Vocabulary!
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vp
Vocabulary!
My daughter will be sitting her 11+ this coming October. Like many many parents, I would like a perfect vocabulary book that has ALL the words that might come up in the October 11+! Does anyone know of one?
I have just started to use Patricia's excellent compound words and spent a pleasant Sunday afternoon cutting them up and putting them on cards. My daughter enjoyed playing the games. And she is currently reading the last Harry Potter book.
My Steven Curren(AE Pub) has produced some 12 spelling and vocabulary books that cover basic to Advanced level which might be useful. However I have no idea which to buy for my daughter.
Has anyone used them? She is almost 10 and has good spelling and vocab, but as we all know, some of the words that come up are really difficult (like 'indolent'!).[/b]
I have just started to use Patricia's excellent compound words and spent a pleasant Sunday afternoon cutting them up and putting them on cards. My daughter enjoyed playing the games. And she is currently reading the last Harry Potter book.
My Steven Curren(AE Pub) has produced some 12 spelling and vocabulary books that cover basic to Advanced level which might be useful. However I have no idea which to buy for my daughter.
Has anyone used them? She is almost 10 and has good spelling and vocab, but as we all know, some of the words that come up are really difficult (like 'indolent'!).[/b]
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my experience
The AE books worked out as a very expensive solution for what it was. Approx 5,000 words for £72. By the time my son got to book 6 he had lost interest and abandoned them.
There were cheaper solutions, a simple Schools Concise Pocket Dictionary with 20,000 words for £2.99
There are also intermediate solutions like the verbal reasoning CDs. The Tutors two CDs do not test the same word twice in their questions so between the two CDs you get nearly 3,000 words all in Buckinghamshire style 21 types of question format for £40. Their CDs also time and mark every question and it keeps track of all the questions/words they got wrong so you can come back to them.
There were cheaper solutions, a simple Schools Concise Pocket Dictionary with 20,000 words for £2.99
There are also intermediate solutions like the verbal reasoning CDs. The Tutors two CDs do not test the same word twice in their questions so between the two CDs you get nearly 3,000 words all in Buckinghamshire style 21 types of question format for £40. Their CDs also time and mark every question and it keeps track of all the questions/words they got wrong so you can come back to them.
Dear vp
No one knows what vocab is going to turn up.
My only suggestions is to keep reading out loud making note of ALL unknown vocab. You have the compound word list, do you have the Important Word list, found in the same section? The list is not the be all and end all, just a starter. The flash card system [ explained in the download] is ONE way of improving vocab.
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/revisi" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... wnload.php
In addition its always a good idea to use more advanced words in your every day language.
And, of course, one of my favourites, Scrabble, allowing the use of a dictionary.
Vocab is ALWAYS the problem with the Bucks VR test, I would be a millionaire if I could wave a magic wand, enabling me to find the perfect solution.
Patricia
No one knows what vocab is going to turn up.
My only suggestions is to keep reading out loud making note of ALL unknown vocab. You have the compound word list, do you have the Important Word list, found in the same section? The list is not the be all and end all, just a starter. The flash card system [ explained in the download] is ONE way of improving vocab.
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/revisi" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... wnload.php
In addition its always a good idea to use more advanced words in your every day language.
And, of course, one of my favourites, Scrabble, allowing the use of a dictionary.
Vocab is ALWAYS the problem with the Bucks VR test, I would be a millionaire if I could wave a magic wand, enabling me to find the perfect solution.
Patricia
VP,
Have a look at the AE website you can download sample pages of each book to try and gauge suitability. You could start at book 12 and work backwards.
My year two 7 year old is whizzing through book one. My 11 year old read the index and tripped over the word 'blot'.
We found using a thesaurus to spice up English homework introduced groups of similar words.
A web search will also reveal other useful lists of compound words
There is no quick fix but you can boost scores significantly.
Good luck.
stevew61
Have a look at the AE website you can download sample pages of each book to try and gauge suitability. You could start at book 12 and work backwards.
My year two 7 year old is whizzing through book one. My 11 year old read the index and tripped over the word 'blot'.
We found using a thesaurus to spice up English homework introduced groups of similar words.
A web search will also reveal other useful lists of compound words
There is no quick fix but you can boost scores significantly.
Good luck.
stevew61
