Just wondering

[JLT]

That sounds familiar ! At least with the timed papers they don't have time to stare aimlessly out of the window or draw on their hands.

Fingers crossed!!

[dani*]

To be fair DD really did put her head down when she did the NFER maths practice papers, she tried really hard, VR was a different matter all together. She found it difficult to stay focussed when doing the VR timed practice papers but she definately worked hard on the maths one.

[bulu]

Hi JLT, we are in a similar situation with higher scores on VR and NVR, and maths in the 55 -65% range (Letts papers, not done gl yet).

I think for us it's a mixture of silly mistakes, costing about 5 points per paper, and the trickier topics we haven't yet covered much, if at all.

I feel guilty about the latter, thinking I should have got him a 'proper' tutor but there's still time and he's a fast learner. Does your son have any topics he finds more difficult?

I worked on weak areas last week, rather than testing, and he has become so confident in complex area and perimeter questions, ratio, proportional parts, algebra substitution, age logic and those percentage grids. It's really rewarding when he suddenly 'gets it'!

Your comment about 5/10 and 6/10 being the difference between a pass and a fail really made me think!

[JLT]

Hi bulu - the annoying thing is there's no one area that he really doesn't understand (apart from algebra which had never seen until about two weeks ago), it's just one after another silly mistakes usually with poor calculation. Often knows how to work out the answer just adds up wrong. Or we have silly mistakes like he'll work out the area of the square should be 144 - so when he has to work out what one side is he'll just halve 144 - you point it out and even he can't work out why he tried to halve it!! I think the real problem with the maths paper is that it just jumps through different types of question, whereas in the VR and NVR you at least get 5 or 6 questions on the same wavelength. So frustrating when I know he'd cope at a grammar school, he really wants to go there but the silly mistakes could cost him dearly

[bulu]

Gosh JLT, that's really galling for you if he's losing 50% of his marks on silly mistakes and miscalculations.

I've no great advice as I'm new to this too, but at least you know you've been there for him, at his side, supporting and encouraging him.

Maybe he is a bit like Scarlett's son who deep down knew he could do it on the day! I hope so. If he's up to speed with all the topics, maybe he's just bored going over the the same old stuff? Does he seem more keen on the new stuff, ie algebra?!

We still have a few topics to cover - those pesky reverse fractions and percentages, and imperial conversions, but at least it will be new to both of us. I'm not even bothering with proper algebra, which I quite enjoy, because I don't feel DS is ready for it, and I don't want to spoil it for him, whatever school he ends up at.

Just keep plodding on, it may soon all click! Best wishes.

[mystery]

JLT, maybe now you need to drop the maths questions and just do lots of games where to beat you he needs to calculate accurately in his head? From what you say itsounds like his current pitfall?

[scarlett]

My second son also makes silly mistakes due to poor calculation and will often give an answer as 6 when it should be 5 , just because he has rushed the sum.How does your son score if you give him 5 questions to do in his own time ? Would he get those right ? Do you think he is panicking due to the strict timings ?

It is frustrating.... I think with practice he will get there ...especially as he knows how to do the sums. You just have to slow him down for the moment....is he rushing to finish to join in with whatever his siblings are up to ? My second son would practically drag his bike into the house waiting for DS1 to finish , which didn't help and then when I shooed him away into the garden , an annoying face would suddenly peer through the window.The stresses we have to put up with !

[dunemigrating]

Hi JLT
When I read your post I can really feel your frustration and know exactly how you feel. My son rushes too much which is good in one way as he may finish the paper, but on the other hand, he makes many silly mistakes too. We also have the added problem that he is messy and sometimes can't even read his own workings out! The other day he put a 0 instead of a 6 on the answer which was of course wrong -it was the other way round, and his 4's look like 9's so again it depends if he can read his own writing. arghhhhhhhhhhh!
I'm of the opininion now though that as parents we can only do what we can do. We can't work mircales this late in the day.It might all be good on the day - let's hope.
Keep your chin up, stay calm and keep going. ***

[scarlett]

Our sons are very similar ! Mine flatly refused to write down workings out , thinking he could do it all in his head, which of course he couldn't. He then started scribbling down the biggest mess imaginable that no one could read.....and even now his teacher says she has absolutely no idea how he works things out and his workings are usually most bizarre...but at least now he gets the questions right !

[JLT]

Hi

Dunemigrating - do you think our DS could be related - that 0/6 - 4/9 is exactly what mine does! So frustrating isn't it! DS now starting to get a bit annoyed himself about the silly mistakes, so hoping may have turned a corner! Have decided that for the next few weeks, we're going to work through the Bond how to do 11+ maths and do a few questions from each topic to see which ones he makes most silly mistakes on. I'm hoping that by just doing one subject type at a time rather than jumping around like 10 minute tests and practice papers, will give him confidence and a chance for us to concentrate on one subject a day.