QTS Literacy Booster
Session 1
Monday 18th March 2013
QTS Literacy
Today’s agenda
stevepadget89@gmail.com
Introductions
Rationale for the test
Where are the problems?
Spelling practice
– Doubling consonants
– Awkward words
– Homophones
 Punctuation exercise
 Matters arising
 What to do this week
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Grammar.
The difference between
feeling your nuts
and
feeling you’re nuts!
What is being tested?
“In the context of our professional duties we must
be able to explain complex ideas to a wide audience
in a clear, accurate and unambiguous way.”
It is this a specific, professional use of English that
is being tested.
3.3 Demonstrate an understanding of and take responsibility for promoting
high standards of literacy, articulacy and the correct use of standard English,
whatever the teacher’s specialist subject.
Teachers’ Standards 2012
The teacher’s knowledge of English
 A knowledge of how the English language is
organised
 The competence to guide children in their reading,
writing, speaking and listening.
 The ability to digest large quantities of written
material in a wide variety of forms.
 To be able to compose, individually or as part of a
team, documents of a professional nature.
 Teachers are in the spotlight and need to be good
role models.
Spelling – doubling consonants
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Accommodation
Apprentice
Committee
Professional
Exaggerate
Success
Harass
Assess
Misspell
Occurrence
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Abbreviate
Challenge
Immeasurable
Disappear
Curriculum
Grammar
Vacillate
Succeed
Permission
Parallel
Spelling – awkward words
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Illuminating
Independently
Formally
Procedural
Unnecessary
Preference
Ineffective
Predecessor
Acknowledge
Grammatically
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Anxiety
Exaggerated
Exhaustive
Justifiable
Omitted
Implementation
Mathematical
Perpetrator
Commemorative
Relieved
How did you do?
 What was your score?
 Did any of the errors surprise you?
 Did you come across words you didn’t know
you could spell?
 Highlight your errors – is there a pattern?
Spelling – homophones
 The children took too my personality.
Mnemonic
 Two days ago, I went to work despite feeling
too tired to get up.
 People off all ages.
Spelling – homophones
verb
contraction
sounds like
 Could have
 Could’ve
 Could of
 Should have
 Should’ve
 Should of
 Would have
 Would’ve
 Would of
 Must have
 Must’ve
 Must of
shudder (conditional verb)
“I shudder gone to school today.”
Spelling – homophones
 Allot
 A lot
 Meet
 Meat
 Aloud
 Allowed
 Pare
 Pear
 Ate
 Eight
 Practise
 Practise
 Doe
 Dough
 Read
 Red
 Due
 Dew
 Sore
 Saw
 Hare
 Hair
 Wait
 Weight
 Lead
 Led
 Wear
 Where
 Lent
 Leant
 Wheel
 Weal
Spelling – homophones
 ere
 here
 their
 This is a possessive pronoun
 where
 there
These are words to
do with place.
These three words are
not related in any way
 they’re
 This is a contraction of ‘they are’
Spelling strategies
• Look carefully at words that you regularly get wrong – and break them
down into bits
(this will help you to see how the part of
the word that you got wrong works - it will also provide you with a mnemonic
to help you to remember the word in the future.)
• Do you always hear this word correctly?
Sometimes people miss out or mispronounce syllables
(e.g. Febuary instead of February)
• It is essential to note and practice words or particular latter sequences within
words that cause you problems - little and often is the rule.
• A lot of being able to spell is using your visual memory.
Punctuation – the problem
Task
Fashion Show and Prom
With
a partner
add the
the annual fashion show was held in the
school
auditorium
on necessary
february 23rd as
punctuation:
always the night was a sellout with almost
two hundred people watching the show
a number of year 11 students modelled
dresses
from belle evening wear and
capital
letters
tuxedos from toughgear menswear everyone looked stunning in their prom dresses
full an
stops
and tuxedos and the evening ended with
auction of dates which raised
hundreds of pounds for the prom fund
thank you to everyone who took part or
commas
helped on the evening the prom was held on june 28th at lumley castle once again
the event was a massive success even hyphen
if it meant year 11 students having to brave
the weather to celebrate their time at (and
easington
community
science
college over
a sneaky
paragraph
break)
one hundred staff and students attended and enjoyed the prom awards and disco
this, explain/discuss
year 11 voted dominic curry as prom As
kingyou
anddolindsey
wharton as prom with
queen
your
partner
whybrown
you are
the the
everyone had a fantastic time and a big
thanks
to lynda
formaking
coordinating
changes.
event
Punctuation – the solution
The annual Fashion Show was held in the school auditorium on February 23rd.
As always, the night was a sell-out, with almost two hundred people watching the
show.
A number of Year 11 students modelled dresses from Belle Evening Wear and
tuxedos from Toughgear Menswear. Everyone looked stunning in their prom
dresses and tuxedos, and the evening ended with an ‘auction of dates’ which
raised hundreds of pounds for the Prom Fund. Thank you to everyone who took
part or helped on the evening.
The Prom was held on June 28th at Lumley Castle. Once again the event was a
massive success, even if it meant Year 11 students having to brave the weather to
celebrate their time at Easington Community Science College.
Over one hundred staff and students attended and enjoyed the Prom Awards and
disco. Year 11 voted Dominic Curry as Prom King and Lindsey Wharton as
Prom Queen. Everyone had a fantastic time and a big thanks to Lynda Brown
for coordinating the event.
Web links
Spellzone
www.spellzone.com
Some useful free stuff here but to get the full benefit you’d have to subscribe –
worth looking at for the freebies although it is aimed at a younger audience.
DfE site – QTS test area
http://www.education.gov.uk/QTS/Literacy/assessment_engine.html
Where the practice tests are (as I’m sure you already know).
Grammar monster
http://www.grammar-monster.com/easily_confused/practice_practise.htm
Really useful, free to access, lots of helpful supportive stuff.
Creative Openings (my website)
http://www.steveslearning.com
There will shortly be a page on this site in support of the QTS Literacy Skills Test
What to do this week
•Do practice tests & bring
the results to class next week.
•Follow the on-line links and
see how the materials can help
You..
•Get a copy of the book.
Further awkward words
The vexed issue of
apostrophes
Colons and semi colons
Surgery – bring your practice
test results