Maths - what level?

11 Plus Maths – Preparation and Information

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Nou
Posts: 198
Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2005 12:55 pm

Maths - what level?

Post by Nou »

My daughter attends a small independent school where they don't follow the National Curriculum or do SATS. She is nearly ten years old and she has only recently started to study topics like division, decimals and fractions, and only recently completed times tables!. Although she seems good at the limited maths she has studied, her whole class seem very behind, I think this is due to being taught maths by an unqualified teacher for two years. I am wondering whether I should base home tuition on the National Curriculum/SATS topics and what levels she should be aiming at for the 11 plus. Any advice would be gratefully received.

She has been IQ tested due to a minor speech problem and is considered at least in the top 10 per cent and is about 3-4 years ahead of her chronological age in reading. It is just maths that is the problem! She used the Numbershark CD rom (which is fantastic) to get up to speed in very basic maths and if anyone can recommend resources for more advanced topics I would be grateful!
HP
Posts: 438
Joined: Wed Mar 08, 2006 2:06 pm

Post by HP »

Hi Nou,

We started with the Bond Assessment Papers for Maths Level 3 & 4 which were great for highlighting gaps in her knowledge. We also used the following Maths resources for our daughter:

Schofield & Sims - Maths Key Stage 2 Revision Guide

This outlines the KS2 areas in the curriculum in a way that I found very easy to assimilate myself and then teach to my daughter. Also it is very well set out - I found some of the other books available on the market such a riot of colour that it was difficult for my daughter to concentrate on the subject matter.

We also used the following to re-enforce the learning and to practise core skills:

WH Smiths Essentials in Maths Year 6 Books 1,2,3
Carol Vordeman's Maths Made Easy Key Stage 2 Workbooks 1,2,3

There is an overlap between the WH Smith's books and Carol Vordeman's, but the repetition didn't harm and, I believe, helped boost her speed.

How long do you have before your 11+? We started about seven months before her test papers, I think we covered the KS2 curriculum in just over 4 months and we were working on verbal reasoning techniques too. We still had time at the end to concentrate on practise papers for Maths and VR.

Hope this helps.

HP
Nou
Posts: 198
Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2005 12:55 pm

Post by Nou »

Thanks for that. The screening tests VR/NVR for Henrietta Barnett school are in November and the main tests in Maths and English the following January. Seems like a lot of time, but I resolved to start last Xmas and haven't done much so far!
QE Dad

Tried Peter Robson Maths For Pratice & Revision books

Post by QE Dad »

Dear Nou,

My recommendation would be a far cheaper solution.

There is series of very cheap books by Peter Robson (buy books 1-5 + answerbook) £2.95 each where you should go through books 1 & 2 thoroughly, book 3 half way and parts of books 4 & 5.

These old fashioned books are excellent. They give four worked examples and over one hundred practice questions.

They cover all 27 topics listed on this website that you will need for eleven plus exams and helped my son get into QE boys.

Once you have covered sufficient practice questions for each topic your daughter will find the exam not that challenging!

27 maths topics:

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/revisi ... _maths.php

Peter Robson books:

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/books/ ... p?g=f&p=10

The books are a bit cheaper on this website.

I am sure that is all you will need to ace the maths.

QED
TeeGee

Post by TeeGee »

Dear QE Dad

Thanks for your Maths recommendations above.

Can I ask for similiar details in relation to the other 3 Exams for QE Boys.

My son is due to sit these later this year.

I would appreciate your guidance and comments.

Many thanks.
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