11 plus advice needed

[SummerSwifts]

I think my daughter picks up ideas quickly and I think she is capable of learning the knowledge needed to pass the 11 plus exam.

However, there are a couple of things that stop her getting high marks on maths questions and I'd like advice about how to iron these out:

• In tests she rushes in quickly into what she thinks the question is asking and often answers a different question to that being asked . She doesn't do this when she's doing her homework and can take her time, or if I sit with her as she goes through an exam paper.
• She is then painfully slow when writing down her working out/the answer. Her numbers have to be perfect on the page or else she wants to rub them out and write them again.
• Her slowness is stopping her from completing the tests so there are questions left unanswered and she doesn't have time to go back and check answers to questions she has completed. If we practice at home I give her time at the end to go back and check answers - then she realises that she has done what I have described in my first point above.

Any advice gratefully received.

How old is she? Exam technique evolves with practice. Many tests are now online so you might need to check the format for your area/school.

I forgot to say in my first post that she has ASD.

Most children who are successful in the entrance exams for grammar school have had private tutoring. A lot of this is exam technique. A good tutor will be able to tell you if they believe she is capable of passing the test. Depending on how old she is, I think you should consider a tutor who will have strategies to help her with the things that hold her back. After a couple of sessions they should be able to give you some kind of assessment and you can decide whether it’s the best thing to proceed with.

What sort of test is it in your area? If it is a computer-marked GL test, there will be next to no writing involved - it is multiple choice or putting a line by a number for maths. Nobody will have the chance to see her workings out, so that is not a worry at all.

It sounds as though you have a really good grasp of her strengths and where she struggles, so you are well placed to support her. Lots of people do engage tutors but it ought not to be necessary unless you are aiming for some of the London grammars that are at the very top of the league tables and require two rounds of testing, creative writing etc.

Regarding her habit of not reading the question properly and then rushing to answer something else, I would say that this is the priority to work on at this stage. You could sit with her as she reads a new question out loud, and ask her to explain what she thinks the question is asking, and what sort of answer would look right, and how she would go about finding the answer. It is important that she can quickly spot the key elements of the question (she could underline key words in practice if it would help to focus her mind) and then that she can quickly think of the most efficient way to go about answering it.

The 11 plus is very much a 'race' to get the questions answered, but it sounds as though your daughter isn't quite ready for timed testing. She needs to work on understanding the questions, eliminating impossible answers (it can help to put a line through them so they are no longer a distraction) and then working out the quickest way to find the correct one.

Best of luck!