Doing timed papers

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fatbananas
Posts: 1411
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 2:03 pm

Doing timed papers

Post by fatbananas »

How have people introduced papers to their DC? Full length, all at once? Or half a paper, gradually working up to a whole one?
Seize the day ... before it seizes you.
southbucks3
Posts: 3579
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:59 am

Re: Doing timed papers

Post by southbucks3 »

I tried a full length nvr, even though he will never do a full length nvr, purely on the basis that it is his fave subject...He got nearly full marks in his recent cat test for nvr, so I thought it was a good start! He was overwhelmed by the test, and didn't do fabulously...68% he also made a big fat fuss, and moved rooms twice, because he "couldn't concentrate" !

In hindsight, I would have ripped it in half. However it did show his weaker areas perfectly, although he took my "guess and move on" instruction a little to seriously in places. :?

Next test I will deffo work out 30mins worth and copy it and the answer sheet to that point, saving the whole paper for later in the year.
fatbananas
Posts: 1411
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 2:03 pm

Re: Doing timed papers

Post by fatbananas »

although he took my "guess and move on" instruction a little to seriously in places. :?
:lol: Mine does that too!

Breaking the paper up and then giving the whole thing a bit later sounds like a good idea.
Seize the day ... before it seizes you.
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Doing timed papers

Post by mystery »

I am feeling behind! I gave year 5 child the first GL assessment NVR familiarisation paper before Christmas. The result was depressing - she couldn't do much in the time and what she did do was full of errors. Didn't show her the marked answers or the result. Back to the drawing board - just praised her for having done a whole paper by herself as this was truly a breakthrough ( I did it by putting her in a room on her own at a friendly tutor's house while the tutor was teaching someone else! If she had been at home she would just have come running for help every few minutes and moaning about how she couldn't do it in the time. Did it as a guess and move on exercise!).

So I decided that she needed to do some logical practice on each NVR type and she has worked through Peter Williams Practise and Pass books 1 and 2. She quite liked timing herself with a stopwatch in his short exercises - bit allergic to it at first but soon started to enjoy it. This surprised me as she has always been allergic to doing things timed and under time pressure.

She whistled through these two books quite easily so I tried her with the second GL assessment familiarisation paper last weekend. She finished under time and got 85% so I was pleased. Most mistakes were in one section so it has highlighted a weakness. Have not done this in other subjects yet --- think I will adopt the same procedure but I think the timing issue is going to be harder in VR and maths.
southbucks3
Posts: 3579
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:59 am

Re: Doing timed papers

Post by southbucks3 »

Mystery, that is lovely news, really confidence building for her, well done!

(Ds likes the maths practice and pass) trouble is with nvr, he is amazing at it, much better than me or his bruvs....He is just home test aphobic...later in the year I may pop him round a friend's house too and see if that helps. It only counts for 20% of the test anyway!

This is all new to me, ds1 loved bring timed, loved the bomb timers on the pc, ds2 had no aversion to it, ds3...fuss pot!
VH73
Posts: 216
Joined: Thu Mar 07, 2013 9:25 pm

Re: Doing timed papers

Post by VH73 »

I also started with halves and when DS could the, it in a relatively short time, moved on to whole papers (just recently). But he doesn't like them, prefers the half. So I promised only halves during school time, full ones in the weekends and now of course.

Still highlighting weak areas, if I find one, he has to do other practice material on them too. I try to make him do as much as he can now, more difficult during term times with home-works and extra-curricular staff.
tiffinboys
Posts: 8022
Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:00 pm
Location: Surrey

Re: Doing timed papers

Post by tiffinboys »

only halves during school time, full ones in the weekends and now of course.
when is the rest (i.e. re-charging and absorbing) time?
VH73
Posts: 216
Joined: Thu Mar 07, 2013 9:25 pm

Re: Doing timed papers

Post by VH73 »

In between, an hour or two daily (during holiday) is not too bad I think. The real pressure will start tomorrow, school is quite demanding too.
I know some do more.
Yamin151
Posts: 2405
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2013 8:30 am

Re: Doing timed papers

Post by Yamin151 »

VH73 wrote:In between, an hour or two daily (during holiday) is not too bad I think. The real pressure will start tomorrow, school is quite demanding too.
I know some do more.
Mine did two or three timed tests that tutor left with us.

Other than that, 30 mins per day, weekdays only, max, and in holidays we did bond 10 minute tests only, timed then forgotten.

Find out for sure next week but both scored within past qualification scores. If your child doesn't mind the extra time then you can feed off that, but obviously I wouldn't push it if they are resistant, it's not worth it in my opinion and can cause real stress.
TigerMum
Posts: 133
Joined: Fri May 06, 2011 8:51 am

Re: Doing timed papers

Post by TigerMum »

This time last year (with the aid of a paid tutor... full disclosure :roll: ), my kids started doing 1 VR and 1 NVR a week, not timed.

They didn't start timing themselves doing papers until May or June?? And they didn't start doing GL papers until the summer I believe. We worked through a biiiiggg stack of papers tho', but rarely did more than 1 VR and 1 NVR a week (maybe over the summer holiday they would do 2 or 3 papers a week, because I'm a big meanie!) They did do a fair amount of comprehension and other English skills, and sometimes some maths on a weekly basis. Our list of papers, if anyone is interested:
11plus exam group
AE portfolio
AFN (we started with these, apparently they are "easier" compared with GL)
Bond
CGP
Every lesson counts
First past the post
GL
Letts

Their school homework was/is fairly undemanding; so overall they probably did under 3 hours' 11+ work over the course of a week. Good luck with your prep. We were so calm this time last year, at the beginning of our 11+ journey, slightly nervous now...
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