How to boss the 11+
With 11+ on the horizon, here are some nifty ways to support your child through the process.
This should be a careful, stress-free process, started early and sustained gently in the lead up to big assessment moments.
Time management is key
Building in effective time management skills are key - practicing small tasks (doesn't have to be assessment tasks, can be any activity) under a specific time frame. This helps simulate what it feels like to be on the clock.
Reading, reading, reading
Reading reading reading - this will continue to build on their vocabulary range and it also develops their inference skills that are so important in comprehension.
Highlight = high grade
Get into the habit of highlighting the key words of any question - this will ensure that they stay on the right track, and this will develop confidence in spotting what key words look like in the online test. E.g. divide, or describe.
Make it work for them
Finding revision strategies that suit your child: colour coding with highlighters, spider diagrams, mind maps or flash cards, tables or boxes. Children learn in different ways, let’s embrace that.
Repeat and repeat
Repetition and familiarisation of concepts, broken down into digestible chunks. The Ebbinghaus forgetting curve demonstrates that the retention of new knowledge will halve in a matter of days or weeks if no effort is made to embed it.
Don’t overdo it online
Online practice is useful but it’s like doing stretches before a big game (the real test). Doing too much serves no purpose and may even have a detrimental effect. Doing the right amount allows you to start the game in good shape and avoid ‘injury’ or panic situations.
Remember, paper activities and assessments are building and testing the same skills as pupils need to draw upon in their online test.
Just because it isn't an online activity, doesn't mean this isn't extremely valuable.