Tuesday 28 June 2016

Collocation

Collocation
The explanation pages on this website cover the big grammar topics, such as verb tenses,
the articles, the passive. With such topics it is appropriate to use the words correct and incorrect. 
For example, it is incorrect to say: My father don't like German food or Do you have dog?
However, there are aspects of language where correct/incorrect are not the right terms.
Consider the sentence: She is completely beautiful. Many native English speakers would say
that the expression completely beautiful does not sound quite right;
that incredibly beautiful or extremely beautiful sound better.
But the expression is certainly not incorrect in the way that Do you have dog? is.
This aspect of usage (the expected combination of words) is called collocation.
A grammarian would say that incredibly and beautiful collocate more strongly than completely and beautiful.
There are no collocation rules that the student of English can sensibly learn.
He or she must be prepared to use a dictionary in each case to find out about 
the expected word combinations, or to ask a native speaker.
An excellent modern alternative is to type the word combination into Google 
and see how many results are returned.
In the example above completely beautiful got 36,100 hits,
whereas incredibly beautiful got 861,000. It is very clear which is the stronger collocation 
(more common usage).
http://esl.fis.edu/grammar/rules/colloc.htm

p.s.  As a natural born English speaker I often use the synonyms option in MS Word
or a Thesaurus if I don’t want to repeat the same word in a sentence/paragraph.
Or I want to check the word’s generally understood meaning – its collocation
– is in harmony with what I want to express.
p.p.s. I don’t know why ‘do you have a dog?’ is wrong.
                  Should it be 'have you got a dog?'

Collocation:
A co-occurrence of words >
the association between two words that are typically or frequently used together.
The closeness of things >
an arrangement in which things are placed next to each other or close together.

http://esl.fis.edu/grammar/rules/colloc.htm

Turbo Charged Reading: Read fast>>>Remember all>>>Years later
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You can TCR specialist and language dictionaries that are spontaneously accessed.
I can Turbo Charge Read a novel 6-7 times faster and remember what I’ve read.
I can TCR an instructional/academic book around 20 times faster and remember what I’ve read.
Introduction to Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
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Emotions when Turbo Charged Reading YouTube

Advanced Reading Skills Perhaps you’d like to join my FaceBook group ?

Perhaps you’d like to check out my sister blogs:
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www.ourinnerminds.blogspot.com              which takes advantage of the experience and expertise of others.
www.happyartaccidents.blogspot.com       just for fun.

To quote the Dr Seuss himself, “The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn; the more places you'll go.”   

Saturday 25 June 2016

‘Can you teach well without a sound knowledge of educational theory? The answer is no’

Cockoo pint aka Lords and Ladies, Arum Lily.

‘Can you teach well without a sound knowledge of educational theory? The answer is no’
Janet Orchard

The structure of teacher training needs a radical overhaul, argues one leading education academic
On what evidence did George Bernard Shaw base his infamous slur
"Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach"?

In the case of teaching teachers, this simply isn’t my experience. Excellent classroom teachers
take up teacher education positions in universities as a positive mid-career choice.
It enables them to focus on developing teaching and the curriculum within their chosen subject specialism to a very high level. Teacher training offers them a high degree of professional autonomy in return and is intrinsically rewarding. This is just as well, because it is poorly paid
compared with comparable positions in school leadership.
Why, then, do negative views of teacher educators in England persist?
In a published pamphlet, Professor Chris Winch and I argue that the structure of teacher training may be contributing to teacher education’s image problem, so it needs a radical rethink.
We are not particularly concerned with the practical aspects of training,
as these seem to be well-established already within existing arrangements.
Broadly speaking, most trainee teachers undertake a form of internship or unpaid teaching practice for a total of 120 days in two contrasting schools, during a 36-week postgraduate certificate
in education (PGCE). A few are in effect "higher grade apprentices", so that in the case of Teach First, for example, new teachers balance university-based learning with paid employment.
Instead, we are concerned that teachers also need to know and understand educational theory
if they are to teach well, and this aspect of their professional knowledge is insufficiently developed at present. Teachers need to be able to plan successful lessons independently, and distinguish clear and legitimate aims from unclear and questionable ones. Teachers need to be able to communicate what they are doing clearly and coherently to parents and other stakeholders,
justifying their professional judgements with legitimate and contextually relevant reasons.
Solicitors are required to study law for three years (or undertake a conversion qualification)
followed by further training for at least two years, undertaken on the job.
Why are the same conventions not in place for teachers?

Teachers need to know and understand established theories that have stood the test of time
about how children learn, and apply them successfully to their practice. They use this knowledge
to distinguish new insights into learning, as they are identified by educational researchers,
from unsound ones. Those former teachers who have become teacher educators in universities
are best placed to lead trainee teachers’ engagement with theory of this kind.
They develop expertise in how to mediate theory to trainees appropriately,
becoming, in effect, bilingual through the process,
and well-versed in the language of both university and classroom culture. 

There are serious defects in the argument that the university-based element
of teachers’ professional formation is unnecessary. In particular, the idea that teaching can be done without an understanding of education’s underlying principles and practices is profoundly mistaken. The quality of practical judgement necessary to good teaching combines sophisticated theoretical understanding with practical expertise. Really good teachers are wise people,
able to judge time and again the right thing to do in the right way at the right time.
Yet, current programmes in England (unlike other jurisdictions) are simply not long enough
to do this careful balance justice.

We support the mixed economy of internship and higher grade apprenticeships
in teacher education, which are emerging through recent reforms to the sector.
However, we urge greater clarity and coherence with regard to the distinctive advantages,
as well as limitations, of each respective approach. Furthermore, we do not accept that either approach on its own is sufficient to guarantee quality in the next generation of classroom teachers. We advocate the introduction of an initial licensure for teachers to recognise the contribution these established programmes offer, whether through bachelor degrees with qualified teacher status, PGCEs, or the small number of employment-based routes into teaching.

We believe an additional period of further licensure is needed – leading to full licensure
after a three- to five-year period – to prepare teachers adequately for a fully fledged career
in teaching, and to support them through the trials and tribulations that are likely in the early years. As well as practical support from skilled mentors in schools, teachers should be entitled
to further subject-specific training, with flexible opportunities to work with experts in other schools as well as universities, who hold the keys to developing research-informed,
subject-specific professional learning communities. Teachers need grounding in recent research
in this extended period of professional theory underpinning their classroom practice,
as well as time to reflect on how that theory and personal practice may be integrated.

The schools minister, Nick Gibb, responding to a parliamentary question in the House of Commons earlier this month, assured us there is no "crisis" in the supply of teachers in England.
However, such assurances ring hollow to those of us engaged closely with trainee teachers
and teaching on the ground. 
Too many are leaving the profession and too few are coming in to replace them.

This is so sad. Teaching at its best is a brilliant job, whether it involves adults in universities
or pupils in schools, and the very best classroom teachers in action are an inspiration.
The best teachers love what they do and understand their work as a vocation.
They want to be left alone to get on with their work, without interference from policymakers
or overly directive school leaders and managers. However, to earn that autonomy teachers need
to know, understand and be able to apply the theory of education, so they have a clear
and legitimate basis on which to distinguish good ideas from bad ones.
‘What training do teachers need? Why teachers need theory’ is to be published by
the Philosophy of Education Society in Great Britain on Monday 30 November 2015
Dr Janet Orchard is senior lecturer and co-director of the secondary PGCE programme 
at the Graduate School of Education, University of Bristol

https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-views/can-you-teach-well-without-a-sound-knowledge-educational-theory

Turbo Charged Reading: Read fast>>>Remember all>>>Years later
Contact M’reen at: read@turbochargedreading.com

You can TCR software and engineering manuals for spontaneously recall – or pass that exam.
I can Turbo Charge Read a novel 6-7 times faster and remember what I’ve read.
I can TCR an instructional/academic book around 20 times faster and remember what I’ve read.
Introduction to Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
A practical overview of Turbo Charged Reading YouTube  
How to choose a book. A Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
Emotions when Turbo Charged Reading YouTube

Advanced Reading Skills Perhaps you’d like to join my FaceBook group ?

Perhaps you’d like to check out my sister blogs:
www.innermindworking.blogspot.com         gives many ways for you to work with the stresses of life
www.ourinnerminds.blogspot.com               which takes advantage of the experience and expertise of others.
www.happyartaccidents.blogspot.com        just for fun.

To quote the Dr Seuss himself, “The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn; the more places you'll go.

Wednesday 22 June 2016

Phrasal Verbs with TAKE: "take to", "take in", "take after"...



TRANSCRIPT
I'm Adam. Today's lesson is, again, phrasal verbs; everybody's favourite lessons.
Today, we're going to look at phrasal verbs using the verb "take".
Again, a quick review: what is a phrasal verb?
A phrasal verb is a verb and a preposition, when put together, giving different meanings.
Sometimes one, sometimes two, sometimes more.
So, today, we're going to look at "take out", "take in", "take over", "take up",-excuse me-
"take after", "take back", "take off", "take on", "take down", "take to".

Let's start with "take out". All of you, of course, know takeout food.
You go to McDonald's, they ask you if you want to eat in or take out.
So, take out means to take your food to go. That's one meaning.
Another meaning of "take out" is the literal meaning; exactly what the words mean.
For example, you have a turkey in the oven. It is finished cooking. You take it out of the oven.
Then, there is also the slang. If you want to take someone out, you kill them.
You see this in kind of the mob movies. They want to take someone out; they want to assassinate. Assassinate. I'll have to... Yeah, I'll leave that for now. Okay.

"Take in". What does "take in" mean? A few meanings as well.
The first is the most common one. If your clothes are too big, if you've lost some weight,
you might want to take in your shirt, or your dress, or your pants.
You take it to a tailor, and he or she will take it in; make it smaller, tighter.
Another meaning of "take in", for example, if you go outside your house and you see a cat,
and the cat is sitting there: "Meow, meow", you know, it's all sad and lonely. You take it in.
It doesn't mean you take it into your house. It, of course, means that.
But more, it means like adopt. You take it into your house; you give it a home, it’s part of the family.
So, you accept, you take in, you adopt something or someone.

"Take over". "Take over" means assume control of something.
So, for example, if I own a big company and you own a slightly smaller company,
but you're my competition, one way I can beat you is I can take over your company.
I can buy a lot of shares in your company, and I take over. I take control.
If we're going on a long road trip, and I'm driving and I'm getting tired,
I say: "Oh, can you take over the driving?" Means we switch, and you continue driving.

"Take up".
If you take up space, for example, it means you use. You use space. You take up space in a room.
Another way to say "take up" is you start to do something new, like a new hobby, or you start learning something new. So, recently, I took up Spanish. It means I started going to Spanish classes, and I started to learn Spanish.
Now, if you add "with", you can take something up with someone. It means you can discuss.
So, if you have a problem in your class and you're falling behind, and you're not doing so well,
take this problem up with your teacher. It means go to your teacher and discuss the situation.
See how you can fix it. Okay.

"After". If you take after someone, means you behave like them. It's very similar to look like,
except it's not about physical features; it's about personality. So, if you take after someone,
you are similar to someone in terms of character or behaviour.
So, for example, I take after my mother. My sister takes after my father. My father was
a very hot-tempered man. My sister's a very hot-tempered woman, so she takes after him.

"Take back". Again, two meanings. There's the literal meaning, so I lend you my pen. You use it.
You finished. I take it back. You give it back to me, it returns to me; I take it back.
Now, if I said something really mean to you or something not nice, or I made a promise
and then I take it back, it means I cancel what I said. So, if I said something that made you upset
and I take it back, it means I apologize. I take back the bad words and everything's okay, hopefully.
If I made a promise then take it back, it means I'm not going to do this promise anymore. Okay?
So you have to be a little bit careful about take backs.

"Take off". I think most of you know the airplane takes off. It goes down the runway,
then "whew," takes off.
But "take off" can also mean to be very successful or very quickly to do well. So, a business starts and, you know, the owners are doing what they can, but suddenly the business just takes off.
 It becomes very popular, very successful, making lots of money, hopefully, again.

English phrasal verbs - take after, take back, take down, take in
English and Russian online

Aprende inglés online - Phrasal Verbs 10 - take off

Turbo Charged Reading: Read fast>>>Remember all>>>Years later
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You can TCR music, poetry or self development material for internal knowing.
I can Turbo Charge Read a novel 6-7 times faster and remember what I’ve read.
I can TCR an instructional/academic book around 20 times faster and remember what I’ve read.
Introduction to Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
A practical overview of Turbo Charged Reading YouTube 
How to choose a book. A Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
Emotions when Turbo Charged Reading YouTube

Advanced Reading Skills Perhaps you’d like to join my FaceBook group ?

Perhaps you’d like to check out my sister blogs:
www.innermindworking.blogspot.com         gives many ways for you to work with the stresses of life
www.ourinnerminds.blogspot.com               which takes advantage of the experience and expertise of others.
www.happyartaccidents.blogspot.com        just for fun.

To quote the Dr Seuss himself, “The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn; the more places you'll go.”

Sunday 19 June 2016

A revolution in behaviour at Kingsbury School

Rhododendron.

A revolution in behaviour at Kingsbury School
Jamie Barton Assistant Headteacher, Kingsbury School and Sports College

When Ofsted labelled behaviour ‘Poor’, our new head knew that only by changing the culture,
and overhauling the climate for learning, would teachers be able to teach effectively.
Since February and the arrival of new headteacher, Mark Rhatigan, the senior leadership team (SLT) have been relentlessly supporting staff to make classrooms purposeful learning environments
where students can make progress.

Too many students were acting boisterously and dangerously; starts and ends of lessons
were chaotic with many students arriving late, and students were defiant towards teachers
who challenged them. Staff had given up teaching – they were just trying to get through.

The new head told the staff what we would do as a team and why.
He wanted them to be able to teach again so students could achieve. 
He established his vision with the students in assemblies to each year group
and we set about implementing it,
making sure all staff followed and if students weren’t on board, they were excluded.
"All meetings were cancelled as nothing was more important.
We were changing a culture, second by second, conversation by conversation."
This was now a ‘no touching’ school. Play-fighting saw a same-day detention.
Students sat boy, girl, boy, girl in rows; facing the front, no excuses.
They followed instructions first time, every time.
The mantra was adopted by staff across the school
and repeated by us as senior staff in the many post-exclusion meetings with parents.
We were in and out of lessons, every lesson – all meetings were cancelled as nothing was more important.  We were changing a culture, second by second, conversation by conversation.
This climate for learning established the next phase: a structure for learning and progress.
We did developmental work with staff on planning around the teacher standards,
setting a ‘Kingsbury Standard’ of non-negotiables: visible learning objectives and success criteria,
 a basic structure to lessons which would produce high quality outcomes.
We asked staff to write lesson plans and we gave them feedback. Every teacher had an ‘active file’ – we gave them the data for their groups through a computer programme called CLIPS
to produce meaningful seating plans so they could tailor questioning and activities in their lessons, differentiating through support and challenge effectively.
They kept records of CPD in these files too.
We gave additional support to those that didn’t meet the standards yet. Every lesson, we checked that staff were doing what we had asked them to do, giving them support and feedback
as necessary; collating these together at every SLT meeting, until we were sure it was embedded
and all were following expectations. It was relentless but staff welcomed it.
They were teaching and we were clear that they should ‘teach’ – lessons are for learning.
Ofsted agreed on their visit this June: ‘Teaching is improving’, they said.
HMI talked about staff morale and ‘team spirit’. The report (released today) was the best outcome we could have but it couldn’t have come without the relentless legwork to ensure consistency, underpinned by a firm belief that structure liberates children to achieve.


http://www.future-leaders.org.uk/insights-blog/revolution-behaviour-kingsbury-school/?gclid=Cj0KEQjw9tW5BRDk29KDnqWu4fMBEiQAKj7sp93dsSkf---NJnHw0uHPN11Wp4x0u5iIcjbufADBRqIaAtd-8P8HAQ 

Turbo Charged Reading: Read fast>>>Remember all>>>Years later
Contact M’reen at: read@turbochargedreading.com

You can TCR specialist and language dictionaries that are spontaneously accessed.
I can Turbo Charge Read a novel 6-7 times faster and remember what I’ve read.
I can TCR an instructional/academic book around 20 times faster and remember what I’ve read.
Introduction to Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
A practical overview of Turbo Charged Reading YouTube 
How to choose a book. A Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
Emotions when Turbo Charged Reading YouTube

Advanced Reading Skills Perhaps you’d like to join my FaceBook group ?

Perhaps you’d like to check out my sister blogs:
www.innermindworking.blogspot.com        gives many ways for you to work with the stresses of life
www.ourinnerminds.blogspot.com              which takes advantage of the experience and expertise of others.
www.happyartaccidents.blogspot.com       just for fun.

To quote the Dr Seuss himself, “The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn; the more places you'll go.”

Thursday 16 June 2016

Getting the Right Tutor for Your Child

Herb Robert growing through moss.

Getting the Right Tutor for Your Child
Suseelah Ayura

According to a recent Straits Times article, 7 in 10 parents in Singapore ensured that their children had extra lessons by either engaging a home tutor for their children or sending them
to tuition centres. Seventy percent of the 500 parents surveyed felt that extra tuition is necessary
to help their children to perform better in their daily schoolwork and improve their exam grades.

The 21st century is very competitive for students, particularly in Singapore,
where exemplary exam results and academic success are vital to a student's future.
Unfortunately, most of the teachers in our schools are often not able to give their students
the individual attention that they need to achieve their high levels of academic success
in their studies and exams.

Home Tutoring for the Struggling Student
Many students, often the underachievers and those with learning difficulties struggle in school
to cope with their daily homework and exam preparation. Often, it is not that they are not smart
nor that they are committed enough. Usually, it is because a student needs personalised guidance and training to perform better in his exams which are more challenging and demanding.

The key to enhancing a student's poor results in his exams is home tuition.
A home tutor will be able to adjust his teaching styles to suit the student's individual learning needs. The tutor can also focus and help by imparting him with vital skills and exam strategies
that will boost his self esteem and confidence to perform better in his studies and exams.

One of the most powerful tools and study strategies that a tutor can use is the internet.
With the whole world at the student's fingertips, there are always valuable study resources
and tools the student can easily access to improve his knowledge.
The internet offers a new perspective to students worldwide
and often brings about the epiphany that is the signal of true learning.

Home Tuition to Improve Examination Scores
A third of the 500 parents interviewed in the Straits Times study mentioned that their children scored higher grades and their academic results improved significantly prior to their engaging
a home tutor for their children. By engaging the right home tutor who is well qualified a
nd experienced, it is a success pathway for true academic achievement for a student.

General Tutor versus a Subject Specialist Tutor
A general tutor is usually able to help a student with their core subjects which are English, Maths, Science and Mother Tongue Language subjects. The tutor will teach and help the student
to study more effectively to perform better in his daily works and exams.
A subject specialist tutor will teach and train a student on a specific subject only.
For example, a student seeking to enter who wants to be a lawyer will need to ace his English
and General Paper. A subject specialist tutor can help a student to excel in the subject he is teaching by helping his student to focus more on exam strategies. He can also teach his student
how to apply the strategies successfully and effectively in his studies and exams.

Professional Tutors
In Singapore, where competitive testing is part of every student's daily challenges in his studies
and exams, there are thousands of people who can claim to be tutors. The most important thing
for parents or students to do is to engage tutors who are well trained, experienced and committed. Parents should always interview the tutor and check out his credentials,
experience and teaching philosophy before engaging the tutor.

Since home tuition is vital for the success of a student's performance in Singapore's
highly competitive academic world, parents should choose tutors wisely.

Engaging a home tutor is an investment that will pays dividends for a lifetime.

Copyright © Supergeniusiq All rights reserved.
Suseelah is the founder of SuperGeniusIQ Eduacational Consultancy, a home tuition agency
which focuses and specializes on bringing out the best in every child and individual.
She is also an experienced English Language teacher and special needs therapist
with more than 30 years of teaching experience.
http://www.supergeniusiq.com is the website of SuperGeniusiq. Parents and students can choose
a tutor or special needs therapist to improve their grades and study skills.
SuperGeniusIQ Home Tuition is constantly in touch with the changing educational system.
and aims to help students gain a competitive edge in our knowledge-based economy.
Parents are most welcome to contact us with their queries on any matters relating to their children's educational needs and concerns at 94526864 or email us at success@supergeniusiq.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Suseelah_Ayura/2288325

Turbo Charged Reading: Read fast>>>Remember all>>>Years later
Contact M’reen at: read@turbochargedreading.com

You can TCR software and engineering manuals for spontaneously recall – or pass that exam.
I can Turbo Charge Read a novel 6-7 times faster and remember what I’ve read.
I can TCR an instructional/academic book around 20 times faster and remember what I’ve read.
Introduction to Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
A practical overview of Turbo Charged Reading YouTube  
How to choose a book. A Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
Emotions when Turbo Charged Reading YouTube

Advanced Reading Skills Perhaps you’d like to join my FaceBook group ?

Perhaps you’d like to check out my sister blogs:
www.innermindworking.blogspot.com        gives many ways for you to work with the stresses of life
www.ourinnerminds.blogspot.com              which takes advantage of the experience and expertise of others.
www.happyartaccidents.blogspot.com       just for fun.

To quote the Dr Seuss himself, “The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn; the more places you'll go.

Monday 13 June 2016

Need to, have to, have got to, must - modals of necessity

This is a kingcup.


Turbo Charged Reading: Read fast>>>Remember all>>>Years later
Contact M’reen at: read@turbochargedreading.com

You can TCR music, poetry or self development material for internal knowing.
I can Turbo Charge Read a novel 6-7 times faster and remember what I’ve read.
I can TCR an instructional/academic book around 20 times faster and remember what I’ve read.
Introduction to Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
A practical overview of Turbo Charged Reading YouTube  
How to choose a book. A Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
Emotions when Turbo Charged Reading YouTube

Advanced Reading Skills Perhaps you’d like to join my FaceBook group ?

Perhaps you’d like to check out my sister blogs:
www.innermindworking.blogspot.com         gives many ways for you to work with the stresses of life
www.ourinnerminds.blogspot.com               which takes advantage of the experience and expertise of others.
www.happyartaccidents.blogspot.com        just for fun.

To quote the Dr Seuss himself, “The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn; the more places you'll go.”

Friday 10 June 2016

How to be a better reader


How to be a better reader

The importance of reading
Reading is an extremely important skill. It is by reading that you learn much of what you need
to know for your different school subjects. Reading is also an excellent way to improve
 your general English. You can only learn from reading, however, if what you read is not too difficult. For this reason, it is important to know what makes texts difficult
and how you can improve your chances of understanding them.

What makes texts difficult to understand
Most of your reading difficulties will be caused by a problem on the list below. Of course, when two  or more of these problems happen together, your chances of understanding will be even smaller.

the text has many unknown words
the text has long, complicated sentences
the text is about a topic you know nothing about
the text is about a topic you find boring
the text has small print, long paragraphs, no pictures
the text has been badly written
you are feeling tired
you are distracted
you don't know the important cohesion markers
you don't know why you have been asked to read the text

How to understand more of what you read
You can do nothing about some of the reading difficulties: for example, you can’t change the print
in a book or make poor writing better. But there are many things you can do that will give you
a better chance of understanding what you read. Here are some suggestions:

1. Know your reading purpose - The way you read a book or a text depends very much on your reasons for reading it. This is why it is so important to know your reading purpose.
You should read a question in your math exam differently from an entry in an encyclopaedia
which you are looking at quickly to find out the date of an event. The kind of reading you do in class or for your homework is different from how you read a novel for pleasure in the summer vacation.
If you know your reading purpose - perhaps by looking first at the questions you must answer
after reading - you can choose the best reading method.
If your teacher gives you something to read and doesn't tell you what you need to find out
from the text or what you will do after the reading, ask her (or him)!

2. Choose the appropriate reading speed - ESL students often take a long time to do their work because they read everything slowly and carefully.
Often, however, one of the following speed reading methods will be the best choice:
Skimming - this is reading a text quickly to find out what information it contains.
You should skim when, for example, you want to check if a text has the information you need
to answer some questions or write a project.
It is often enough to look at the first (and last) sentences in each paragraph.
Scanning - this is reading quickly to find a specific piece of information. You should scan when,
for example, you are looking for the answer to a question which you know is in the text.
In general, students should be trying to increase their reading speed.
(Click to do some speed reading practice.)

3. Get background information - Find something out about the topic you have to read.
The more background information you have, the easier it will be to understand the text.
You can get this background information background in your own language.
For example, if you are studying the Italian Renaissance, you could read an encyclopaedia or textbook in your own language to find out the most important details about this historical period.  
Your parents may also be able to give you useful background information.
Talk to them in your language.
You can sometimes get background information from the text itself. Many writers include
a conclusion or summary; if you read this first, it may give you a good start.

4. Use all the information in the book - Good textbooks are well-organised, with titles, sub-titles, introductions, summaries or conclusions. Many books also have pictures with captions.
Look at all these first before starting to read.
Another aspect of good writing is that each paragraph has a topic sentence. A topic sentence is
 a sentence, usually the first one in a paragraph, that contains the main idea of the paragraph.
If you concentrate on understanding the topic sentence, 
this may help you to understand what comes next.

5. Increase your vocabulary - Of course, reading itself is an excellent way to improve your vocabulary, but there are many other things you can do. (More advice on learning vocabulary.) 
The better your vocabulary, the easier you will find your reading.

6. Use your dictionary sensibly - A common mistake of ESL students is to look up each unknown word in the texts they are given to read. Occasionally this is necessary - for example, when reading examination questions. But it takes a long time and can be very boring. It can even make understanding more difficult because by the time you reach the end of the paragraph you have forgotten what you read at the beginning! (Advice on how and when to use your dictionary.)

7. Learn the important words that organise text - When you read texts in your science or history books, you will find that most good writers organise their writing with cohesion markers (also called transition words). These are words that connect different parts of the writing and help writers structure their thoughts. If you learn the important cohesion markers, you will find it easier to understand the text.
Here are some important cohesion markers: also, therefore, except, unless,however, instead, (al)though, furthermore, moreover, nevertheless, on the other hand, as a result, despite, in conclusion.

8. Choose the right place to read - You can’t really expect to understand a difficult book if you are trying to read in the same room with the television on and your little brother distracting you. The same goes for reading in the bus on the way to school. You also can’t expect to read a textbook and listen to music at the same time. Try to find a quiet and comfortable place with good light, and your dictionaries and other materials nearby.

9. Choose the right time to read - If you have a difficult text to read for homework, it’s probably best to do this first. If you leave it until last when you are tired, you will find it even more difficult.
Important: If you have tried the advice above and you still cannot understand a text, then it is simply too hard for you. Stop reading and ask someone to help you (your ESL teacher, for example!). Nobody likes to give up, but you will just be wasting your time if you continue to work at a text that is beyond you.

What to read
Most of the time you have to read what your teachers tell you to read. But as you know, reading is an excellent way to improve your English, and so you should try to do some extra reading each week. Here is some advice on how to choose what to read:
Try not to read something too difficult - There should be no more than about 6-10 new words per page; reading for pleasure should not be hard work!

Reading easy books is good for you -You will improve your reading skills even if you read simple books, as long as you read lots of them. (But you may find you don't really enjoy stories written in English that has been over-simplified.)

Try to read some non-fiction - Reading non-fiction books or magazines will help you learn some of the words you need to do well in your subject classes. There are millions of pages of non-fiction on the world wide web!

Choose something that is interesting to you - This is clear. In fact, if you are really interested in a topic, you will probably be able to understand texts that would normally be too difficult for you.
Surf the internet - You can learn a lot of English just by surfing around on the websites that interest you. This is particularly true if the webpages contain pictures that help you understand the writing.
http://esl.fis.edu/learners/advice/read.htm

Turbo Charged Reading: Read fast>>>Remember all>>>Years later
Contact M’reen at: read@turbochargedreading.com

You can TCR specialist and language dictionaries that are spontaneously accessed.
I can Turbo Charge Read a novel 6-7 times faster and remember what I’ve read.
I can TCR an instructional/academic book around 20 times faster and remember what I’ve read.
Introduction to Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
A practical overview of Turbo Charged Reading YouTube  
How to choose a book. A Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
Emotions when Turbo Charged Reading YouTube

Advanced Reading Skills Perhaps you’d like to join my FaceBook group ?

Perhaps you’d like to check out my sister blogs:
www.innermindworking.blogspot.com        gives many ways for you to work with the stresses of life
www.ourinnerminds.blogspot.com              which takes advantage of the experience and expertise of others.
www.happyartaccidents.blogspot.com       just for fun.

To quote the Dr Seuss himself, “The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn; the more places you'll go.”   

Tuesday 7 June 2016

The government’s education policy is an ‘assault on childhood’,

Blue forget-me-nots peeping through ground elder.



The government’s education policy is an ‘assault on childhood’,
says children's author Meg Rosoff

Many pupils in the UK suffer from mental health problems and believe
"nothing is more important than exams", Rosoff warns

Award-winning children’s author Meg Rosoff has attacked the government’s over-focus on exams, claiming that teaching and learning has become “joyless”.
The author, who won the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in Sweden last night,
described the UK’s government’s approach to young people as an “assault on childhood”.
Speaking at the award ceremony in Stockholm, Ms Rosoff told the audience that she has met 
many children in the UK who believe "that nothing is more important than exams,
that they must cram as much information into their brains as possible, that they must be literate
and read books – but it is OK to close libraries and do away with librarians".

"The government says that children must not daydream or waste time or look out of the window.  The government says that art and music and books will not help children to be successful –
in other words, to make lots of money."
She added: "I meet these children all the time. Sometimes they get great marks on their exams.
And sometimes they cut themselves with razors, starve themselves, suffer depression and anxiety."
The author's attack on the government's approach to education follows widespread opposition
from parents, teachers and unions to library closures across the UK
and tougher primary assessments.

'Learning has become joyless'
While accepting the internationally recognised £430,000 award for her literature, Ms Rosoff added: "Teachers are not allowed to waste time either. They have boxes to tick and forms to fill out. Perhaps that is why teachers in the UK are resigning in record numbers
from what has become a joyless profession.
"Learning has become joyless as well, but students are not able to quit. Instead, they carry on, trained through childhood not to daydream, not to use their imaginations, not to play.
“In Britain we are experiencing, quite literally, an assault on childhood."

The UK-based author, known for her young adult novels How I Live Now 
and Picture Me Gone, added that she was “so honoured”
to be the recipient of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA) for 2016 – 
the world's biggest award for children's and young adult literature. 
Ms Rosoff, who beat off competition from hundreds of entrants, added that she kept 
"waiting for it to sink in, to become normal, but it just keeps leaping up to astonish me".
 https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-news/governments-education-policy-assault-childhood-says-childrens-author

Turbo Charged Reading: Read fast>>>Remember all>>>Years later
Contact M’reen at: read@turbochargedreading.com

You can TCR software and engineering manuals for spontaneously recall – or pass that exam.
I can Turbo Charge Read a novel 6-7 times faster and remember what I’ve read.
I can TCR an instructional/academic book around 20 times faster and remember what I’ve read.
Introduction to Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
A practical overview of Turbo Charged Reading YouTube  
How to choose a book. A Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
Emotions when Turbo Charged Reading YouTube

Advanced Reading Skills Perhaps you’d like to join my FaceBook group ?

Perhaps you’d like to check out my sister blogs:
www.innermindworking.blogspot.com         gives many ways for you to work with the stresses of life
www.ourinnerminds.blogspot.com               which takes advantage of the experience and expertise of others.
www.happyartaccidents.blogspot.com        just for fun.

To quote the Dr Seuss himself, “The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn; the more places you'll go.