11 Plus Exams Forum

Full papers, bits and pieces or keeping it calm!? I think I am going for a bit of all three (with nervous hysteria and too much wine when DS isn't looking!)

He hasn't done the 2012 maths paper or the Dickens CSSE (2010?) paper yet and there is another BS VR paper I'd like him to do, but other than that, I was wondering about just keeping him ticking over with little bits: 10 minute papers, spelling, punctuation and some maths.

I was wary of full papers the week before in case of the negative impact of a low score, and kept things calm. We did last papers 2 weekends before, and a few targeted weaker questions that DD asked for then nothing until the actual day, but go with whatever works best for your DS. Some children want to keep up the pace until the actual day, some want to relax a bit at this stage, especially as they're probably all talking about it at school & heightening the collective nervousness.

Mild hysteria is to be expected. I found planning what to do after the actual exam helped (we went out to dinner to celebrate it being over!)

Whatever you go with, good luck with the final countdown & the big day itself. I'm glad I don't have to go through it again for a few more years!

With my DD I've been guided by her. She feels happier doing 10 min tests some days and then wants to do a practise paper another! Been going over grammer, spelling and punctuation with her as well, so it stays fairly fresh in her mind.

DD can be a nervous character so have found it less stressful for her (and me) if I just fully concentrate and support her on what she wants to do on that particular day. Been working so far!!

Tx

We are taking it easy as she was feeling the pressure and this was not helping. We're just doing bits and pieces of things it would be useful to keep fresh. I also think that if she gets worse than usual score on a practice paper it will undermine her confidence and make her more nervous. We are the only people we know who are doing this, everyone else is drilling frantically until the very last minute. It was nice to read on here that not everyone is doing this. It all depends on what works for your child.

DD on school residental trip so taking a relaxed approach. We feel if she hasn't done enough by now then it's too late. DD very laid back and we don't want her to feel pressured. She might do a few bits next week, only if she wants to. Suppose everyone approaches this differently.

Fun Mum wrote:We feel if she hasn't done enough by now then it's too late.

Lol-If I'd had this approach during my finals-I don't think I would have a degree now!!

On a personal level, I've always had "last-minute-crammer" tendencies Only a handful of times have I been organised enough to revise slowly and methodically with 3 weeks to go Needless-to-say, I've worked hard to encourage good habits in both DD's and to ensure that they don't follow my bad habits.

Manana you nearly made me spit my drink all over my screen when you wrote "BS VR" - I'm coming close to feeling the need to write "BS" in tandem with anything to do with 11+ at the moment Where's that "tongue-in-cheek" emoticon when you need it?

We'll probably do a combination of everything too, as DD tells me she'll panic if we really slow it down a virtual standstill next week and it's all about how she feels, at the end of the day. I trust her to tell me how she's feeling because she always has and if/when she says "no more at the moment, please" we'll stop. Hasn't happened more than three times and I've always been able to spot that she's waning, ahead of her actually saying it.

Everyone's different, which is why this site is so helpful - you get a wonderful range of experiences and approaches, so you can pick and choose.

Follow your child. Some still have plenty to do! Others were ready long ago. Some need to carry on with the regime to feel confident. I wouldn't recommend stopping completely nor would I recommend late mocks. Hide all bad results, but do still cover weak areas that are identified.