Tutoring

Bexley Mum 2 · Post by **Bexley Mum 2** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 11:08 am

Rachel's mum - this sounds like a very well-balanced and healthy approach to me! You've been realistic about the need to prepare your dd for the tests, but not gone overboard. Sometimes I read threads from parents anxious because their child's practice scores are dropping and they want more material so they can get them to do more. I think the falling scores are often a sign of overkill and boredom and that they should actually back off and give their kids a break.

Best of luck for Monday!

MasterChief · Post by **MasterChief** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 11:16 am

rosered100 wrote:
MasterChief wrote:DS did 2 or 3 practice papers per week over the summer holidays, ...
How did you find papers?

I bought E- papers from this site(no honest, a cheque will be fine) and a few others I found online or in shops. I didn't want to restrict him to NFER as I figure it's about the thinking process not the exam setter.

Bexley Mum 2 · Post by **Bexley Mum 2** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 11:25 am

MasterChief - I totally agree! I get a bit fed up when people talk about avoiding certain VR types or maths topics that won't appear in the actual test. I don't see it as a waste of time, I think it just encourages children to think. There's no guarantee that there won't be a few rogue questions on a paper and if they're expecting specific types this might throw them.

SSM · Post by **SSM** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 11:28 am

I agree with you Masterchief. Personally I think the whole point of tutoring is for the kids to experience a wide range of questions and to think about the best way to approach them.

When my kids were doing the 11+ I really tried to avoid telling them how to approach the different types of questions or to leave certain questions to last. As I had a real fear that when they got into the exam they would be sitting there trying to work out which questions to do first, which to leave to last and how to approach certain questions, meanwhile actually doing no work.

What I did do, is timed papers under exam conditions, and tell them that they should not leave any questions unanswered, as ours were multiple choice. Also, if they did run out of time with say 10 questions left, to mark the same letter on the answer sheet, so always A or B or whatever. I think this way they have more chance of getting one or two right.

They both went on to pass the 11+ with very good marks.

SSM · Post by **SSM** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 11:29 am

Ooops, posted at the same time as Bexley Mum 2.

rachel'smum · Post by **rachel'smum** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 11:29 am

Thanks BM of 2 - Its so reassuring when people tell you they think you've got it right!! I feel I've been really calm and rational through the whole preparation process but now rational is the last thing I am being - I would cut off my arm to get a pass on Monday lol

MasterChief · Post by **MasterChief** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 11:32 am

rachel'smum wrote: No idea if this was the right combo, I guess will decide that at 4pm on Monday but I do know that my daughter was happy with this and never once complained, bless her. Please God let it have been enough!!!

Good luck everyone. :roll:

Sounds perfect. My DS only complained once really and that was when he did a test and my wife and I were going through the answers-me reading the real answers and my wife ticking them off. When we had finished marking(DS's score was about 30%! :shock:),we exchanged a horrified look before it was pointed out that I was reading from the wrong answers! :oops:DS pointed out that if he was going to have to do these practice papers,the least I could do was mark them properly!

MasterChief · Post by **MasterChief** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 11:33 am

rachel'smum wrote: No idea if this was the right combo, I guess will decide that at 4pm on Monday but I do know that my daughter was happy with this and never once complained, bless her. Please God let it have been enough!!!

Good luck everyone.

Sounds perfect. My DS only complained once really and that was when he did a test and my wife and I were going through the answers-me reading the real answers and my wife ticking them off. When we had finished marking(DS's score was about 30%!

),we exchanged a horrified look before it was pointed out that I was reading from the wrong answers! :oops:DS pointed out that if he was going to have to do these practice papers,the least I could do was mark them properly!

alfie2 · Post by **alfie2** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 11:50 am

My daughter was tutored for an hour a week for a whole year before but during those 52 weeks I think missed about 10 sessions for a variety of reasons like our holidays, her tutor holidays and various other reasons like illness, when she just couldn't go.

We then took a complete break for the first four weeks of the summer hols with no work at all. Was this a mistake???

Returned to the tutor for a couple of extra 2 hour sessions before returning to school and then the actual 11+.

Still biting my nails - did we do enough. Well it's too late? She's a bright girl and will thrive no matter where she ends up. Whatever happens to the results we are very proud of her mature attitude to everything.

Bexley Mum 2 · Post by **Bexley Mum 2** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 12:08 pm

Alfie2 - ds2 did Bexley test mid-November a couple of years ago and then did Kent test in January. He did absolutely no practice after he'd sat the Bexley test. He passed both but did much better in the Kent test - I think the time off did him good. Fingers crossed for you.