Nets questions - how to improve accuracy?

[Exams2018]

Hi all,
DD improved significantly after doing the Bond "how to" book and the 9-10 books. She has just finished bond 10-11 NVR book1. In EVERY SINGLE paper, she got the nets questions wrong. She seems to be doing reasonably well in other areas.

Please can anyone help me with ideas re how to help her understand and visualise nets?

[MCLC]

We found that making different nets using card helped. DD would draw different patterns and understood what shapes would end up next to one another when folded.

[PurpleDuck]

We found that making different nets using card helped. DD would draw different patterns and understood what shapes would end up next to one another when folded.

I'd second that. We also made nets from card but in order to save time and make life easier moved on to plastic squares, triangles and pentagons that can be made into 3D shapes and nets (the sort of thing you can buy from educational supplies places online). Making 3D shapes out of different nets really helped both my DCs in developing their spatial awareness/thinking.

[Exams2018]

Great idea! thank you

[ilelo]

I am looking for tips too but came across videos on YouTube explaining this yesterday. They've helped to an extent to eliminate the definitely nots. I'm guessing I can't link to the video but search Cubes and Nets for 11+ on YouTube.

But a quickie,
- alternate shapes will be opposite each other when the cube is made so they cannot be next to each other. Any left over shapes after the alternate ones will be opposites

- check special features and how the shapes relate to each other. They must do the same when the cube is formed.

That helps eliminate what isn't right and hopefully the right answer is left or 2 to determine.

I'm sure I haven't explained well but do look on YouTube. I found 2 men from India's video useful and a UK one that has it as type 15 with the video in 3 parts or so.

Now, I will be ordering the how to do book.