Eek-it's getting close now!

[Manana]

I feel like I've been on this forum for ages but now the tests are just around the corner and I don't know what to focus on!

We're doing 30/45 minutes each morning of either VR/Maths/English and I'm throwing vocab at him where I can as well as doing reading, but trying to still let him RELAX as much as possible! Are you all doing full tests over the holidays or just bits and pieces?

[didcot2002]

That's a lot more than we're doing but if your son seems happy with it then it's ok. My hormonal daughter would freak if I suggested that much!

[Long Journey]

We're the same Manana, but no English, just Maths and VR on alternative days. Some days we do full papers, on other days just smaller bits and some days not at all. But we do try to do at least a little bit everyday because that's not always possible when school starts and the children are back to their activities. It's hardly a drain in the holidays, when they have the whole day to while away as they wish, to spend some time preparing!

[Okanagan]

Mostly not doing full tests at the moment - at this stage just concentrating on the areas where there's most room for improvement. We will do more full tests to get used to the time manangement aspects, and to keep concentrating for two papers back to back later in the holidays.

I'll probably try to put together some tests which come as close as I can determine to the real format with appropriately timed sections - although round here there aren't any past papers to go on or even any other materials published by the producers of our exam (CEM), and they're a mix of partly standard format and partly multiple choice so "mum's mocks" will end up being a bit of a cut and paste job and a lot of guesswork about what will actually be in it.

Having said that - for a while I have been largely ignoring maths as it's always been his best area and I knew that this time last year he was already ok with 11+ questions. Only to find out this week that his teachers at school have spent the whole of the last year (presumably with SATS in mind) drumming into him that he must ALWAYS write down his workings and do things their way, so he's now got into the habit of doing that and taking far too long doing it that way to actually do the papers in the time allowed! So a paper which last year he could do in the time and score in the high 80's on, this week he only did 2/3 of in the time and got half of those wrong! So we're having to go back to getting him to think about what will be the faster methods and reminding him that there are no marks for working out or correct method in 11+, it's just right or wrong.

[ginx]

Didcot 2002,

Similar to my daughter; hormonal at the age of ten; or else just stubborn and sick of doing practices.

Okanagan,

We're about to go on holiday for a fortnight! Going to take Bond with us. All areas need work. Like you and maths, us and comprehension. So we'll be concentrating on that, I think.

I don't want to spend two weeks nagging my daughter to work - it is the holidays - summer or no summer -

[DIY Mum]

Too close...only 39 days left for us!

Atm, I'm doing various bits and bobs with dd2 and trying to address her weaker areas (which are alot ). Doesn't help that I'm going through a miscarriage atm but even so, it's quite hard to focus on an exam which takes place straight after the summer holidays!

[Reading Mum]

so sorry DIY Mum

[999 mum]

DIY mum,

So sorry to hear your news. I know everything else is important, but look after yourself as well.

[DIY Mum]

Thank-you, Reading Mum and 999 mum for your kind words.