions
Explain how the use of language in the whole sentence shows just how interested people are in fame.
Refer to specific words and phrases and comment on them.
1. Using the words ACTION and CONTENT, discuss with your partner why the above words and phrases have been highlighted
2. Now look at the sentence provided with the question. Pick out at least 5 words and phrases which will help you to gain three marks in your answer
Certainly we seem to be addicted to celebrity
culture: people are practically trampled
underfoot in the stampede to be in the spotlight
and zillions have flocked to join endless queues
to take part in shows like Big Brother – just to
appear on TV. (paragraph 6)
3. Can you explain why you have chosen these words?
2006 Reading PaperQ6 ‘What is Fame?’:
Task 2: Read this student’s answer to Q6 and answer the questions below:
‘Addicted’ suggests that people can not live without celebrity culture. It has now become a part of their lives. ‘Flocked’ shows that the writer is comparing people to
sheep, in that they are always told what to do. ‘Stampede to be in the spotlight’ shows that there is an enormous
amount of people all trying to go in the same direction. Also, ‘stampede’ is a word used for animals, another
suggestion that he thinks they are animals.
1. This answer did get the full 3 marks in the test but what makes it so good? Discuss what you think makes this a good answer.
2. We know that the key content from the question is to think about what the writer feel about just how interested people are in fame.
3. Pick out 3 phrases from the student’s answer that prove this student understands the writer’s opinions.
4. Be ready to share your 3 phrases and explanations.
2006 Reading PaperQ6 ‘What is Fame?’:
Task 3: Now, this student answered this question in a hurry and only got 1 mark out of a possible 3. Look at this answer and offer 3 suggestions to her on how she can improve this answer:
‘Stampede to be in the spotlight’ makes it seem like people are all fighting to be the
centre of attention and ‘we seem to be addicted to celebrity culture’ shows that people are following celebrities all the
time.
Possible answers:1. Could you explain more about the meanings of words and where we
might normally find these words being used?
2. Could you make connections between the similar sorts of words
used?
3. Could you make reference to (write about) the writer’s opinion so we
know you have understood?
4. Could you write about how powerful some of these words are and
how that shows us the writer’s opinion?
2006 Reading PaperQ9 ‘Brit School’:
Task 1: Read this question. Circle key words/phrases. Then annotate using no more than 15 words to jot down your thoughts about each circled word:
In paragraph 4, Nick Williams says: ‘The
music world is becoming just a record
factory’.
(a) Explain what the use of the word
factory in this quotation suggests about the
music world.
(b) Give one word from paragraph 6 which
supports the idea that the music world is
like a record factory.
Task 2: Q9 (a) Look at these annotations and fill in the boxes
(a) Explain what the use of the word
factory in this quotation suggests about the
music world.
(a) Explain what the use of the word
factory in this quotation suggests about the
music world.
(a) Explain what the use of the word
factory in this quotation suggests about the
music world.
formulaic / repetitive / predictable
it creates lots of records that are the
same.
uninspiring / manufactured / synthetic
commercial,
Task 3: Q9 (a) Are your answers better than these?
(a) Explain what the use of the word
factory in this quotation suggests about the
music world.
(a) Explain what the use of the word
factory in this quotation suggests about the
music world.
(a) Explain what the use of the word
factory in this quotation suggests about the
music world.
formulaic / repetitive / predictable
it creates lots of records that are the
same.
uninspiring / manufactured / synthetic
commercial,
the music world does not encourage individual creativity.
it suggests that its real aim is just to sell records.
Task 4: Q9 (b) -
(b) Give one word from paragraph 6 which
supports the idea that the music world is
like a record factory.
producing;
cloned.
Why are either of these words correct
answers?
2006 Reading Paper Q10 (Brit School)
Task 1: Circle the key words and phrases
from this question:
How does this article create the impression that the Brit School is an important and exciting place?
You should comment on:– how the article suggests that the
school is important to the music industry;
– the choice of words, phrases and photographs to make the school seem exciting;
– the effect of comments from students and staff.
2006 Reading Paper Q10 (Brit School)
Task 2: Read through the student
answers on the cards in front of you and
rank them best to worst.
How is the best answer here better than
the answer you wrote?
Give yourself 3 suggestions for how you
could have improved your answer.
The Brit School is important because it’s a place where around 450 young people aged 14–16 work on their music talent each year. A girl called Ella-Louise said she came here to work on her music and singing talent, not to become famous. It’s an exciting place because the head teacher said pupils are encouraged to explore different musical styles.
The Brit School is an important and exciting place because it is ‘the heart of Britain’s music industry’. There is a very ‘special mood’, everyone is willing and trying to help each other improve their skills. The students work very hard and are focused on developing their careers. The school is exciting because maybe some future celebrities are starting their career there.
It comments that the school focuses on the students’ individual talents so that they can build them up. It makes it sound like the students are in the school because of what they are good at so they would only become famous for what they achieved in the performing arts. The photographs show all different sides of the school like dancing and singing. They make it look exciting and more interesting. The student says that she didn’t come here because she wants to be famous, she came so she could build on what she enjoys doing. The teachers seem to care about what they are doing because they ‘don’t settle for anything less than excellence’ and they sound excited for the students.
The article explains how the Brit School is important and exciting by mentioning the ‘youthful energy’ you get when you arrive. It gets a picture in your head of a colourful scene of laughter. It shows how many activities the school offers which make up what the music industry is today, for example ‘experimenting in film and video’. The writer gets a range of interviews from different people within the school. Each of them explain the ‘special mood here’ and the enjoyment of people ‘singing together’. Even visitors are amazed by the ‘dedication to music’ the students have and the director of music comes forward to say that the variety of abilities is ‘staggering’ and ‘there isn’t a “Brit School type” and that is the key’.
The article suggests that the place is important to the music industry by using phrases such as ‘fast becoming the heart of Britain’s music industry’. It also points out flaws in the music industry – ‘record factory’, ‘producing cloned singers or overnight celebrities’ and shows it doesn’t have them – ‘we’re more than that’. The photographs show people doing creative and fun things, such as singing and dancing, promoting the idea that the Brit School is exciting. Words such as ‘excellence’, ‘encouraged’, ‘explore’ make the place sound more exciting. The comments made by staff and pupils are all positive about the school. These first hand accounts make the reader even more convinced that it is an exciting place, as these people have experienced it.
2006 Reading Paper Q10 (Brit School)
Task 3: Using the marker’s comments,
write a short list of ‘Dos’ and ‘Don’ts’ for
answering questions worth 5 marks.
Refers briefly to a few relevant examples from the text, showing recognition of the writer’s purpose, but offers no explanation of how these examples create the impression that the Brit School is an important and exciting place. The second prompt is not addressed.1 mark
This response offers simple comments about a relevant selection of features which show that the school is an important and exciting place. Embedded quotations are used to support ideas but there is only limited explanation of how the article creates the impression that the school is important / exciting.2 marks
The comments about the talents of the students, while general, are also relevant, and demonstrate some understanding of how the article shows that the school is an important and exciting place. There is implicit understanding of the effect of quotations from staff and pupils and a generalised but valid comment on the effect of photographs. All the prompts are dealt with appropriately, if briefly, and the response overall merits 3 marks.3 marks
Some exploration is evident of how the article creates the impression that the Brit School is an important and exciting place. Appropriate references are selected to support comment on a number of techniques used by the writer, e.g. use of language, range of activities offered, effect of interviews with different people. All three prompts are covered in reasonable detail, to merit the award of 4 marks.4 marks
A well-focused response which addresses all three prompts. There is a strong awareness of the range of methods used in the text – specific selection of information; choice of language and its effect; use of photographs and quotations to create a positive impression of the school – and each is explored using detailed comments and well-chosen, concise quotations.5 marks
2006 Reading Paper Q11 (a)(Ellen Macarthur)
What does the choice of language in each of the following quotations from paragraph 1 show about Ellen’s different reactions to what is happening?
a) as though I had dropped into a Hollywood film set
Task 1: Look at the correct responses below. Can you match up the reaction to
the explanation and say why these are good answers?
Reaction Explanationshock / a
sense of displacement
she feels as though everyone is looking at her / very important like a film star in Hollywood.
as though she is centre stage
she seems to have dropped into, landed suddenly, in
another world.
a sense of unreality
she can’t believe what she sees as it’s so unexpected.
2006 Reading Paper Q11 (b)(Ellen Macarthur)
What does the choice of language in each of the following quotations from paragraph 1 show about Ellen’s different reactions to what is happening?
b) searchlights sweeping over me as iflooking for an escaped prisoner
Task 1: Look at the correct responses below. Can you match up the reaction to
the explanation and say why these are good answers?
Reaction Explanation
intimidated / afraid she feels she is the centre of unwanted attention.
as though she is being scrutinised
it’s as though she is trapped / is being hunted down like an
escaped prisoner.as though she is being hounded it seems threatening to her.
–
2006 Reading Paper Q12(Ellen Macarthur)
In paragraph 1 Ellen writes My little world had evaporated.
How does the choice of language in this quotation show that Ellen feels a sense of loss?
Task 1: Imagine that your partner has given the following incorrect answers to this question. Take it in
turns to explain what was wrong with the answer and explain why the alternative answer is correct:
Incorrect answer: Alternative correct answer:
She feels a sense of loss because her dreams have come true
she feels she has lost her own special, private world;
She enjoys sailing her boat and now she is finished and she will miss sailing
this was something belonging to only her and now it has gone.
She will miss her hometown now that she is famous
the choice of language shows that Ellen feels as though the life she enjoyed at sea has completely vanished;
The world that she had just had had evaporated
the world that was Ellen’s has disappeared for ever / absolutely / beyond her control
It was calm and peaceful and then it wasn’t
it gives the impression that her world has gone so quickly that she will never get it back.
2006 Reading Paper Q14(Ellen Macarthur)
Ellen refers to her boat, Kingfisher, by name.From paragraph 6 (As Kingfisher finally approached the dock …), explain one other way in which Ellen shows that Kingfisher is very important to her.Support your answer with a quotation from paragraph 6.
Task 1: Read Paragraph 6 and decide on the best quotation:
As Kingfisher finally approached the dock, I felt like a child awaiting an exam. All I could see in front of me were the hundreds of journalists, their lenses and microphones pointing directly at me. When we touched dock moments later, I felt that I was standing completely alone. How could it be me who was talking to these people? Questions were asked and I remember saying that it all felt ‘too much’. I was passed an enormous bottle of champagne and stood there with my knees shaking. The whole world must be watching … I shook the bottle and the cork exploded out above the heads of the crowd. As champagne sprayed into the air, it sank in: Kingfisher and I had done it. We’d finished second in one of the most demanding sailing races in the world.
2006 Reading Paper Q14(Ellen Macarthur)
Task 2: Answer the following questions
Why are these correct answers (below)?
she treats Kingfisher as a person when she says we;
she says ‘Kingfisher and I had done it’, suggesting that they are a team.
Can you explain?
Question: What is the correct English technical term when an inanimate object (i.e. something which is not alive) is given living characteristics?
Answer: Personification (always use a quotation to explain this further)