Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

11+ prep at home

9 replies

caffeinated · 08/07/2014 09:46

Dd is just finishing year 5 and just sprung on me yesterday that she now wants to take the 11+ test after all. Previously she has been adamant she didn't want to.

So we have until the beginning of October to prep her. We have 2 local grammars offering 300 places to 1000 applicants. So it's not a super selective.

Dd just bought home her end of year 5 levels maths 5b, reading 5c and writing 4a our 11+ is verbal reasoning and maths only with verbal reasoning making up 75% and maths 25%. As dd is doing well unaided by me in maths already should I just focus on the verbal reasoning or will she need some maths focus too?

Any suggestions for resources? I'm concerned we've left it too late to properly prepare and don't want to be spending more than 20 mins a day in the summer holiday really.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
steppemum · 08/07/2014 09:53

you are not too late.

get onto the 11+ website, where you will find lists of resources/books etc

VR has about 21 types of questions (not all areas use all) You need the books which explain the types and give her practice, then practice every day, make sure all types are familiar and practice the ones she finds harder more.
Then practice against the clock to increase her speed.
My nieces are in Kent, they do an 11+ club for the last week of the holidays. That is the only prep they do.

I don't know anything about the maths paper, so you need to look on the 11+ website for hints about that.

Her levels are great, so it shouldn't be too hard.

PastSellByDate · 08/07/2014 10:05

caffeinated - my only advice is first thing you can - check the deadlines for registering for these tests - here in Birmingham at least they are swiftly approaching.

Our tests are free - but I'm not sure that's the case everywhere.

So my advice is get registered for the test - and then as steppemum advises go visit the 11+ forum for your region - there are usually stickies at the top that give great advice on the content of local 11+ exams and what to use as practice materials. link: www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/11plus/index.php - scroll down to regions and look for your area.

HTH

rootypig · 08/07/2014 10:09

I've tutored 11+. Check with the schools if they publish past/sample papers. If they do, get hold of as many as possible. Any kid who is familiar with the format of the exam will be at a huge advantage. Get her to do one timed now and see where she is (I would tot up the mark so you know where she is, but don't tell her - if it's lowish, she'll be anxious, if it's high, she'll be complacent!)

Then work out from her paper what you need to work on. This isn't necessarily the content of the subject. Is she racing through maths, not showing working and making silly mistakes? Or is she taking ages over her creative writing? you get the picture. Exam technique accounts for so much of a mark - be up front with her about that, so that she understands the preparation. It's up to your judgement of what would suit her how much you do, but get her to do chunks of past papers regularly, maybe 2 or 3 a week. If you can't get hold of any, or you want to keep them for a dry run at the end of the summer, do the Bond 11+ book. If it's not a battle (and you say she wants to do the exam, so hopefully not!) then it will build her confidence hugely. Summer is the best time to do this because they're not tired from school.

Then spend the summer building on things in small ways. Numeracy is fun and easy to work on while you're out and about, practising times tables, both multiplication and factoring, so that she has lightning recall, would be my priority. Creative writing and comprehension also benefit from little and often and can be fun - get her to read a newspaper article here and there and chat about it, or get her to keep a summer diary, or write her own little novel, whatever she fancies. Essential is that she reads a lot, so stock her up at the library on her favourite fiction (it really doesn't matter what it is, within reason).

Verbal and non verbal reasoning are the ones that benefit from a certain number of hours just sitting down and practising. so I would do a bit of that, maybe once or twice a week. The Bond books are very good for those.

I hope that doesn't sound overwhelming - to recap, I think she can be sitting at the table maybe 2/3 times a week to work on practice papers (use this time to cover the subject content of maths, the basic geometry and algebra), and the other days you can be sneaky and work maths and english into what you're doing. Mental arithmetic and creative writing benefit from little and often over time, whereas verbal and non verbal reasoning skills can be built in a couple of weeks with solid practice if needed, it really is a skill that is taught. And every day - before bed? - tucked up with a favourite book for half an hour. No need to discuss or anything, just let her enjoy - it will build her vocabulary. The days you are at the table, I would do 45 minutes - an hour (as opposed to 20 minutes a day) - she has to get used to working for that long to sit the exam.

steppemum · 08/07/2014 10:47

rootypig - the only comment I would make is that a lot of that is not relevant for the VR exam. and OP isn't doing an English exam.

finding the content of the paper is pretty important

rootypig · 08/07/2014 11:08

Oh yes I missed that it was no English. Well I'm sure the OP can use her skills of deduction to take what is relevant from my advice!

caffeinated · 08/07/2014 19:24

Ooh you've all made me feel like it's achievable, thank you so much for your insight and wisdom. Much appreciated!

OP posts:
rootypig · 11/07/2014 10:49

Good luck! little and often, desk work three days a week, games while you're out and about.

It'll really sharpen up your own mental arithmetic Grin

MarriedDadOneSonOneDaughter · 11/07/2014 12:52

Definately not too late. My son had a ten week lead up to his 11+ exams and passed them all.

Sounds like your daughter is at least as able with those levels.

Exam familiarity and technique (i.e. make sure you read the question, check your answers and get all the "points" in your head on the page to get the best score) is what's really important for an already bright child.

Most of all - DON'T STRESS! Try to keep calm and relaxed, even see it as fun (if possible) so that she will also be as calm as possible on the day.

queenofthemountain · 11/07/2014 15:19

Do a little bit bit (10 mins )each and every day rather than overwhelming her.
To begin with don't worry about speed.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page