Practice for the 11+
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Essex Mum
My advice would be to use variety, don't stick to one Publisher. Make sure you are using the correct fomat, for example in Essex, we use Standard papers and not Multiple Choice. NFER and Bond are supposed to be most like the Essex papers. Although, I found with my children that variety was best. They soon get fed up with doing the same type of questions and therefore you need to make practice interesting. Buy a few books and vary the sequence you use them in. Firsty, do the practice, untimed and then closer to the exam (I did this after the Summer holidays), start to time the tests, strictly, to pick up on speed, (you cannot do this until you are sure they have mastered the techniques, as it will demoralise them if they are not finishing the paper). Make notes in Maths papers of things they are continually getting wrong. For example, if they are often loosing marks on Percentages, just spend time on working on this subject. In Verbal Reasoning if they are getting the same types of questions wrong, make sure they understand they technique and spend time doing this type of question until they get it right.
Lastly, don't put too much pressure on them. If they don't feel like practising, don't force them. We all have days where we don't feel up to something. Also, don't make too much of a deal about it, in case they do not pass and then they will not feel like a failure.
Lastly, don't put too much pressure on them. If they don't feel like practising, don't force them. We all have days where we don't feel up to something. Also, don't make too much of a deal about it, in case they do not pass and then they will not feel like a failure.
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Guest
Hi, 
We practiced on nfer verbal and non verbal, and a good book called How to pass secondary school selection tests by Mike Byron.
We also enjoyed the Athey Educational practice papers.
I agree even if you only do nfer as my daughter did a variety helps to keep the boredom away and also keeps them on their toes.
Footymad.
We practiced on nfer verbal and non verbal, and a good book called How to pass secondary school selection tests by Mike Byron.
We also enjoyed the Athey Educational practice papers.
I agree even if you only do nfer as my daughter did a variety helps to keep the boredom away and also keeps them on their toes.
Footymad.
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Essex girl
Asking the teacher's advice
Towards the end of year 5 I asked the teacher of one of my children how she thought my child would get on with the 11+. She frowned somewhat deeply and said "we only had X number of children pass the exam last time round and I'm not sure that while "X" is doing well at some things I don't think "X" is up to 11+ standard.
Suffice it to say that "X" passed and is predicted to achieve a roughly half and half quota of a/A* and B at GCSE.
Never let a teacher put you off. I'm not saying that most of them mean well but some of them have political views which don't sit well with the grammar school idea. Others may have had their own children not pass the exam. Yes, most are probably quite impartial but I think there are probably a fair few who are not.
Suffice it to say that "X" passed and is predicted to achieve a roughly half and half quota of a/A* and B at GCSE.
Never let a teacher put you off. I'm not saying that most of them mean well but some of them have political views which don't sit well with the grammar school idea. Others may have had their own children not pass the exam. Yes, most are probably quite impartial but I think there are probably a fair few who are not.
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Essex mum
Toyally agree with Essex Girl. Don't let the teacher have a say in your child sitting the 11+, they so often get it wrong. In my childrens school the children they think are a dead cert for passing often fail and the ones who they say have no chance, pass. The teachers often have views against Grammers, although it is difficult for them to admit it, or they also have their favorite children who they push towards doing it. In my experience, you know your child better than anyone, if they want to do it, let them do it. Afterall it is a certain amount of luck on the day!
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Guest
Agree,
with Essex Girl and Essex Mum if "You" think you're child is in with a chance of gaining a Grammar place go for it.
I asked my daughters teachers opinion at the start of year 5.
She said she thought that she would pass ok but there could be a few questions that she might struggle with as not being used to the 11+ format.
So in the August before she entered year 6 we began to practice and she took two test in October and passed.
But there were a few girls in her class that the teachers and childrens parents thought would breeze through the test, three of these four failed.
So I'd say it's a lottery but if you believe in you're chid go for it you've got nothing to lose, only you're sanity!
We need to start a rehab centre for worn out parents!!
Footymad.
Just correct myself on a book I mentioned earlier, its by Mike Bryon not Byron lol! "How to pass secondary school selection tests" there are lots of practice questions in verbal, maths and non verbal.
with Essex Girl and Essex Mum if "You" think you're child is in with a chance of gaining a Grammar place go for it.
I asked my daughters teachers opinion at the start of year 5.
She said she thought that she would pass ok but there could be a few questions that she might struggle with as not being used to the 11+ format.
So in the August before she entered year 6 we began to practice and she took two test in October and passed.
But there were a few girls in her class that the teachers and childrens parents thought would breeze through the test, three of these four failed.
So I'd say it's a lottery but if you believe in you're chid go for it you've got nothing to lose, only you're sanity!
We need to start a rehab centre for worn out parents!!
Footymad.
Just correct myself on a book I mentioned earlier, its by Mike Bryon not Byron lol! "How to pass secondary school selection tests" there are lots of practice questions in verbal, maths and non verbal.
Thanks everyone. My child has just started Kumon maths and I have to say it's making a big difference. 10 mins per day and the speed is picking up greatly, she started right back at basic addition even though she took part in the primary maths challenge in November (some new initiative for the top kids in a class - don't know much else as we didn't get told by the school but found out when she bought her cert. home). I have found that it improves confidence and speed and ensures a firm grounding in the basics, also as it is independent learning we have no frayed tempers (my old fashioned methods versus new methods) and I get a chance for a cup of tea. Has anybody found any other stressless methods to improve maths? Also, any ideas as to what the required standrds are in Maths and Engilsh, can you relate in to QCA yearly tests or SATS scores? Really enjoying the forum.
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Guest
My daughter sat the 11+ last November and I found when we started to practice that the level required for the 11+ and the level taught in primary schools is miles apart. The English is particularly hard - the text she had from Mill on the Floss was a book my friend studied for A level! The maths is definitely a step up as well. Saying that, I think by practicing they can greatly improve on the maths. I would recommend encouraging your child to read as much as she can to broaden her range of English - unfortunately my daughter is not a great one for reading and I think this did let her down on the day as she found the English hard. My son sat the 11+ in 2000 and did extremely well and that was largely down to practice (although it is reasonably bright!). Good luck!Boo wrote:Thanks everyone. My child has just started Kumon maths and I have to say it's making a big difference. 10 mins per day and the speed is picking up greatly, she started right back at basic addition even though she took part in the primary maths challenge in November (some new initiative for the top kids in a class - don't know much else as we didn't get told by the school but found out when she bought her cert. home). I have found that it improves confidence and speed and ensures a firm grounding in the basics, also as it is independent learning we have no frayed tempers (my old fashioned methods versus new methods) and I get a chance for a cup of tea. Has anybody found any other stressless methods to improve maths? Also, any ideas as to what the required standrds are in Maths and Engilsh, can you relate in to QCA yearly tests or SATS scores? Really enjoying the forum.
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Essex Girl
Maths for Essex 11+
Maths is about building walls. You go along learning each component and adding bricks to your wall of knowledge which then lays the foundations for the next stage of that area of knowledge.
However, if you have a gap in "your wall" it becomes very difficult to move on to the next stage and thus there is a breakdown in learning.
In my experience, children and people in general come into two categories. Those who have minds that easily accept mathematical concepts and those who don't. There would appear to be very little in between.
In practising maths for the 11+ it is essential to ensure that the candidate to be is at ease with each concept. You would be surprised how may children can do long multiplication and yet have trouble with the concept of subtraction, etc, etc. Make sure the child understands all the basic concepts, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division as even when a child is said to be "good at maths" they do sometimes still get confused with these concepts.
The same situation applies with fractions. Unless a child fully understands what 1/3 or 1/7, etc, is when taken as part of a whole, they are not going to be able to follow fraction sums for methods for changing fractions into decimals or percentages, etc.
To some children, maths will be fun and interesting, to others it will appear more difficult and far less interesting. Try to stay calm with your child when they have difficulty understanding particular concepts. (If you are a parent or tutor with a high ability in maths yourself, you will find it very difficult to understand why a child is struggling with a particular concept, since, as a mathematically able person, your mind will not struggle with these concepts). Have patience, laugh about it and go right back to the beginning if necessary.
As a side issue, I would personally prefer to be taught maths by a non-mathematician because such a person is likely to have struggled with some areas themselves and therefore have the patience to explain without getting agitated. I found this to be the case with myself. I am certainly a long way from being mathematically able but preparing my children for the 11+ was easy on them because I understood where they were having difficulties because I had "been there".
Oh, how I wish I was a teacher!
However, if you have a gap in "your wall" it becomes very difficult to move on to the next stage and thus there is a breakdown in learning.
In my experience, children and people in general come into two categories. Those who have minds that easily accept mathematical concepts and those who don't. There would appear to be very little in between.
In practising maths for the 11+ it is essential to ensure that the candidate to be is at ease with each concept. You would be surprised how may children can do long multiplication and yet have trouble with the concept of subtraction, etc, etc. Make sure the child understands all the basic concepts, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division as even when a child is said to be "good at maths" they do sometimes still get confused with these concepts.
The same situation applies with fractions. Unless a child fully understands what 1/3 or 1/7, etc, is when taken as part of a whole, they are not going to be able to follow fraction sums for methods for changing fractions into decimals or percentages, etc.
To some children, maths will be fun and interesting, to others it will appear more difficult and far less interesting. Try to stay calm with your child when they have difficulty understanding particular concepts. (If you are a parent or tutor with a high ability in maths yourself, you will find it very difficult to understand why a child is struggling with a particular concept, since, as a mathematically able person, your mind will not struggle with these concepts). Have patience, laugh about it and go right back to the beginning if necessary.
As a side issue, I would personally prefer to be taught maths by a non-mathematician because such a person is likely to have struggled with some areas themselves and therefore have the patience to explain without getting agitated. I found this to be the case with myself. I am certainly a long way from being mathematically able but preparing my children for the 11+ was easy on them because I understood where they were having difficulties because I had "been there".
Oh, how I wish I was a teacher!
