Preparation in Year 4 for new exam format

[Kace]

So we found out today that ds has been offered a place at SHSB and that got me thinking that I really need to start finding out about the new exam format for dd (currently in Year 4) - we have, in my defence, just moved house, which is why 11+ preparation hasn't been top of my list of priorities this past month... (bad Mummy!).
Dd is very strong at reading and writing, fairly confident word-related VR questions, at but less so at maths and number-based VR problems. Glancing at the new English papers, it seems to me that the first paper is a combination of the same type of comprehension as ds did last September plus the same kind of VR-type questions. The continuous writing paper looks fairly straightforward (but I guess we won't know for sure until after this year's exam).
Does anyone know if there is an increased NVR element in the new maths paper? Maths is really not my forte and, in ds's case, I was lucky that he is very good at maths (much better than his parents!), so it was just a matter of him sitting down and doing practice papers. Dd is going to need more coaching in maths, which is rather nerve-wracking (I may have to bribe ds to get involved lol). I think what I am asking is whether I need to get hold of some NVR practice books/papers. (We have a mountain of old-style English, maths and VR papers).
What are other Year 4 parents doing at the moment?
Sorry for rather garbled message - if anyone can work out what I'm trying to say and provide any answers, I'd be extremely grateful!

[chinners]

My DS is in year 5 so were are in the middle of preparations.... you do need NVR books just to get him into NVR. I dug out a "how to do NVR" book I had got for my DD who is at CCHS and also some bond books for him to practice on daily. Some children get it more quickly than others but with practice many get it. It is English we are battling with, my Ds does not like writing even though when he has to he does it well. Motivating him is my big challenge. With my girls it was easier.... Just praying and trying...

[Araucana girl]

My DS is in year 5 so were are in the middle of preparations.... you do need NVR books just to get him into NVR. I dug out a "how to do NVR" book I had got for my DD who is at CCHS and also some bond books for him to practice on daily. Some children get it more quickly than others but with practice many get it. It is English we are battling with, my Ds does not like writing even though when he has to he does it well. Motivating him is my big challenge. With my girls it was easier.... Just praying and trying...

My ds hates writing (dyslexic issues), we will be working towards taking CSSE in 2015, he is Yr 4 at the moment. Not sure if he will actually take the exam but we are working on it DD will start at CCHS in September so he has a lot to deal with at the moment.

I have been doing Bond for maths and English with him. I need to start doing some VR and NVR - we have lots of NVR examples from the CEM exam prep. VR will be interesting - does anyone have any idea whether it will be the 21 types again but just a small number in the paper - are you making sure they know all the 21 types or just looking at some........ aaagh

[optimisticmom]

Hi Araucana girl

I think it wise to look at the 21 types seeing as we don't know for sure which 5 or 7 or more of these types will be coming out. We do know that it will not be 80 questions....I am talking CSSE now. By the time your year 4 is ready to sit the exam though, I beleive change would have come again!

I think more time is needed for the Math and English/creative writing...

Congratulations on your dc's offer, very happy for you all. My dd is in year 9 at CCHS and I know how it all feels....my hear t is pounding even now as I think of the fact that my year 5 son is next!!

.....breathing in and out, slowly....

[LadyP]

My son is in year 4 and we have just started to revise with NVR Bond books but we started from the basics (6-7 years) to build his confidence! We hope to apply to WHSB. His brother got his result yesterday and is going to WHSB in September. My daughter is in year 7 of WHSG.

I think it is never too early to start the introduction to NVR.

[Kace]

Thank you, everyone. Just off to Google some Bond NVR books...