Not sure where to go from here..

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pixiequeen
Posts: 378
Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2008 12:06 am

Not sure where to go from here..

Post by pixiequeen »

DD is getting mid to high eighties in her practice papers, finishing only just inside the 50 mins. This has been the case for several weeks now, with no real improvement. The last paper she sat, I asked her to re-do the questions she got wrong (10 q's) and out of those she got 7 right immediately with no help - which would obviously have made her score much higher. When I asked her why she got them wrong the first time round, she said she was rushing because she was conscious of the time.

So - it looks as though time is a problem for her - but I'm not sure what we can do about it - we have previously worked on questions that take her longer but I don't know how else to help her? Or should I accept that she's reached the upper limit of her ability and ease off a bit?

Has anyone else had this situation? What I really want to know is if I keep giving her timed papers will she pick up speed? Is there a better way to help her speed up, or am I flogging a dead horse, so to speak? :D

Will be very glad when all this is over.

Pixiequeen
muminTewkes
Posts: 266
Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2010 11:57 am

Re: Not sure where to go from here..

Post by muminTewkes »

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This was us a bout three weeks ago and had been for some time(I actually posted about it)-almost identical timing and scores in the mid/high eighties and with very silly mistakes as you said.. and more the "management"
It may not help as I think you've probably done it but I eased off the long full 50 min papers and just concentrated on his weaker areas(compound words,vocab etc)using short 10 min papers/computer and compound word games-just a bit more than usual.
I also drummed the whole making notes(AWFUL at it :evil: ) and if in doubt write it out thing with him re the compound words and more the "management "of the test so he could see that yes,he took a while over certain Q's but flew through the others so not to get all worried.
We have had two full papers in @ 35 mins completed and with only ONE mistake!!!and lots of scribbles/writing words out and the chance to check and re check-result!and now a much more confident child.The papers were SD(last in the multiple choice series-cant remember the number!)and nfer paper D(in the giraffe book)
It could totally be just coincidence but I think he just needed a slight break and a bit of confidence and tweaking the questions he took time over.
Ive no illusions that that's it-work done but I'm more encouraged.Sounds like you may have done the above though so maybe someone else will come along with some help?I think its fairly common tbh...ahhh..only a few more weeks of this **** to go through!I just want it OVER now :wink:
pixiequeen
Posts: 378
Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2008 12:06 am

Re: Not sure where to go from here..

Post by pixiequeen »

Thank you for so much detail, muminTewkes! Although you are right, and we have tried concentrating on specific question types before, having read your post I think we will give it another go.

Tonight we did the 'code breaking' questions - and practised things like writing out the codes really quickly on the rough paper (Is this how everyone does it? Or are your DC's doing it in their heads?) and making sure the rough paper is under the question being attempted rather than at arms reach.

I am wondering if DD's mild dyspraxia is causing her problems with organising her bits of paper - her writing is very slow too. With any luck some 'management' techniques should help enough to give her time not to have to rush her answers.
We have had two full papers in @ 35 mins completed and with only ONE mistake!!!
That's fab! Wish that was us! Your DS is doing really well.

If anyone else has any tricks for speeding up I'd love to hear them. :D
malvern
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Dec 05, 2009 1:38 pm

Re: Not sure where to go from here..

Post by malvern »

All of the above sounds familiar (other than only getting one mistake a paper). DS's scores have not moved that much - still around mid 80's, good ones 89/90 bad ones 75/76 - but the timing is better. Can do most papers to have 10 mins to check but (and herein lies the problem) DS checks and says "their fine" but when we mark and go through the papers we find many silly errors (don't mind those where she does not know the word but we have many where she will look at the response and say "oh yeah, should have done....").

What to do?

Malvern
malvern
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Dec 05, 2009 1:38 pm

Re: Not sure where to go from here..

Post by malvern »

For some reason I keep typing DS, mean to say DD - DD would not be impressed, talk about silly mistakes.

Malvern
muminTewkes
Posts: 266
Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2010 11:57 am

Re: Not sure where to go from here..

Post by muminTewkes »

I think most of this is good time/test management tbh and Id certainly say her slight dyspaxia may not help.
I think its worth giving it a go again though-its taken ages to drum it into ds.He was always scoring "well"(similar to both you and malvern)but a few tweaks have made the difference,so far...but gah!codes?he does them in his head!ahhhhh!!!WRITE THINGS DOWN CHILD!
As with you malvern,he goes back over and is like "yeah,i knew that" :evil: hoping the occasion of the day will stop the silly mistakes?I dont care if he really doesnt know,as you said,but that is annoying!lol!
He has a few mock tests coming up with his tutor in a test situation with a few others so we'll see what happens then.
Ive eased off the full tests now as hes done the 8 I had and hes doing them on a sunday and a bit on a sat to review the tests with his tutor so that along with possibly a few compound word games and little bits is,IMO,more than enough atm.
Thanks for your congrats-he certainly did well,BUT it was 2 tests...who knows how well they will(or wont-ah!)do on the day?Certainly not counting any chickens...
sorry,feeding the baby atm-rubbish grammar/spelling!
Milla
Posts: 2556
Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2008 2:25 pm

Re: Not sure where to go from here..

Post by Milla »

it really is worth remembering that these are CHILDREN taking the tests against other CHILDREN. Please don't think i'm being patronising here!! :D :D But it's very easy to get carried away (looks at self) and assume every other child is a sussed genius who never drops their pencil or doodles or gets bored or makes idiotic mistakes.
They're also getting, I guess, pretty bored of it all now. I think you're lucky having it earlier, "in my day" it dragged like anything this last bit and ruined half term and just all went on too long. Now, you have a quick time to panic, and a quick wait and then .... over.... and hopefully we'll all be rushing on to congratulate.
On The Day, something does seem to happen to them and, if well prepared, they just sort of deal with it.
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