Help - Tutors for Verbal reasoning
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Help - Tutors for Verbal reasoning
Hi All,
I searched high and low for tutors in Milton Keynes area from 11+ couching.. but no luck. I can travel to Aylesbury area too... Can anyone sugest a good English and Verbal reasoning tutors for me Pls?
Thanks
megan
I searched high and low for tutors in Milton Keynes area from 11+ couching.. but no luck. I can travel to Aylesbury area too... Can anyone sugest a good English and Verbal reasoning tutors for me Pls?
Thanks
megan
MK Tutoring
Hi Megan,
Paragraph deleted by moderator:
........ However, you could do it yourself. I coached my son last year (couldn't afford £100/month) and he passed with the max score. I'm not suggesting that was due to my coaching - he's a bright lad - but it does mean he was well prepared for it and you don't need to spend a fortune in private tuition - which gives no guarantees of passing either. My son knows 9 other children who took the 11+ last year. I believe all the others received private tuition and only 1 of them passed. (Note: They did not all attend (deleted), so this comment is no reflection on that organisation at all).
I've just started coaching my next son and his friend (last night). I set an hour a week aside for a formal class and get them to finish off any exercises for the following week. I use a couple of books: various IPS VR books by Nicolas Stevens and 'How to do Verbal Reasoning' which I received complimentary from this site when I placed my order. Also, make sure you start with the vocab early on. The lion's share of the 11+ is vocab and some pretty nasty words can crop up. Word lists are available to download from this site.
There are some maths-based question types too. My son is using 'Maths training' on the DS to help him get to speed up (never a bad thing whether cramming for the 11+ or otherwise).
Once you've gone through the different question types, you can use daily tests and short or long practice papers to keep the information current. In my opinion, don't put too much pressure on your child, it may end up
having a negative effect. My son used to do a mock paper each week just to keep his speed up, I didn't get him sitting multiple tests each week, but I guess you'd be the best judge of what your child needs, or where the weak areas lie.
Hope this is useful. Happy to offer more advice or details of personal experience if you want it.
MK Mum
Paragraph deleted by moderator:
- EtienneRule 4: No Solicitation or Advertising
...........we will prohibit discussion of specific tutors and tutor centres ........ and will remove any direct promotion of other sites.
........ However, you could do it yourself. I coached my son last year (couldn't afford £100/month) and he passed with the max score. I'm not suggesting that was due to my coaching - he's a bright lad - but it does mean he was well prepared for it and you don't need to spend a fortune in private tuition - which gives no guarantees of passing either. My son knows 9 other children who took the 11+ last year. I believe all the others received private tuition and only 1 of them passed. (Note: They did not all attend (deleted), so this comment is no reflection on that organisation at all).
I've just started coaching my next son and his friend (last night). I set an hour a week aside for a formal class and get them to finish off any exercises for the following week. I use a couple of books: various IPS VR books by Nicolas Stevens and 'How to do Verbal Reasoning' which I received complimentary from this site when I placed my order. Also, make sure you start with the vocab early on. The lion's share of the 11+ is vocab and some pretty nasty words can crop up. Word lists are available to download from this site.
There are some maths-based question types too. My son is using 'Maths training' on the DS to help him get to speed up (never a bad thing whether cramming for the 11+ or otherwise).
Once you've gone through the different question types, you can use daily tests and short or long practice papers to keep the information current. In my opinion, don't put too much pressure on your child, it may end up
having a negative effect. My son used to do a mock paper each week just to keep his speed up, I didn't get him sitting multiple tests each week, but I guess you'd be the best judge of what your child needs, or where the weak areas lie.
Hope this is useful. Happy to offer more advice or details of personal experience if you want it.
MK Mum
Re: MK Tutoring
Thanks Etienne...
My daughter will be taking the exam in 2010 Sep. Is it too early to start? Apart from Bond books, is there any other books for the age group 9-10?
Congratualations for your son who just passed the exam.
Thanks,
Megan
My daughter will be taking the exam in 2010 Sep. Is it too early to start? Apart from Bond books, is there any other books for the age group 9-10?
Congratualations for your son who just passed the exam.
Thanks,
Megan
MKMum wrote:Hi Megan,
Paragraph deleted by moderator:- EtienneRule 4: No Solicitation or Advertising
...........we will prohibit discussion of specific tutors and tutor centres ........ and will remove any direct promotion of other sites.
........ However, you could do it yourself. I coached my son last year (couldn't afford £100/month) and he passed with the max score. I'm not suggesting that was due to my coaching - he's a bright lad - but it does mean he was well prepared for it and you don't need to spend a fortune in private tuition - which gives no guarantees of passing either. My son knows 9 other children who took the 11+ last year. I believe all the others received private tuition and only 1 of them passed. (Note: They did not all attend (deleted), so this comment is no reflection on that organisation at all).
I've just started coaching my next son and his friend (last night). I set an hour a week aside for a formal class and get them to finish off any exercises for the following week. I use a couple of books: various IPS VR books by Nicolas Stevens and 'How to do Verbal Reasoning' which I received complimentary from this site when I placed my order. Also, make sure you start with the vocab early on. The lion's share of the 11+ is vocab and some pretty nasty words can crop up. Word lists are available to download from this site.
There are some maths-based question types too. My son is using 'Maths training' on the DS to help him get to speed up (never a bad thing whether cramming for the 11+ or otherwise).
Once you've gone through the different question types, you can use daily tests and short or long practice papers to keep the information current. In my opinion, don't put too much pressure on your child, it may end up
having a negative effect. My son used to do a mock paper each week just to keep his speed up, I didn't get him sitting multiple tests each week, but I guess you'd be the best judge of what your child needs, or where the weak areas lie.
Hope this is useful. Happy to offer more advice or details of personal experience if you want it.
MK Mum
For me personally, I wouldn't start coaching until year 5 as too much coaching can run the risk of peaking too soon, and boredom setting in. However, that said. The vocabulary is the most difficult part to master, and you could start 'coaching by stealth' by playing word games, reading with your daughter (explaining any unknown words - including those with multiple meanings to her), etc. Making sure your daughter knows her times tables, and can do relatively quick addition and subtraction are also benefits. Maybe leave the formal techniques until next year/year 5.
Ultimately, you know your own child and should be able to best-guess her strengths and weaknesses.
I use the IPS books by Nicolas Stevens for my children. They're easy to read and contain exercises in each technique. The tutors also have CDs and downloads you could use (although to be fair, my son didn't really use them very much). Every child is different and has their own favourite method of learning, so work out which method suits your daughter and go for it. Nintendo DS is another useful tool. Maths training and perhaps Spellbound/My word coach may help?
I'm not a professional on this forum, just a mum who has coached, who is coaching and who will be coaching her 3 kids, so others may wish to offer advice from experience?
Over to the pros.....
Ultimately, you know your own child and should be able to best-guess her strengths and weaknesses.
I use the IPS books by Nicolas Stevens for my children. They're easy to read and contain exercises in each technique. The tutors also have CDs and downloads you could use (although to be fair, my son didn't really use them very much). Every child is different and has their own favourite method of learning, so work out which method suits your daughter and go for it. Nintendo DS is another useful tool. Maths training and perhaps Spellbound/My word coach may help?
I'm not a professional on this forum, just a mum who has coached, who is coaching and who will be coaching her 3 kids, so others may wish to offer advice from experience?
Over to the pros.....
For my Yr 5's I use the IPS and AFN practise tests, as well as Learning Lab, but not Bond. When their commissioning editor was doing the rounds in Bucks last year, she was quite open about the fact that the Bond books were poor for this area.
For my Yr 4's I think reading is very important. I used the guided reading models used by most primary schools, and I can't be the only one to lend books to children, but I think it's also very important for parents to read to their children and discuss what has been happening in the books.
For maths, I try to build upon the things that they would be doing under the new Numeracy Strategy (conveniently my partner teaches Yr 4), with an emphasis on 4 rules. Cracking Tmes Tables is good for homework, and I beging to develop a sense of number sequencing and patterns through simple colouring exercises. Later in the year, we move on to some of the types of number sequences used in the tests by turining it around and getting the children to develop their own questions to test me and their parents.
For my Yr 4's I think reading is very important. I used the guided reading models used by most primary schools, and I can't be the only one to lend books to children, but I think it's also very important for parents to read to their children and discuss what has been happening in the books.
For maths, I try to build upon the things that they would be doing under the new Numeracy Strategy (conveniently my partner teaches Yr 4), with an emphasis on 4 rules. Cracking Tmes Tables is good for homework, and I beging to develop a sense of number sequencing and patterns through simple colouring exercises. Later in the year, we move on to some of the types of number sequences used in the tests by turining it around and getting the children to develop their own questions to test me and their parents.
Opinion counts for nothing - show me the evidence!
There are some good games on teh internet to help for VR, try woodlands junior school site, I work on synonyms and antonyms as they crop up a lot. Be choosy though as some sites are american and so spelling differs
Playing scrabble using a dictionary helps too as do all word games ( I like upwords, good for changing a letter to make different word)
Patricia has a list of words and ideas for games on the free sownloads page , if you go to interactive CDs on here there is also a method and technique course which is by the Tutors and is free to download.
Playing scrabble using a dictionary helps too as do all word games ( I like upwords, good for changing a letter to make different word)
Patricia has a list of words and ideas for games on the free sownloads page , if you go to interactive CDs on here there is also a method and technique course which is by the Tutors and is free to download.
Thanks
Thank you. I am using the bond books at the min.
Is there are any AFN or IPS for the 8-9 years old and 9-10 years old?
Or should I start with the 11+ stright away? Thanks.
Do you have a list reading books that might help her?
Thanking you in advance.
Megan
Is there are any AFN or IPS for the 8-9 years old and 9-10 years old?
Or should I start with the 11+ stright away? Thanks.
Do you have a list reading books that might help her?
Thanking you in advance.
Megan
