11+ How Parents Can Help

The months or even years spent preparing for the 11+ exams can be a difficult time for children and their parents, but there are ways to help your child improve without piling on extra pressure. Below are some tips for helping your child improve their 11+ scores.

1.) Reading, reading, readingInexpensive, enjoyable and probably the best method for improving your child`s vocabulary and grammar, reading for pleasure should form a key part of 11+ preparation. Try not to refer to reading for pleasure as part of 11+ practice to avoid associations with work and stress. However, if your child comes across a word they don`t know, do encourage them to look it up in a dictionary, and then suggest to you another way it could be used in a sentence. You can also periodically ask them to pick out both explicit and implicit information from the story, but remember not to do this too frequently or they might catch on!

2.) Ask questions to build inference skillsOne area where many children struggle with the English component of the 11+ is in answering the inference questions - comprehension questions where the answer has to be deduced rather than found explicitly within the text. You can develop your child`s inference skills by asking questions not only when reading, but also as part of day-to-day life - e.g. Why do you think that child in the supermarket is crying? Why do you think that dog is barking? It is also good practice to encourage your child to make predictions e.g. what do you think this character in the book will do next?

3.) Gradually teach your child WOW wordsWOW words are words that would be considered above and beyond the vocabulary of a child of a particular age. Teach one word at a time, and have them say the words aloud, write them, and use them in a sentence. Depending on how quickly your child learns new vocabulary you could do two words per week or up to two per day. The key is for them to have to recall the new word, so ask them in a casual way later if they can remember the word, and then ask them again at the end of the week.

4.) Prepare your child for exam conditionsWhile the above are good sneaky ways to help your child prepare for the 11+, the reality is that they will be sitting a test, and they will feel nervous on the day. Depending on which test your child is taking and where, the test might involve using a computer-marked multiple choice answer sheet, listening to a cassette tape, knowing when you`re allowed to go back a page and when you`re not, and possibly managing their own time. Explain to them what to expect on the day, and if you can find ways to practice at home that`s even better. Be sure to deal with the practicalities too e.g. not drinking too much water at the start of the test!

5.) Don`t put on too much pressureIf your child is conscientious, chances are they`re already putting a fair amount of pressure on themselves to do well in the test. Rather than chastising your child for any mistakes they make in practice tests, encourage a growth mindset that focuses on improving for next time. Keep track of their scores and progress, but don`t necessarily share this with them if you think they might find it demotivating. Preparation, not pressure, is the key to success.