Kent 11 plus exam – reading material to prepare for English test & tutoring

[expatinmys]

Joined few groups on FB for 11 plus exams. Many parents are posting reading list of their DC and most seem to include classical books and it seems their DC are reading classics as part of preparation for 11 plus. Many are also getting their DC trained on creative writing, attending mock exams and mental arithmetic classes.

Our DS will be doing his exam in Kent , we are based near Sevenoaks and want to aim for super selective schools. At the moment, we have a private tutor for twice a week and thinking to increase it to 3 times. For books, he has read some Harry Potter series and reading other books such as Wimpy Kid and some other more fun titles.

Can anyone share what are your kids reading (and aiming to sit 11 plus in September 2024) and what level of tutoring is being provided.

What you read from FB is a fair representation on the prep people do for 11+

We are not tutoring but will start practice papers in Sept. My DD reads everything from Tom Gates, kids Shakespeare, Rebel girls, comics, poetry and everything in between. Today she was reading Ripleys believe it or not which prompted lots of questions and discussions. I personally think variety is best to help vocabulary and understanding as well as different types of writing styles. So much of the expectation at grammar is self motivated learning, so we allow her to follow her interests in reading.

I grew up in Sevenoaks and went to grammar school before everyone started tutoring and it became so competitive, so it’s hard for me to get my head around what others are doing. But I know my DD is bright and will follow our own course in prep for the tests.

I don't have experience of Kent grammars specifically, but I agree with @PreplexJ that Harry Potter and Wimpy Kid don't offer the breadth of vocabulary and writing style that would aid a child preparing for the 11 plus.

If HP, Wimpy Kid and 'fun' books are your DC's current reading matter, I wouldn't jump straight to classics, but you can start with good quality modern texts. I agree with @Swim23 that variety is important. This online list puts the recommended texts into categories, which is helpful, but there are many more lists available online, or you could ask your librarian for recommendations:

https://www.theexamcoach.tv/the-blog/11-plus-recommended-reading-list

Of course, they do have to understand what they're reading and have the discipline to identify new vocabulary and find out what it means. It's a good idea to read out loud with your DS daily, discuss what you're reading and look up new vocab together.

Just as a point of information for Kent parents, there is a big difference between the pass-and-catchment grammar schools and the super selectives. So don't panic if you're aiming for the former-there is less need for extensive reading of the classics.

Hi. Thanks for your message. We have been based overseas for the past 8 years and now looking to return to the UK mainly to get DS into a good grammar school. We are a bit out of touch as we have not been back to the uk much in the past 8 years. If you don't mind, do you think you could share your opinion of what the differences are between the super selective grammars and the rest of the grammar in the Kent region. We are looking at schools around tunbridge wells, tonbridge areas. Thanks in advance. Feel free to pm as well

If your child is bright and u think she/he can score 390+ you should let them read books for above their age group (appropriate) because they have wide vocab

If else just let them read wide variety

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