ATTACK TESTS which will help you to group pupils correctly.

Each test consists of 200 words taken from ATTACK lessons. All the 100 irregular words are used in each of the three tests. The regular words differ.

When testing use a sentence to give meaning where necessary.

e.g. ‘THERE is your dog’ or ‘Bob and Jane gave a bone to THEIR dog’.

Pupils should write horizontally or in columns, whichever they prefer.

Pupils should write just the initial letter if they cannot spell the whole word. This gives them something to do and saves embarrassment.

Pupils should be allowed to stop when they are making frequent errors.

Stop scoring when 5 errors have been made.

The following table will help you to determine the starting point for each pupil.

SCORE
190+……….pupils should be ready for ADVANCED ATTACK.

                                         NOTES
180+……….lesson 85A     Underestimate rather than overestimate the level at
170+……….lesson 80A     which to start each pupil.
160+……….lesson 75A
150+……….lesson 70A     The aim is to have every pupil, in every group, get
140+……….lesson 65A     everything right every time.
130+……….lesson 60A
120+……….lesson 55A     To group pupils so that they make errors is to reinforce
110+……….lesson 50A     incorrect spelling.
100+……… lesson 45A
  90+……….lesson 40A     Do not ‘promote’ pupils to a higher group so that they
  80+……….lesson 35A     are working at a level of incompetence.
  70+……….lesson 30A
  60+……….lesson 25A     If pupils say ‘It’s easy for me’ they may enjoy the feeling
  50+……….lesson 20A     of being in control – for once!!!
  40+……….lesson 15
  30+……….lesson 10A     Allow, at least, two terms before re-testing.
  20+……….lesson 6
  20- ……….lesson 1A       Testing should be done at the beginning of the Autumn
                                          Term and never at the end of the Summer Term.

When using ATTACK as a Whole School programme we suggest that :-

1. in a large school pupils should be grouped, according to test results, within their own year group. Although, sometimes, it is better to put two years together.
2. in a small school pupils should be grouped, according to test results, within the
whole school but with consideration for their age and self-esteem.

WE HAVE TAKEN GREAT CARE TO COMPILE AND PROOF READ THESE LESSONS. NEVERTHELESS, IF YOU FIND AN ERROR, HOWEVER SMALL, PLEASE PHOTOCOPY THE LESSON, OUTLINE THE ERROR IN RED AND SEND IT TO US. WE WILL RETURN AN AMENDED REPLACEMENT IMMEDIATELY.