What did you do in Year 4?
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What did you do in Year 4?
Can anyone please give me some advice as to what "extras" you did in Year 4?
I have the joy
of b/g twins who will obviously both be taking it at the same time (2 years from now). I think they're both very bright and at the moment, believe that they'll do well at the local grammar schools, I just want to sit back in 2 years and say I did everything I could to help them, whatever the result.
Both are good at mental arithmetic - they have homework from the Schofield & Simms books and we occasionally do extra ones (every 2 or 3 weeks). Once a week or so, we do some online numeracy problem solving type questions from IXL or similar. Both seem quite "quick" with recall of times tables etc, working out etc (although make silly mistakes not reading the question properly sometimes).
Literacy - girl would read all day every day if she could and we were told at the start of Year 2 she had a reading age of 11. I think she will be fine with the exams, she's in top group at school for literacy / numeracy but just want to carry on with the encouragement. Boy - reads if he has to (more interested in sport although have just purchased some football books in the hope of combining the 2!) but doesn't have the range of vocab that girl does at the moment. No "flair" if you know what I mean. Conscious that the exam in 2015 will have a comprehension in it (instead of the VR) for the boys, so want to help develop this if I can. He seems to be in the 2nd group for literacy at the mo (not in daughter's group, spellings etc aren't quite as difficult). They have literacy homework, then word puzzles etc. We read every night (maybe 15 mins) and talk obviously, but wondered if I should be doing more, particularly with son?
Have a tutor reserved for next year (i.e. when they start Year 5) but just wondered if anyone can share their experience.
Many thanks in advance.
I have the joy
of b/g twins who will obviously both be taking it at the same time (2 years from now). I think they're both very bright and at the moment, believe that they'll do well at the local grammar schools, I just want to sit back in 2 years and say I did everything I could to help them, whatever the result.Both are good at mental arithmetic - they have homework from the Schofield & Simms books and we occasionally do extra ones (every 2 or 3 weeks). Once a week or so, we do some online numeracy problem solving type questions from IXL or similar. Both seem quite "quick" with recall of times tables etc, working out etc (although make silly mistakes not reading the question properly sometimes).
Literacy - girl would read all day every day if she could and we were told at the start of Year 2 she had a reading age of 11. I think she will be fine with the exams, she's in top group at school for literacy / numeracy but just want to carry on with the encouragement. Boy - reads if he has to (more interested in sport although have just purchased some football books in the hope of combining the 2!) but doesn't have the range of vocab that girl does at the moment. No "flair" if you know what I mean. Conscious that the exam in 2015 will have a comprehension in it (instead of the VR) for the boys, so want to help develop this if I can. He seems to be in the 2nd group for literacy at the mo (not in daughter's group, spellings etc aren't quite as difficult). They have literacy homework, then word puzzles etc. We read every night (maybe 15 mins) and talk obviously, but wondered if I should be doing more, particularly with son?
Have a tutor reserved for next year (i.e. when they start Year 5) but just wondered if anyone can share their experience.
Many thanks in advance.
Re: What did you do in Year 4?
Sorry, meant the comprehension is instead of the NVR, so there will be a comprehension paper, a VR paper and a maths paper (so weighted slightly towards the literacy side than the numeracy side),.
Re: What did you do in Year 4?
Hi Mandy21,
How do you know the ABGS is changing its exam format and removing the NVR paper?
I have heard rumours but not seen anything confirmed.
Please can you say where you got this information.
Thanks
How do you know the ABGS is changing its exam format and removing the NVR paper?
I have heard rumours but not seen anything confirmed.
Please can you say where you got this information.
Thanks
Re: What did you do in Year 4?
Headteacher called a meeting of parents to advise of change.
Re: What did you do in Year 4?
We didnt do anything in Year 4 with DD & I have to say I wouldn't change this. The volume of work her tutor set was quite high in Y5 and I personally feel that 12 months is more than enough, otherwise you run the risk of children getting sick of the additional workload and not wanting to do it. My DD is a real bookworm too but i discovered that her understanding of words wasn't always great and this did cause problems with VR papers. I would advise to check this and encourage them to look up/ask meanings of any words they don't understand thus increasing their vocab which in turn will help with VR. Timestable practice is also good. x
Re: What did you do in Year 4?
Sorry, can I just check something, are you saying AGSB are remiving the non verbal element of the exam abs replacing it with a comprehension? Are you sure they aren't swapping the VR (not NVR) for a comprehension?
Which school are your children at currently please- as I had heard rumours of a change but nothing concrete?
Which school are your children at currently please- as I had heard rumours of a change but nothing concrete?
Re: What did you do in Year 4?
Sorry, relatively new to this forum, Tiddlymum can you email me somehow? Would rather not give personal info out on a forum. All I can go on is what we've been told at school (but please if you have any concerns would the school not give out this information?) We've been told the NVR is being replaced as from next year - the reason given was that apparently the maths + NVR papers are easier to coach for, lots of boyts being intensively prepped and not doing as well as the school hoped once they're there (across the curriculum) and they think that having a comprehension paper instead of a NVR paper gives a better "all round" indication of intelligence / overall ability.
Re: What did you do in Year 4?
Hi Mandy
Don't worry , I don't want to pin you down for info- I understand you being circumspect.
Interesting though- my son hated nvr - it was a real struggle !!!
Don't worry , I don't want to pin you down for info- I understand you being circumspect.
Interesting though- my son hated nvr - it was a real struggle !!!
-
JSN
Re: What did you do in Year 4?
just checked in , but found this discussion on the value of NVR interesting , NVR IMO is the least bias test of intelligence thats why most I.Q tests are based around these types of tests, there are only a few basic rules at least at 11+ so accessible to all from what ever social/economical background a child comes from, unlike the CEM type exams , which are very vocab orientated , and disappropriatly favour middle class families who have access to books at home with very pro-active parents. Yes CEM is very untutorable unless your child swallows the preverbial dictionary!!
so in summary english ( VR, comprehension, synonym/antonyms -type qusetions) are very learnt and do not reflect inert intelligence IMO and research evidence shows this ,though I have no links to hand.
in other words NVR is the best predictor of potential very poor in ascertaining prior attainment
the best solution would be to scrap the VR and replace it with english to capture the best but who may have different aptitudes
this forum is a bit like "Hotel California" you can check in but never check out
so in summary english ( VR, comprehension, synonym/antonyms -type qusetions) are very learnt and do not reflect inert intelligence IMO and research evidence shows this ,though I have no links to hand.
in other words NVR is the best predictor of potential very poor in ascertaining prior attainment
the best solution would be to scrap the VR and replace it with english to capture the best but who may have different aptitudes
this forum is a bit like "Hotel California" you can check in but never check out
Re: What did you do in Year 4?
Mandy21 - Mostly when people say that don't do anything in Year 4, they mean that don't begin 11+ material in Year 4.
But you can do Mental Maths, times table rapid recall, vocab building, bond papers 10 mins 8-9 years and go on to Bond assessment papers if your children feel comfortable and take it as fun. Establishing a study routine apart from homework from year 4 will ease pressure in year 5 . They should not go from "zero extra work in year 4 " to "2 hour of extra studies in year 5".
Hope it helps.
But you can do Mental Maths, times table rapid recall, vocab building, bond papers 10 mins 8-9 years and go on to Bond assessment papers if your children feel comfortable and take it as fun. Establishing a study routine apart from homework from year 4 will ease pressure in year 5 . They should not go from "zero extra work in year 4 " to "2 hour of extra studies in year 5".
Hope it helps.
