Introduction
English Language: AQA A Level, topic 2.3.1
Introduction
For many children, learning to read is a very difficult process. By the end of this section, you will be able to see how learning to read works linguistically for children.
Paper 1
- Children’s Language Development (6-11 years) forms 30% of the marks on paper 1.
- You will be given some data and asked to evaluate a viewpoint on a child’s linguistic development.
Mark scheme
- You are assessed on:
- AO1: terminology and coherency.
- AO2: theories and concepts.
- They are 15 marks each.
Literacy
- You will be expected to pick out features from the data and comment on these in relation to the question and theory you have studied.
- This section will cover literacy (reading and writing) development.
The big debates in reading
- As with anything you study in English Language, there are debates on the best way for a child to learn to read.
- You will need to be aware of these debates and bring them in where necessary in your exam.
Examining writing in the exam
- The final aspect of children’s language development that you need to know about for your exam is about how a child learns to write.
- In the exam, you will be given a picture of a child’s work and, if needed, a transliteration (what is written).
- You may also get a teacher’s feedback on the work.