Whilst Keystone does not encourage piling too much pressure on to yourself or your child, it is important to recognise the importance of the 11+ exams. For most children, it is their first ‘proper’ exam and can have a significant impact on at least the next seven years of their lives. As a rule of thumb, Keystone recommends one year of proper preparation for the test although in some circumstances it may be prudent to start a little earlier.
All UK schools work along the Key Stage 2 national curriculum at this age so remember that your child ought to be au fait with almost all components of the English and Maths syllabus, whether or not the school specifically looks at 11+ preparation.
English and Maths
11+ English papers tend to be split into comprehension and creative writing, but the bones lie in the spelling, grammar and vocabulary.
Reading is a fantastic way to facilitate improvement in these areas and do take a look at our previous blog post, which contains a list of suggestions for this age group. During the holidays, when unencumbered by homework, ensure your child is reading a book every week. If time allows, read the books yourself and discuss your thoughts together.
On the Maths front, the big topics are Number, Handling Data and Shape, Space, and Measures. Practice as much as possible with the 11+ Maths text books and past papers. Familiarity with the exam paper format will mean less opportunity for a shock on the day. Look for ISEB papers or school specific entrance exams online.
If you are using a tutor, we recommend an hour for each subject every week to ensure that real progress is made in each lesson.
Verbal/Non Verbal Reasoning
We have developed a website called www.keystonetests.com which provides excellent practice for verbal and non-verbal reasoning (as well as 11+ Maths and English). This can be done independently and at your child’s own pace. In the lead up to computerised exams, your child could look to spend half an hour every day undertaking online practice. We would recommend that students undertake as much practice as possible from the wide variety of web-based tests that are available including the following:
- Education Quizzes
- A Testing Time
- Question Mix
- Lumosity
Interview Prep
Schools are looking for confident, happy and opinionated students. Topics at interview will include work at school, hobbies, books and a basic knowledge of current events. If these topics are discussed around the table at home on a regular basis then your child should be well set! If you are looking for a more hands on approach, we can offer a mock interview at our office.
Revision Courses
As an alternative, or perhaps addition, to private tuition, we are running 11+ revision courses over the summer and Christmas Holidays. For full details, please see our courses page.
Please don't hesitate to give us a call on 0207 602 5310 if you have any queries about the 11+ or would like to arrange a tutor to provide some extra support.
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