Parent Guide To 11+

How to prepare for the 11Plus Exam.

For those parents looking to help their child gain a place at a selective Grammar School, the competition for those places can be fierce.

And because the competition is fierce, you must prepare your child to fight for a place.

I know that this may seem highly aggressive, however you must remember that the 11plus is a selective exam, designed to identify the high achievers within your child s year group.

Within certain areas of the country only the top 5% of successful candidates will be offered a Grammar school place. So, I am not exaggerating when I say that the competition will be fierce.

Due to continued government policies restricting the creation of new Grammar Schools, there are a finite number of places available.

Therefore, you must go into this experience with the mindset that is this is competition, and if you want your child to be a winner they are going to have to put in a lot of hard work.

However, I am not talking round the clock cramming sessions, we are after all talking about 10-year-old children, but a well-constructed time table, with a detailed revision programme throughout the summer before the 11 plus exam will drastically improve your child s chances of success.

Before we go any further I would like to tackle one of my biggest bug bears.

The myth that your child does not need to prepare for the 11plus exam.

This idea is normally upheld by teachers within your primary school. (Although I have noticed some primary schools catching on and providing 11plus practice clubs).

The typical scenario is a parent will approach a teacher and ask them about the 11plus.

Normally asking perfectly relevant questions like: Should my child take the 11 plus? Do you think they are smart enough to go to Grammar school? What do I need to do to prepare my child for the 11plus? Do we need a tutor?

Unfortunately depending on your teachers answers to these question, the consequences can be catastrophic for your child s chances of being offered a Grammar school place.

I want to state clearly that most children will need to prepare for these very rigorous exams.

Keep in mind that your child s school would have been preparing them for the SATs which are taken in year 6, for the past 2 to 3 years.

Why such in depth preparation for the SATs?

Simple - Schools are judged on the outcome of these tests. Schools are not judged on how many of its children obtain a Grammar school place.

As I stated before, more primary schools are starting to offer 11 plus clubs normally held on a weekly basis in the summer term of year 5.

Whilst I applaud these schools for finally acknowledging that a certain level of preparation is required. I want to be very clear that these 1-hour weekly clubs will not be sufficient enough to ensure your child s success.

This is due to the simple fact that the club will not be focused on your child. The teacher will be teaching to the group, and normally going at a very slow pace.

So, they will not be fine tuning your child s strengths and weaknesses, a process that is vital for success.

Whilst these clubs are useful, as a parent you can not rely on them to prepare your child for the biggest test of their lives to date.

You must take matters into your own hands and plan for success.

Other than the school club, there are two main options for 11 plus training.

1. The first is to look to assist your child yourself. Whilst this is highly commendable, the reality of modern life for most parents is that they will not have the time, resource or experience to give their child the best chance for success.

2. Your other alternative is to hire a specialist tutor that is knowledgeable and has a proven track record for helping young students achieve their best potential.

This is also a good option for first time parents who have not had the experience of their child entering the 11 plus exam.

Most tutors begin working with students at the start of year 5. Although in areas where the competition is very fierce children will start with a tutor as early as year 4, or even year 3.

If you decide to go with the tutor option, make sure you do your research.

Make sure your tutor is DBS checked.

So, what exactly is the 11plus?

The 11 plus is a group of exams taken by students at the start of year 6 to determine which children will be selected to attend a local Grammar school.

Depending on where you live the test will vary.

Most area will just have 2 exams in Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning. However, some areas will also test Maths and English.

What is Verbal and Non- Verbal reasoning?

Verbal Reasoning

Verbal reasoning is, by definition, understanding and reasoning using concepts framed in words it aims at evaluating the ability to think constructively rather than just recognise vocabulary .

Verbal reasoning is a test of a skill rather than a test of learned knowledge. The subject allows a test to determine a child s critical thinking ability and their ability to use their own knowledge to solve a problem. Verbal reasoning will likely not be taught in school.

Some types of questions that are tested in a verbal reasoning exam are spotting letter sequences, cracking codes based on letters and numbers, following written instructions, and thinking about text, spotting words within words or finding a letter to complete two other words.

To do well in a Verbal Reasoning exam, it is recommended that they have a good vocabulary. It is expected that by the age of 11, a child should have a vocabulary of 2,000 words. It is generally agreed that children who are widely read are more likely to do well in Verbal Reasoning.

It is also recommended that children have a good grasp of synonyms (words that mean the same thing or have similar definitions), antonyms (words that have opposite meaning) and a good general knowledge in terms of Maths and English.

How can you help your child practise Verbal Reasoning Skills?

Play word-based board games such as `Scrabble` or `Boggle`.

Encourage your child to play word games such as word searched, hangman and crosswords.

Play word games with your child such as spotting the odd word out, solving anagrams, and finding synonyms and antonyms for words.

Host spelling challenges with your child, focusing on commonly misspelt words and homophones (words that sound the same but are spelt differently).

Generally, excite your child about culture, build their general knowledge and culture capital by taking them to museums and exhibitions.

Children need to be good at reading questions carefully so that they can decipher what is being asked and follow the directions exactly. Encourage your child not to rush or skim read in their Verbal Reasoning exams.

Non-Verbal Reasoning

Non verbal reasoning is problem solving using pictures and diagrams. It tests the ability to analyse visual information and solve problems based on visual reasoning. Often, children are asked to look at a sequence and find the odd one out.

Pupils are expected to have a solid knowledge of shape and measure, especially in topics such as rotation and symmetry.

The questions appear in diagrammatic format. Your child will need to be able to understand and analyse these questions quickly.

Non-Verbal Reasoning is used in 11+ exams because it allows examiners to judge pupils` visual acuity, speed of perception, and their ability to recognise and manipulate objects.

The skills required for the Non-Verbal Reasoning exam are not as easy to acquire as simple literacy and numeracy skills through extensive exposure and practice, as it goes beyond and bypasses language acquisition and mathematical ability.

Through practice and familiarisation, children can improve their skills in this area, despite it not being taught conventionally in schools.

NVR skills assist in developing conceptual and imaginative ability, as children are forced to face new and unconventional material.

The main advantage you can give your child is to prepare them early, so that they can master the different skills required to pass the exam, but more importantly so that they can become familiarised with the test style.

Oh yes, one last important point.

Try not to stress too much, your anxiety will rub off, and anxious over-stressed children are not good learners.

Remember failing the 11+ is not the end of the world. Life will go on.

Article by Deborah

11 plus specialist tutor

Available for lesson via tutor hunt platform.