11 Plus Exams Forum

DD will be taking her 11+ september 2010! Looking for games to help her spelling/vocabulary/VR She is a very bright pupil whose optional SATS in the summer were all 4's - really feel that the local grammar would be the right school for her and want to start preparing her in a fun way this year.
We already play Scrabble and she is an avid reader...
Have seen a game called Word for Word which is a game in which you race to build as many words as you can by snapping on Reading Rods - has anyone tried it? Any others...
Many thanks

Hi Libs

As the test is heavy on vocab it won't hurt to sart enhancing your dd's vocab. One of the types of quetsions is compound word so how about a game I played when tutoring my dd.

Use small cards(I used Business cards) and make up as many compounds as you can putting each part of the compound on two seperate cards eg

man hole
ear nest
man age
fat her

Then turn them face down and ask dd to pick up and try to match. Start of with a small amount say 10 and then as she gets better increase.

Another way is to play like rummy. Deal out say 8 cards each then pick up and throw away finding as many that make a word as posssible. Obviosuly you will need to grow the number of words you have for this.

Doing it this way means it is a game rather then actual practice which would become boring if you were to start as soon as now.

There are so many of these words so by doing these over the next year or so it will help.

A word of advice do not be tempted to actually tutor your dd now with test papers it really would be copubnter productuive as dd would probably get very bored. I would suggest start her tutoring the January of 2010.

I have just finished tutoring my own dd so feel free to ask anything or pm if you prefer.

Mel

thanks Mel - great idea... she will love the rummy game!

scrabble, using the dictionary to check on definitions.

boggle, or trackword from teh back of the Radio Times.

www.freerice.com

google vocabulary games and loads will come up.

So many of these games are time-consuming and boring, let's face it.
You will take a lot of time to learn a few new words.
Suggest you have a mini-whiteboard on the wall somewhere (they all like playing at being a teacher!) where she can write 3 difficult new words every day (be reasonable!) to learn and also to play compound word games. This is more fun than writing it on paper. You could look for an electronic hangman game too. Use interesting vocabulary when speaking and she will learn it in context, hopefully. Pick words at random (possibly even with a pencil over a newspaper!) and go through the spelling and meaning and work out if it is a compound word. Some words can be split in 2 different ways (how exciting!!). Discuss whether the word is a noun, verb etc. and create a sentence to fit it into to show it in context which will help her story-writing etc. so that you are improving her English and not just preparing for the 11+ where many children are learning new words that they don't know when to use.... Good luck!