Panicking a little
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Panicking a little
I came on here a few months back looking for advice on what books/papers to get. My son is nearing end of Yr5 and will be sitting the 11+ in September.
I have to be honest and say that we haven't done any practice at home other than him look through the books I bought a few months ago. He really didn't seem all that interested in going to Carres so I backed off.
However, after visiting both schools now and him having taster sessions at both, he is really keen on going to Carres so I am now in panic mode. All he has done is a few practice papers at school and to be honest, he hasn't done very well. He has now told me he really wants to practice so I have just bought some tests papers and I am awaiting delivery of them.
He seems to score higher on the Verbal Reasoning papers he has sat (although I doubt still high enough for a pass). It's the Non Verbal that he has struggled with, the last one he did at school he scored 23 out of 60
. I am guessing that with practice and knowledge of the question types he will definitely improve.
He is a bright boy, is in the top set at school but does have to put the effort in to get results (not one of those that things come naturally to him).
Does anyone have any advice on how I can help him over the 6 week holidays to prepare and give him the best chance on the day?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, is there anything you think I definitely need to have/can't do without?
Thanks in advance
I have to be honest and say that we haven't done any practice at home other than him look through the books I bought a few months ago. He really didn't seem all that interested in going to Carres so I backed off.
However, after visiting both schools now and him having taster sessions at both, he is really keen on going to Carres so I am now in panic mode. All he has done is a few practice papers at school and to be honest, he hasn't done very well. He has now told me he really wants to practice so I have just bought some tests papers and I am awaiting delivery of them.
He seems to score higher on the Verbal Reasoning papers he has sat (although I doubt still high enough for a pass). It's the Non Verbal that he has struggled with, the last one he did at school he scored 23 out of 60
. I am guessing that with practice and knowledge of the question types he will definitely improve.He is a bright boy, is in the top set at school but does have to put the effort in to get results (not one of those that things come naturally to him).
Does anyone have any advice on how I can help him over the 6 week holidays to prepare and give him the best chance on the day?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, is there anything you think I definitely need to have/can't do without?
Thanks in advance
Re: Panicking a little
Hi,
Well, it's worth a shot. Make it clear to him that it is just that, though, and that he'll be competing against people who have worked hard all year. Ask him if he wants it enough to devote most of his summer holidays to it. If he does - go for it.
I'd buy the Bond assessment papers (The Parents' Stress Free Guide to the 11+) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bond-Parents-St ... 0748796940) Do them first to find out where he's at and then do a paper a day all summer. Check which papers your chosen school does and which type of practise paper fits them best (people on here will know) then buy them, starting with an easier type to warm up and building up to 11+ ones (eg buy Yr 5, yr 6 & 11+)
It might be best not to do timed papers for the first month, but just let him do the paper, have a 15 minute break while you mark it and then go over all the questions he struggled with very thoroughly. There are techniques to NVR. The bond assessment paper breaks down every type of qu you might encounter. (Um, I don't work for Bond - it's just the only set of papers we've used so far and they seem good - but do look around!)
If his school also has an English paper PM me as I teach English and can give you a handful of tips to up his marks.
Tell him to expect to work over summer for 3 hours a day. That'll still give him plenty of free time to play footie, see friends, go swimming and to cinema etc. If he does, he'll be up to speed by the end of the summer. If he doesn't want it that badly then let him go elsewhere, with your blessing.
Maybe spend half that time on papers and the other half on stuff like computer maths games, times tables games, flash cards, vocab games (eg free rice.)
Closer to the time start doing timed papers. Make sur he really understands the NVR concepts he'll be trying to work out and apply before you bother to do this, though.
Get him reading NOW if he doesn't already, a real variety of decent books. Read Animal Farm, a Phillip Pullman and a Morpurgo at least over the summer.
Saddo that I am, I'd be really excited by a challenge like this. Give him plenty of rewards. A credit chart (details in Bond papers) with a day off a week where you do something really fun if he's done all his papers.
It will be important that you build his confidence over the summer: if he thinks it's too hard from day 1, he might give up. That's why it's worth starting with easier papers and whizzing through them.
Good luck to him.
Well, it's worth a shot. Make it clear to him that it is just that, though, and that he'll be competing against people who have worked hard all year. Ask him if he wants it enough to devote most of his summer holidays to it. If he does - go for it.
I'd buy the Bond assessment papers (The Parents' Stress Free Guide to the 11+) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bond-Parents-St ... 0748796940) Do them first to find out where he's at and then do a paper a day all summer. Check which papers your chosen school does and which type of practise paper fits them best (people on here will know) then buy them, starting with an easier type to warm up and building up to 11+ ones (eg buy Yr 5, yr 6 & 11+)
It might be best not to do timed papers for the first month, but just let him do the paper, have a 15 minute break while you mark it and then go over all the questions he struggled with very thoroughly. There are techniques to NVR. The bond assessment paper breaks down every type of qu you might encounter. (Um, I don't work for Bond - it's just the only set of papers we've used so far and they seem good - but do look around!)
If his school also has an English paper PM me as I teach English and can give you a handful of tips to up his marks.
Tell him to expect to work over summer for 3 hours a day. That'll still give him plenty of free time to play footie, see friends, go swimming and to cinema etc. If he does, he'll be up to speed by the end of the summer. If he doesn't want it that badly then let him go elsewhere, with your blessing.
Maybe spend half that time on papers and the other half on stuff like computer maths games, times tables games, flash cards, vocab games (eg free rice.)
Closer to the time start doing timed papers. Make sur he really understands the NVR concepts he'll be trying to work out and apply before you bother to do this, though.
Get him reading NOW if he doesn't already, a real variety of decent books. Read Animal Farm, a Phillip Pullman and a Morpurgo at least over the summer.
Saddo that I am, I'd be really excited by a challenge like this. Give him plenty of rewards. A credit chart (details in Bond papers) with a day off a week where you do something really fun if he's done all his papers.
It will be important that you build his confidence over the summer: if he thinks it's too hard from day 1, he might give up. That's why it's worth starting with easier papers and whizzing through them.
Good luck to him.
Re: Panicking a little
Thank you so much for such a thorough reply, I will sit down and set out a timetable and plan of action tonight.
Re: Panicking a little
Sorry - that reply sounded very bossy and prescriptive. Was just going over what I'd do and didn't mean it to come over as quite so: "Well, this is the right way..."
Good luck with it.
Good luck with it.
Re: Panicking a little
No need to apologise, I really appreciate you taking the time to help. Thank you!
