how shall I prep for 11+ from year 3

[theonlywayisup33]

DD is in year 3 and I am thinking of applying a couple of the local secondary schools for which she will need to sit an 11+ exam.
What shall I do now she is in year 3 to get her ready? And then into year 4?

Nothing formal in Year 3. Encourage lots of reading. Talk about the meaning of words. Keep on top of spellings and grammar from school.
Also good if she likes number puzzles and games. Keep it light and fun.
If they're doing well at school, you shouldn't need to do any actual prep until Year 5.

Nothing special, save anything extra tutoring etc for Y5

Four of mine have been through it. At this stage I would just be really encouraging and supporting her reading. Number puzzles and codes and that sort of thing are also good. I wouldn't start anything too formal until midway through Y4 at the earliest....

Too much too soon for y3 is not a good idea. Read, discuss and play games with your child.

Year 5 is the time.

I would say it depends on where you are, and what schools you are targeting, and what school she is currently in.
Say you were in the really competitive area, with lots of preps and your kid is in state....
Or she is in a non-selective prep that isn’t the ‘top feeder’ - then it’s one situation.
Or you are in a more relaxed place where everybody is in the same sort if schools and some later decide to sit 11+....
Also - obviously - things depend on what sort of child your Dd is.

I am in a quite competitive central London area. So - my approach was always to do a little bit extra with my kid over time - so that when 11+ came around she’d need polishing of her skills rather than lots of hard pushing.

So - in Y3-4 - yes - it’s making sure she was reading, as well as being exposed to a variety of books - fiction and non-fiction.
In those years she kept a reading journal over the holidays. As well as sometimes writing a regular journal as well.

There is also general development and exposing them to interesting topics and events - whether cultural, political or scientific. Not as possible in lockdown - but at the same time all of the resources - galleries and theatres and lectures can be found online.

And finally - math. Have always made sure we keep it up spring holiday to solidify and cover a bit more advanced concepts. This way - they always could hit the ground running in Sept after holidays and always felt comfortable with math throughout years, even as it got progressively difficult.

Interestingly - thinking back - I haven’t been doing ‘enriching’ things with my child solely for the purposes of exams. I’d have been doing similar things regardless as to me it’s something I seemed to enjoy doing and I thought it’d benefit their development

kept it up DURING holidays

I think current year 3s have the added difference between schools who taught well remotely through all lockdowns and those where there are massive gaps, particularly in the year 2 curriculum.

Given that lots of 11+ exams go into the year 6 curriculum before state schools will have covered it, that’s potentially an awful lot of ground to cover.

So whilst I’d say year 3 is normally early, I’d be tempted to make sure my DC had caught up with the year 2&3 expectations. Especially in maths, if that’s included in the type of test used near you. And even if it isn’t, you don’t know they won’t change to a provider which uses it and it won’t be wasted effort whatever type of secondary they go to.

I’m definitely not saying start intensively tutoring right now, but I’d try and get a feel for where they are so you can plan.

Most 11+ exams include the need for a good level of vocabulary, which I don’t think can really be tutored. Check you are providing this, through your own language and through good books.

I’d also agree with the need to check there are no maths gaps. In Kent, the 11+ includes a fair chunk of Y6 work - which means you need to be ahead of the game given the test is taken in the first couple of weeks of Y6.

Otherwise, you really don’t need to worry much until Y5. At the end of Y4/start of Y5, get on to the 11+ Forum for your area, and check the precise format of the test where you are.

If child is able enough to go to grammar school you shouldn’t have to do anything extra to prepare them except some exam practice/tutoring in year 5. You would expect grammar applicants to be achieving above expectations of their year group. If they’re not then grammar might not be the best suit for them.

The hard part of the 11 plus is extensive vocab, reading comprehension and 3D maths skills/2-3 step maths problems. On that basis, I would say lots of reading alone and with you and lots of different types of texts. Ideally, crosswords and 3D puzzles. Some maths websites for basic skills as tables and addition/subtraction have to be very solid and you need to stay 1 year ahead of the curriculum. You basically train a greater depth mind from an early age by lots of questioning/discussions etc. A good state school will do greater depth for bright children. We know lots of kids who went to grammar and they were all in top sets state primary and loved reading and maths from an early age. The ones who didn’t and were tutored in extensively struggled later on in grammar. For super selective grammar, you really need a child who loves both learning and working hard for it to be the right fit for them or a child who is very bright and needs the competition to thrive/motivate.

Thank you. You have all been very helpful with your insights and advice.
Fortunately, DD is an avid reader and good at spelling. I am doing my best to ensure she really knows her timestables.
I think the maths problem solving is more an issue- can anyone recommend good books/ websites for this?
Her school is not great academically (good in terms of care and social well being though)
I suppose I need to think more widely though in terms of enrichment but that is something that doesn't come naturally to me.

My DD enjoyed the Maths Quest books by David Glover in Year 3. Games like Monopoly are good for getting quick at arithmetic.

My dd is year 4 but really suffers with anxiety so, whilst very clever, she panics when faced with formal 'work'. Our grammar test is the gpc assessment and they have practice books for 7-8 9-10 and then the actual 11+ books. We have just been working through these in a fun way to build up familiarity with the style of the tests and questions as that will be her issue so maybe worth looking in to those, she really enjoys doing them.

Mine did Kumon, which was tedious and expensive but it made them quick in the maths papers. And didn't start tutoring until Y6 when it was daily for two months. Worked for us but seems a bit much in retrospect.

My daughter is year 2 and in September year which books I will buy to prepare her for 11plus just kill bit practice
Comprehension
Spelling
Maths skills
Books
Kindly recommend

Year 3 is still quite early, so I honestly wouldn't worry about doing lots of 11+ papers yet.
I'd focus on building the basics. Encourage plenty of reading (anything she enjoys), chat about new words, and keep maths fun and confident. A good vocabulary makes a huge difference later on.
Towards the end of Year 4 you can start introducing a bit of verbal and non-verbal reasoning and see how she gets on. Little and often is much better than lots of long sessions.
Also have a look at the admissions pages for the schools you're interested in, as they don't all use the same test format anymore. Knowing what you're preparing for will save you time later.
Most importantly, try not to make Year 3 all about the 11+. There's plenty of time, and keeping her motivated is half the battle.

The OPs child is now in year 8 😆
Wonder if they ended up at a grammar

Ash 202. Please take a step back. Remember that your child has already done a six hour day at school and might have some expected school homework some nights a week. To then add on a pile of extra work books is a good way to put them off the joy and pleasure of reading and learning.

My advice to you is simple,

join a local library and make it a habit to go there every week to borrow a range of books (fiction, poetry, information, graphic novels, play scripts, fairy stories, old favourites, new authors, picture books), both for you and your child to read together and for her to enjoy reading on her own. Talk about the books/ characters/ how the books make her feel.

next encourage your child to have outside interests, join her up to brownies, or a sport she likes, a drama class, anything that involves learning physical or non academic skills.

teach her to ride a bike, swim, roller skate, skip, kick a football, throw over arm.

lastly take your child to interesting places and extend her curiosity , even simple trips to the park can be used to identify trees, plants, birds you hear. Talk to your child, watch tv with them and talk about what you are watching.

Use these years to parent a curious, articulate, confident child. Your child may pass the 11+ , or might not, but whatever school she ends up at it is character, perseverance, curiosity and love of learning which are the soft skills that will stand her in good stead.