How to pace things

Eleven Plus (11+) in Buckinghamshire (Bucks)

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Phoebe
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2007 9:37 am

How to pace things

Post by Phoebe »

I have been a regular visitor to this forum over the last 9 months or so and have been very grateful for all the help and advice I have picked up and received directly (thanks Patricia).

I just wanted to know how to pace things from hereonin, bearing in mind we're approaching the end of the hols. We have the final 3 Tutors papers to complete, then 4 Susan Daughtrey and the NFER papers making 11 still to do. Should we be aiming to complete all these before they go back to school, when they will do the official practice papers?

Secondly could anyone offer any advice on type F (inserting 3 consecutive letters to make a word). Not had any problems until recently when completely went to pot with one of the papers and got all but 2 wrong. Just when I thought we were getting there! Many thanks
patricia
Posts: 2803
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 5:07 pm

Re: How to pace things

Post by patricia »

Dear Phoebe

Would not aim to finish before the end of the holidays, would get onto the Bright Sparks, followed by NFER [remember HIKNOS, when completing the NFER]

Keep up the reading out aloud, discussing vocabulary at every opportunity.

With regard to type F, finding a missing 3 letter word, follows a copy and paste of an old post of mine....

Yes, my tutored children find this one quite difficult, if your spelling isn't up to scratch, can impose even more problems.

Example: Today we visited the caal.

First strategy: Sentence should be a clue to the 'whole' word [ although in this instance not much of a clue].....clue.....somewhere we might visit.

Second statergy: Space the letters out with enough room to fit the 3 letter words given on the answer sheet.

C --- A --- A --- L

Then start trying the words in each of the spaces.....the answer is pit the child would try pit

pitC---A---A---L

CpitA--- A --- L

C--- Apit --- A--- L found the word capital

This involves speed writing, I tell all my students, for once they DO NOT have to write neatly, as long as they can read it, it doesn't matter what it looks like.

Some children only need to space out the letters and then visualise the word in between the letters others need to write it down.

Hope this helps

Patricia

PS......no need to put the dashes in between the letters just a space.
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Post by Sally-Anne »

Hi Phoebe

As always, Patricia's advice is excellent.

I can only add one other point. Try to be very sensitive to how your child is coping over the next few weeks. Some children will be perfectly happy building to a "crescendo" of practice, doing increasingly longer sessions and papers.

Other children will begin to burn-out with the pressure, especially once term starts - the playground talk will all be of the 11+. If that seems to be happening I suggest that you focus on building confidence (that might be 11+ related, it might be in other areas) and consider slackening the amount of practice if necessary.

Particularly, if your child has generally achieved target marks until a fortnight before the exam, but then starts to make mistakes that are out of character, I recommend marking "lightly". The mistakes could be symptomatic of the pressure, and a sudden drop in marks will be very disheartening for your child.

Good luck!
Sally-Anne
yplx
Posts: 27
Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2007 9:51 pm

Post by yplx »

Hi Patricia,

My daughter has progressed as in your post (tutors + bright sparkle etc + nfer). now she only got 10 tutor e-paper to do. she did not do much except those in your post.

what do you suggest her to do now? bit panicking myself.

How do you think the marks from NFER test paper compared with the real thing? will they generally reflect the mark got in the real exam?
patricia
Posts: 2803
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 5:07 pm

Post by patricia »

Dear yplx

Shop bought NFER are of a similar standard to the school practice papers 1 and 2 for the 15 types they use.

The school NFER practice papers will cover the full compliment of 21 types. Paper A is easier than 1 and 2 [1 and 2 are of the same difficulty as the real tests.

There is still a few weeks to go, have you purchased the 2nd series of Bright Sparks?

The word panic does not exist! Keep up the good work.

Patricia
Guest

Post by Guest »

hi patricia i have got TUTOR VOL 1 CD. i just wanted to ask if type 16 to type 21 are the ones which are not included in shop bought Nfer Nelson on this CD. if yes then OK of otherwise i have got IPS techn. book as well, i would be greatful if you can let me know about missing types which i can find in IPS book. and does papersA, 1 & 2 (you mentioned in above post) and susan daughtrey's tests (all 8) cover all types? thanks.
yplx
Posts: 27
Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2007 9:51 pm

Post by yplx »

Dear Patricia,

Yes I have just got the 2nd bright sparkle.

My daughter is doing the tutor CD-2 and normally get 94 to 96 right. The longest she took is 26 mins. bit worrying! she just cannot got all right. Please tell me the CD include all 21 types!

Thanks
patricia
Posts: 2803
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 5:07 pm

Post by patricia »

Yes, they contain the 21 types...
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