How many hours did your child study for 11+ preparation

BoltBlue · Post by **BoltBlue** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 5:29 pm

How many hours a week did your child study for, during 11+ preparation?
Do not include school home work.

Be honest and do not under-estimate on the basis that a higher figure means you are a pushy parent.
It is clear people seldom tell the truth.

Some children do half an hour a day, some 1 hour a day, some 2 hours a day and some even 3 hours a day.

The amount of work will depend on 11+ areas. If you have just one VR test the figure is likely to be low.
If you have to cover VR, Maths and NVR the figures will be higher.

The poll asks hours per WEEK (not day).

Provide average figures 6 months before the test.

push-pull-mum · Post by **push-pull-mum** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 5:35 pm

At what point?

One year before? Three months before? Three months after leaving pre-school?
Sorry - don't think you're going to get anywhere near accurate results unless you specify a time frame.

BoltBlue · Post by **BoltBlue** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 5:46 pm

You are correct. Even figures are meaningless as 11+ tests differ.
Eg some are just VR and others are VR, NVR, maths.

Let us assume 6 months before the test.

Probably better to survey in different 11+ regions.

May be one point is "do many children study for 5 hours a week or more"?

I know some do online courses that work out 4 hours a week plus 4 hours of tuition in small classes and some
tutors state a child should be doing 2 hours a night 5 nights a week. Others say 1 hour a night.

scarlett · Post by **scarlett** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 6:05 pm

Even in the same 11 plus area, it will be different for each child as some pick up the VR/ NVR quickly, others need more practice and then there will be children who need more work on their maths or english if they are at a particularly weak school. Of course there will be parents who panic and try and stuff as many hours of practice into the week as possible and then more other parents who take a more laid back approach.

It's all individual ! Can I ask why you want to know ? For your own children ? or are you curious ?

Post by **hermanmunster** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 6:23 pm

... and some who don't do any.

BoltBlue · Post by **BoltBlue** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 7:12 pm

I am curious.
My child passed and must have studied just over 11 hours a week in the build up. I will admit it.
Self tutored and "practice papers" (in an area where past papers are not available) and going though errrors.
Comfortably passed, but needed a high score to be near the top of out of area waiting list.

I have seen many parents claim they child did nothing at all (which I don't believe).
Very little, I could believe. None would also mean no practice papers and not even
looking at sample papers provided.

I have spoke to tutors who claim 2 hours a night is required for some regions.
I have seen people doing online courses and face-to-face classes who do over 10 hours a week.

One thing I noticed is that there is a denial of the hours undertaken.

If a child does 10 hours the parents will claim they their child hardly does anything.
I believe there is a lack of honesty. Many parents thing that is a child studies for the 11+ they
are "pushy" or the child is studying too hard.

There are naturally gifted children, but I do not think very many. Many children do study hard.
I would guess on this forum less than 3.5 hours a week will be the claim.

Think... a 50 minute bond paper is almost an hour. With corrections and going through answers that are wrong could mean
another 30 minutes. If a child does four 50 min papers a week, which is not even one a day (Comprehension, VR, NVR, maths) that is over 3.5 hours without time looking at errors.

yoyo123 · Post by **yoyo123** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 7:17 pm

my own children did a set of practice papers each and we just went through the ones they got wrong that was 11 and 7 years ago though and we are not in a superselective area. I dare say it might need a bit mpre work now.

what do you count as 'study', reading? jigsaws? playing word games? doing puzzles together? or just practice papers

stevew61 · Post by **stevew61** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 7:27 pm

BoltBlue wrote:Be honest ..................It is clear people seldom tell the truth.

Blimey I'm stuck now, catch 22.

BoltBlue · Post by **BoltBlue** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 7:46 pm

yoyo123 wrote:
what do you count as 'study', reading? jigsaws? playing word games? doing puzzles together? or just practice papers

Difficult one... if playing games like missing object or reflections, that you would not do if you were not taking the 11+, then that is studying.

Reading is not studying unless you are only doing so as you are taking the 11+ or are forced to read, when one usually would not.

Studying is learning, reading maths, NVR, VR books, videos etc, doing papers, or general questions and activities directed towards studying eg spartial reasoning games.

It is funny how there are so many formal 11+ courses and tuition centres, and all these people will "study" for more than 4 hours a week.

Even before Easter holidays my child's school were giving children more than 1 hour a night homework and in total over 10 hours a week SATS revision. (So many parents complained their children did too much). Wait for seconary school!

Post by **mitasol** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 8:37 pm

It is obviously a question of supply and demand and how much you want or need it!

I certainly couldn't persuade myself or my child that it was worth 11 hours of his week in year 5/6.