SHOREHAM ACADEMY INDUCTION

IMPROVING LITERACYReading, Vocabulary &

Writing

Gaining Independence

There is no getting away from it reading is essential for improving a whole range of academic and personal pursuits

You may as well accept it. START READING NOW!

Our Society Respects the written word

SHOREHAM ACADEMY INDUCTION

WHY IS READING SO IMPORTANT?

Answers USA 180 days Japan 243 days South Korea 220 days England & Wales 190 days Germany 240 days Scotland 200 days Ireland 184 daysSource: Michael Barrett, ‘The case for

more school days’ 1990

Before we talk about reading: These are the number of school days we have

Conclusion UK students (probably) study far fewer days

than their global competitors - based on 1990 data.

That means that if students don't study hard outside lessons then this becomes a double whammy - less time studying in school, less time studying at home.

We mustn't be surprised if we eventually do not compete well against global applicants.

Added to that…Long summers

Many cultures do not have long summer holidays like we have in the UK - up to 6 weeks in some cases.

Longer if you finished GCSEs in June - close to 8 or 9 weeks.

Evidence suggests that over the break students (some, not all) actually end the long summer holiday with lower reading scores than before the holiday.

Oh..oh…

Although…Long summers The pattern varied by social class - middle

class students do not drop behind. Often their parents push them to study over

the holiday and provide resources and supervision and support.

Poorer students are the ones most likely to fall behind. When poorer students are at school, reading tests scores increase rapidly and, over the school year, poorer children score as well as middle class.

Some students believe that the more examinations they take, the more attractive they are to university admissions tutors

However, at the most competitive universities, they

will try to explore your wider interest in learning.

You need to show that you have read and researched beyond the demands of the examination.

Too many students read the minimum required to get a good grade yet apply to competitive universities that demand wider interest in the subject area.

Wider Reading is essential

Reading can broaden your general vocabulary which can be used in your projects or essays as well as everyday conversation and in the workplace

Reading can broaden your perspective, your views on how you see life. Depending on what you read, your outlook and sense of who you are can change.

When you find a book that grips you, reading can be a fantastic way to spend your time.

Vocabulary

1. If you are unsure of an area that interests you… just try to read more as it improves your vocabulary and can extend your thinking beyond examinations

2. Ask your teachers about texts that would be useful to read.

3. Explore the books being published by lecturers at university that are at the cutting edge.

4. You can do this by using university websites - find out about the lecturers then research their books advertised on the university site or using search engines such as www.google.co.uk

Tips for reading

5. Visit a large bookstore and just browse until you find something of interest.6. Use contacts at school/college to gain access to a local university web site and spend time researching and reading. This can be a useful holiday pursuit.7. Read a magazine or quality newspaper such as The Times, Guardian, Telegraph, Independent, Herald, Western Mail, Belfast Telegraph, Scotsman.

Tips for reading

8. Do your own research. If you read a book that is of interest, look at the bibliography at the back listing books that have been read by the author and use this source as a trail to other books that might interest you.9. Set up a reading blog or use social networking sites to share recommended reads

Tips for reading

SHOREHAM ACADEMY INDUCTION

WRITING?

1. Good writers have to continually revise and rewrite until they are satisfied with the final result.

Don’t underestimate the time this takes.

2. Talk to people about your research and explain it to them. By explaining it to others you will explain it to yourself.

Ten Steps to Effective Writing

3. Always keep in mind your original research aims and research questions and remind the reader of these at regular intervals: This could be in the; introduction, literature review, methodology, findings – in virtually in every section - you need to remind the reader (and yourself) what your research is about.

4. Always keep in mind the central point or findings of your report and emphasise these in your writing. Emphasise them in the results section and emphasise them again in the conclusion.

Ten Steps to Effective Writing

5. Start writing early. Not last minute.com Write a section at a time as you complete them; don’t try writing the report all at once.

Give yourself plenty of time for revision (as in re-checking), correcting and for formatting the document – this can be very time consuming.

Ten Steps to Effective Writing

6. Write with the ear.

A sentence may look correct on paper, but often sounds jumbled or rambling if read aloud. ‘Listen’ to your sentences in your head as you write, and do not write anything that sounds false or uncomfortable to say aloud.

Ten Steps to Effective Writing

7. Write for the eye as well.

Make the document visually appealing, and use plenty of white space in margins, between sections and paragraphs to make the document look attractive.

Usually 1.5 Spacing is recommended.

Ten Steps to Effective Writing

8. Keep your writing clear and simple. Avoid long, convoluted sentences - and don’t fill them with jargon or pretentious waffle..

Ten Steps to Effective Writing

9. If you are concerned about your spelling and grammar, try and get your sections proof read before you hand them to your teacher.

Proof-reading is not a task you should expect your teacher, tutor or any member of staff at the School of Management to do, as it is time-consuming and not their responsibility.

You could ask a friend, relative or another student

Ten Steps to Effective Writing

10. Don’t forget the basics of PEEPOINT – Make itEVIDENCE – Prove it and supports it, evidence itEXPLAIN or EVALUATE – provide the positives and negativesAt Level 3 you will also be required to add;Conclusions and Further Recommendations – what do you think about it what you have said?

Ten Steps to Effective Writing

Basic Essentials: On every document

UNIT # & TITLE

YOUR NAME

UNIT CRITERIA/SUBHEADI

NG