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Original poster

Any way to prepare for 11+ by stealth

16 replies

tutorproof · 11/05/2015 22:54

As my name suggests, I don't really think I'm up for tutoring.

Main reason (apart from cost) is that I don't want DS to be under unnecessary pressure.

He's bright but tends to shy away from things if there's a lot of expectation. He has a tendency to do the least required too.

I would like him to take 11+ as I want him to have as many choices as possible. We were in catchment for great comp but this year would have not got in (oversubscribed) so I'm panicking slightly.

Are there any ways to prepare him without telling him? He's only in year 4 although some of his classmates have tutors already ð??¢

He's not keen on reading but still very keen to be read to. We discuss vocab etc.

Are there any apps etc that would fit the bill?

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AlrightChuck · 11/05/2015 22:59

I think it depends on what you mean by 11+

If it's a true grammar school county/area where 25% go to grammar school, I think you can probably do gentle home prep with a bright child.

If it's a super-selective area, where 5% get in as is the case around London and Surrey, I don't think you're being fair if you don't prep accordingly.

Just my view - hundreds here will come along and disagree!

TigerFeat · 11/05/2015 23:09

I personally think he needs to be on board and fully understanding of what's required of him. Grammar schools are competitive and challenging and the 11+ circus is, unfortunately, the start of all that.

Original poster
tutorproof · 11/05/2015 23:23

It's not super selective - around 10 to 15% (Warwickshire)

I agree he needs to be on board but it feels so far away. He will take test in 2016.

I'm happy to push him a bit more from January maybe, but wanted to do some gentle prep in the meantime.

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TigerFeat · 11/05/2015 23:49

Im in a similar position actually. I can't get ds to sit still long enough to eat his tea never mind do extra study. I'm thinking of this for him. He's bright enough, and very keen so I think we should give it a proper go.

My dd, also bright, was never up for it at all. In fact she was very resistant to the whole idea. Stealth tutoring didn't help and in fact we just had to accept that the grammar route wasn't for her.

I know a few people that did it all very successfully themselves, but there was nothing stealth about it.

GoodArvo · 12/05/2015 07:27

I don't think it's fair to get a child to do an exam they're not prepared for. How do you think it would feel to get only half a paper done, because you've never done some of it before while watching other children getting it all done?

He's in year 4 so I would suggest taking him to the Open Evenings for the schools you're thinking of. If he likes the schools that may help to motivate him.

If this is something you and he want, you both need to work at it. A few goes on an app isn't going to cut it.

There's Bond-online, which is alright, but he would need to do written practice papers as well, because the tests are written.

Original poster
tutorproof · 12/05/2015 07:39

You are right of course.

He doesn't know what he wants at the moment as we're trying not to talk about it too much - but going to open evenings this year rather than next is a good idea.

He has one particular friend he's very close to at the moment who will not be doing 11+. It's unlikely they'll end up in same school as school places are incredibly tight at the moment and we're in different catchments.

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iseenodust · 12/05/2015 10:34

For now I would choose games over 'practice'. So Boggle, Monopoly, Scrabble, Smath, One Two Bee, Bananagrams, story cubes, Top Trumps.

DS's HT always recommends audio books for improving vocab & concentration. We mixed Mr Gum, Atticus the Greek, Narnia, Gerald Durrell etc. The library has a good audio selection in the children's area.

Original poster
tutorproof · 12/05/2015 10:41

He loves audio books and we do play a lot of board games so we'll definitely keep those up.

He's been listening to the Famous Five for ages now though - he must know it off by heart, so maybe I need to treat him to some new ones.

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Elibean · 12/05/2015 13:32

I would definitely second the early visits to open days etc - for my dd (who is not one to be dictated to) it helped clarify exactly what she would need to do and why! Until then, the whole thing seemed like 'grown up nonsense' to her, not surprisingly as both her school and her family also think a lot of the stress and competition is 'grown up nonsense'! But we wanted her to have options, and as we're not church goers that meant keeping 11+ in mind.

Squeebles for maths speed/tables etc, family games of synonyms/antonyms in the car, that kind of thing helped - asking her about books that she read, too (what she liked or didn't, why, how the characters seemed etc).

That said, we did insist on some practice papers for a couple of weeks before the tests (would have been earlier, but she had flu) and just as well - they were quite different from the format she was used to, and she needed the practice.

Good luck!

TheFirstOfHerName · 12/05/2015 15:02

I called it "brain training".
I started DS1 in the summer of Y4 with a mixture of number and word puzzles, and also increased the range of reading material to include books written a while ago. This enabled him to experience a wider vocabulary, including the sorts of words popular with crossword setters and the writers of verbal reasoning questions.

TheoreticalOrder · 12/05/2015 16:48

We started stuff with my DS at the beginning of Y5. We had a tutor Shock. We deliberately chose him as he's great fun and DS adored him, he looked forward to the 45 minute sessions each week. I heard lots and lots of laughing during each session, and DS wanted to do well, for himself and also for the tutor, as he liked and respected him so much.

The tutor still comes round, now for DD, and if he sees DS, hoists him upside down by the ankles and swings him round, to squeals of glee. Tutoring is made out to be such an evil stressful thing on MN and that is so far removed from our experience.

DS is a stressy sort, so we minimised everything by preparing him as well as we could, only visiting the local grammar and not the super selctive he is now going to, so it wasn't on the radar and he didn't feel pressured to get a top score to get in there. We even did some Mindfulness with him. Grin

At the end of the day though, the child has to be prepared to do the work, they have to want it I think. I think if they aren't prepared to do prep for the test, then will they be prepared to do the work at grammar?

Original poster
tutorproof · 12/05/2015 19:23

This is all great advice, thank you.

I completely accept he needs to want to do the work. However he is quite fidgety/easily distracted still.

He's always been like this but he's getting better as he matures. My worry is not pushing him too soon iyswim.

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Original poster
tutorproof · 12/05/2015 19:33

Theoretical, your tutor sounds fab. Do you think he would travel Grin

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TheoreticalOrder · 12/05/2015 19:39
Grin
Original poster
tutorproof · 14/05/2015 11:15

I've ordered him a sudoku book.

Grin
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Original poster
tutorproof · 16/05/2015 10:23

Explore learning are giving free trial sessions in our supermarket at the moment.

I'm skeptical but might try it out.

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