Word letter codes-help with speeding up

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Tinkers
Posts: 7240
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 2:05 pm
Location: Reading

Word letter codes-help with speeding up

Post by Tinkers »

Hi
Dd is ok with technique and timing of most VR types now.
One type she is really slow on is the word letter code types.
Eg if the code for TRAP is USBQ what does DPME mean. Answer COLD.
She can do them but really really slow. 8 minutes to do three questions this evening. (she is a bit tired though, so that's slow even for her) When doing papers she leaves them until last so she gets everything else done first and then she does the ones were the answer is a real word rather than finding the code for a word. At least she has a good idea of whether it's right that way.

Any tips to speed up the process?
Thanks
RationalityRules

Re: Word letter codes-help with speeding up

Post by RationalityRules »

If you are not already doing this, get her to write out an alphabet above any code questions. She can then easily use it to work that the code is +1 (ie each 'real' letter +1 = the code letter) or whatever else it is.

Teach her that the main types of codes are + or - codes (as above), mirror codes (write the alphabet out backwards underneath so that A = Z, B = Y etc).

Good luck. RR
Tinkers
Posts: 7240
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 2:05 pm
Location: Reading

Re: Word letter codes-help with speeding up

Post by Tinkers »

Thanks.
The alphabet is printed above the questions, so she doesn't need to write that out thankfully, as would take even longer.
She is actually good at spotting mirror codes, as she knows a to z, o to l and e to v (the last two helped by her name and that of her friend with those pairs in.) since most words have at least one vowel If it's a, l or e she will spot it straight away.

It's the plus/minus a number ones she is slow on. By far the slowest type for her.
I think if they didn't come up then she will do fine in the exam, but if they do, she will struggle to complete them and therefore lose valuable virtually guaranteed marks.
Okanagan
Posts: 1706
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2011 9:20 pm
Location: Warwickshire

Re: Word letter codes-help with speeding up

Post by Okanagan »

Would it help her to write out the numbers 1 to 26 above or below the corresponding letters of the printed alphabet? Then she'd have a quick way of seeing, for example,
O to S = +4 if she could see them as numbers 15 and 19? then if the corresponding one was say, L, she could see that L=12 and look for 12+4 = 16, therefore P.

It sounds like it might take here less time to do it that way than to try counting letters every time.
Tinkers
Posts: 7240
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 2:05 pm
Location: Reading

Re: Word letter codes-help with speeding up

Post by Tinkers »

Possibly worth a go, though obviously it's going to take a while to write the numbers. I'll try that.
I think the answer may be just practise, but unfortunately, as it's a type she now doesn't like, it's more difficult to get her to practise.
RationalityRules

Re: Word letter codes-help with speeding up

Post by RationalityRules »

Tinkers - why don't you write her notes in code ('I love you' or 'I have a chocolate bar for you' or 'sleep tight' on her bed or anything else!) and get her to work out the code. If she does multiple words like this all in one code (e.g. +1, +2, -1, -2) then that might help her speed without her feeling that it's hours of boring practice! It also might take the 'fear factor' out of those types of questions.

RR
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