The Essential Guide to O Level Comprehension
Register your interest for our November/December Workshops now!
Details
Duration: 2 days X 3 hours 15mins a day (inclusive of a 15min break)
Level: Secondary 3 / Secondary 4
Workshop class size: 6 students
Workshop mode: Centre-Based
It goes without saying that O Level English is one of the trickiest subjects to prepare for. For many students, especially those who struggle with the language, they resign themselves to not preparing for O Level English at all, believing that their low standard of English is immutable and will thus always translate to Bs or Cs. Students are often overwhelmed by the numerous components tested, and are often stumped as to how to improve at each of them.
Tackle some of these intimidating components in our Essential Guide to O Level Comprehension workshop. If you have been feeling particularly stumped by Paper 2 (Comprehension), despair no longer! Learn tips and tricks to master two of the most challenging components in the O Levels: Narrative Comprehension and Non-Narrative Comprehension. Studying and preparing for Paper 2 (Comprehension) will surely become less of a chore for you after attending this course!
Workshop Creator’s Note:
Hello everyone! My name is Ms Geraldine and I teach and write the Secondary School Syllabus (Wordstruck) at Lil’ But Mighty. For many of my students, Paper 2 (Comprehension) is a sore spot for them. This Paper 2 crash course is hence dedicated to them, as well as any student who is looking for an accessible, bite-sized breakdown of the different question types that occur in Narrative and Non-Narrative Comprehension! I am sure you will walk away from this programme feeling more confident in tackling the behemoth that is O Level Paper 2 (Comprehension)!
Workshop Features:
1. Learn how to identify and approach essential question types commonly tested at the O Levels in Paper 2: Comprehension.
- Literal
- Quotation
- Inferential
- Language Use for Impact
- Global Evaluative
- Literal
- Quotation
- Inferential
- Talking Heads
- Summary
3. Complete a Non-Narrative Comprehension Practice independently and receive on-the-spot feedback plus discussion regarding your answers.
4. Complete a Guided Summary Practice with your teacher. Your teacher will model steps that you should take when completing summary writing during examinations.
Here’s what parents have been sharing about us!
“I have really enjoyed the Lil’ But Mighty O Level Comprehension Workshop. Not only was the workshop very engaging with simplified notes for greater understanding, it also covered a variety of questions in both Narrative and Non-narrative comprehensions, from the easier question types such as the Quotation and Literal question types, to questions which involved more critical thinking like Inferential and Language Use for Impact question types. This definitely boosted my confidence in answering similar questions during other comprehension practices. There were also many tips and strategies that I found were straightforward to remember, with TAPS being one of them to reduce careless mistakes in comprehension practices. I will definitely be using this technique more often as I do tend to make simple mistakes easily. I would certainly recommend this workshop to all who would like to achieve a greater understanding of how to answer both Narrative and Non-narrative comprehension..”
“The S3/S4 Compre workshop at LBM was incredibly beneficial for my O Level preparations. The workshop materials were well-designed and structured, making it easy to follow and enjoyable to learn from. I found myself engaged throughout the class, especially appreciating how each day flowed seamlessly with a mix of theory and practice. The coverage of comprehension objectives was thorough, and the workshop definitely boosted my confidence in tackling different question types. The strategies taught were effective and easy to apply, noticeably improving my approach to comprehension. Two days felt like an adequate duration, though I left wanting more due to the engaging sessions. Overall, the teacher’s interaction and delivery were outstanding, making learning both effective and enjoyable. LBM’s small class sizes also ensured personalized attention, enhancing my learning experience significantly.”
“The S3/4 compre workshop that I attended managed to cover every aspect of my school’s O Level comprehension. Not only that but the materials provided exceeded my expectations and managed to provide examples of all the question types, strategies to respond to them and more. The worksheets also managed to cover every aspect of comprehensions as it includes both narrative and non-narrative comprehension tips. This allowed me to gain a massive boost in my comprehension understanding and answering methods. In fact, one of my favourite strategies taught was the SCOL method for summary. It taught me easy and effective ways to paraphrase which improved my grades in the summary section. My teacher (Ms Geraldine) was also key to my understanding of the worksheets and new skills! She managed to explain the worksheets clearly and identify common mistakes made by students in examinations, providing solutions through the tips to solve the mistakes. Thanks LBM!”
“The workshop flow was really smooth and I felt engaged through out class where Ms G thoroughly explained and went through both Non-narrative and Narrative Comprehension content. I liked that there were acronyms given as a reminder of what to take note of when tackling the comprehension segments. One such acronym that I have started using in school is TAPS; Tense, Answer, Punctuation and Spelling. This acronym reminds me to better understand questions so that I am able to provide more accurate responses without making any tense, punctuation or spelling mistakes. The duration of the workshop was sufficient since Ms G was able to go through the notes, provide me and my peers ample time to complete the practices and go through the answers too. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop and I feel more confident thanks to Ms G’s guidance. If given the opportunity, I would love to attend another workshop at LBM, taught by Ms G.”
“This past June holidays, I participated in a 2-day English comprehension workshop that focused on different aspects of reading comprehension. It was a fantastic experience that significantly improved my understanding of how to tackle reading passages effectively. Acronyms such as SCOL and TAPS really ingrained helpful tips into my mind to do better, too. Ms. Geraldine, the workshop instructor, deserves high praise for her engaging and informative teaching style. Her kindness and patience created a comfortable learning environment where everyone felt encouraged to participate. Overall, I highly recommend this workshop to anyone looking to strengthen their English comprehension skills. The combination of in-depth instruction, practical exercises, and Ms. Geraldine’s guidance made it a truly worthwhile learning experience.”
Register your interest for our November/December Workshops now!
Problems Secondary Students Face in Paper 2 (Comprehension):
- “How can I take steps to improve my comprehension score?”
- “Why am I scoring so poorly even though I understand the passage?”
- “What is the question asking me to do?”
- “When is it acceptable to lift the answer from the passage? When is it not acceptable to do this?”
- “When am I supposed to use my own words when expressing my answer?”
- “What are the different literary devices and writing techniques I may be tested on and how do I analyse them?”
Overwhelmed with these questions and constantly mediocre scores, many students often feel demoralised whenever they think about Paper 2 (Comprehension).
What is Our Solution?
To help students efficiently prepare for Paper 2 (Comprehension), this course will provide them with the solution to all the above questions.
Namely, we will train them how to identify the different question types that arise across Narrative Comprehension and Non-Narrative Comprehension. Students will also be taught about the question requirements for the respective question types, so that they know how to approach them and obtain high marks!
The notes provided during this workshop are reusable and should be constantly reviewed and utilised by students. The notes are applicable to all school practices, assessments, and O Level papers. Students are encouraged to thus use the notes while they attempt future comprehension practices in school. By doing so, students will grow familiar with how to identify all question types and their requirements, letting them efficiently prepare for their O Levels!
It is time to stop groping in the dark by attempting those questions with a clear idea of what they are and what needs to be done to find the answers.