Good Luck to all those taking the 12+
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laid back son worried mum
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laid back son worried mum
- Posts: 4083
- Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2007 1:18 am
Thank you everyone !
Oh bring on the flashing lights and dancers 
DS will never be able to call this website dull when I show him this thread!
Thank you all sooo much for all you good wishes - it's really kind...haven't seen my little man as am at work til late tonight but we have spoken on the phone and he is one happy kid.
Still a way to go with allocations but the worse is surely over!???
The postie has currently lost his Xmas tip
Many thanks again
Ambridge aka 12+elf x
DS will never be able to call this website dull when I show him this thread!
Thank you all sooo much for all you good wishes - it's really kind...haven't seen my little man as am at work til late tonight but we have spoken on the phone and he is one happy kid.
Still a way to go with allocations but the worse is surely over!???
The postie has currently lost his Xmas tip
Many thanks again
Ambridge aka 12+elf x
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Road Runner
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Thu Sep 14, 2006 8:32 pm
Mel x
Dear Ambridge and dear Little Soldier
Absolutely Well Well Done!!!
I was brought to tears with your postings, both the day you said he took it it and now today you tell us he passed.
You must be feeling so fantastic right now and who can blame you.
Whatever else this 11+ does it seems to really bring us close together with our kids, how great is that!!
Congratulations again , and hey why not kick out your hubby again tonight and another 'not so fretful this time' dawn break with your little lad, you can enjoy the birds this time and tell him again just how fab he is
Melx
Absolutely Well Well Done!!!
I was brought to tears with your postings, both the day you said he took it it and now today you tell us he passed.
You must be feeling so fantastic right now and who can blame you.
Whatever else this 11+ does it seems to really bring us close together with our kids, how great is that!!
Congratulations again , and hey why not kick out your hubby again tonight and another 'not so fretful this time' dawn break with your little lad, you can enjoy the birds this time and tell him again just how fab he is
Melx
Congrats and well done to all those who worked hard and achieved their goal. We still got a good few months of agony. I hope you don't mind answering few questions for me, how did people find practising for the 12+ comparing to the 11+? When did you actually start to revise? and lastly again I hope you don't mind, (a pass is a pass) but how did people score comparing to the 11+? Sorry just a 
Mum
MumHi Rash
Well we started practicing about 7/8 weeks before the exam, so say the first week of Feb (and the exam was first week of April). Prior to that we didn't even mention the dreaded 12+ word especially as he was being quite stretched at school - we didn't want to pile on the pressure.
The first paper he did, remembering it was almost 18 months since he saw the 11+, wasn't great, possibly a pass but only just - but he got into the habit of concentrating on the wrong answers and we put them right together. It did all come back quite well but he did have a few silly problem areas which let him down on each test which needed work.
With a fortnight to go he progressed from one test a week to two, he found certain types of tests easier than others but in general, the original knowledge came back much easier than I thought it would, he was definitely more able especially with word knowledge, probably being a year older and it wasn't nearly as tortuous as I imagined.
Also, maybe because we only practiced over a relatively short period, he didn't mind doing it, on top of all his school homework and actitivities which amazed me, may be it was a diversion (not my idea of fun though that's for sure!)
He scored 120 for the 11+ when we all expected him to pass and scored 133 for the 12+ so passed well which was great for his confidence
Good luck Rash, pm me if you have anything specific you want to ask, may be one of the others from this years 12+ batch can add something to give you a different view.
Ambridge x
Well we started practicing about 7/8 weeks before the exam, so say the first week of Feb (and the exam was first week of April). Prior to that we didn't even mention the dreaded 12+ word especially as he was being quite stretched at school - we didn't want to pile on the pressure.
The first paper he did, remembering it was almost 18 months since he saw the 11+, wasn't great, possibly a pass but only just - but he got into the habit of concentrating on the wrong answers and we put them right together. It did all come back quite well but he did have a few silly problem areas which let him down on each test which needed work.
With a fortnight to go he progressed from one test a week to two, he found certain types of tests easier than others but in general, the original knowledge came back much easier than I thought it would, he was definitely more able especially with word knowledge, probably being a year older and it wasn't nearly as tortuous as I imagined.
Also, maybe because we only practiced over a relatively short period, he didn't mind doing it, on top of all his school homework and actitivities which amazed me, may be it was a diversion (not my idea of fun though that's for sure!)
He scored 120 for the 11+ when we all expected him to pass and scored 133 for the 12+ so passed well which was great for his confidence
Good luck Rash, pm me if you have anything specific you want to ask, may be one of the others from this years 12+ batch can add something to give you a different view.
Ambridge x
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Sally-Anne
- Posts: 9235
- Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
- Location: Buckinghamshire
Hi Rash
Our experience was very similar to Ambridge's.
I felt that my DS had been effectively coached for the 11+, and so I didn't feel that we needed to go over the techniques again - just do some light practice to blow away the cobwebs.
I suggest that you do a couple of short practice papers in the early autumn to see if there are consistent areas of weakness, and make your decision on preparation from there.
I do agree with Ambridge that there was a huge improvement in vocabulary between the 11+ and the 12+, so I would recommend that you try to raise your DD's reading level over the next few months.
Take her "outside of her comfort zone" and get her reading more challenging books. Try to get her reading what I would call classic "adult/child crossover books" - books that can be read by all age groups, such as Watership Down, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, To Kill a Mockingbird. Make sure that she asks you whenever she comes across a word that she doesn't understand - a small notebook for her to jot them down in might be useful.
I also agree with Ambridge that keeping the preparation relaxed is a very good idea. The children don't generally feel the same pressure for the 12+ because the atmosphere at school isn't so highly charged. That seems to make almost as big a difference as anything.
Keep coming back to us with any questions.
Best wishes
Sally-Anne
Our experience was very similar to Ambridge's.
I felt that my DS had been effectively coached for the 11+, and so I didn't feel that we needed to go over the techniques again - just do some light practice to blow away the cobwebs.
I suggest that you do a couple of short practice papers in the early autumn to see if there are consistent areas of weakness, and make your decision on preparation from there.
I do agree with Ambridge that there was a huge improvement in vocabulary between the 11+ and the 12+, so I would recommend that you try to raise your DD's reading level over the next few months.
Take her "outside of her comfort zone" and get her reading more challenging books. Try to get her reading what I would call classic "adult/child crossover books" - books that can be read by all age groups, such as Watership Down, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, To Kill a Mockingbird. Make sure that she asks you whenever she comes across a word that she doesn't understand - a small notebook for her to jot them down in might be useful.
I also agree with Ambridge that keeping the preparation relaxed is a very good idea. The children don't generally feel the same pressure for the 12+ because the atmosphere at school isn't so highly charged. That seems to make almost as big a difference as anything.
Keep coming back to us with any questions.
Best wishes
Sally-Anne
