Nov 17

11 Plus DIY Preparation Tips

Parents… have you ever felt confused by all the advice on offer from schools, your 11 plus tutor, websites, other parents…? Or ever wished you could just lock a group of education experts in a room together, and not let them out until they’ve told you how to get your child ready for the 11 Plus?

To answer some of these fetching questions, Fleet Tutors was recently asked to contribute to an experts roundup editorial on DIY tips for parents and their children in preparation to sit the 11 Plus exams.

Mylène Curtis, Managing Director at Fleet Tutors, and herself having had first-hand experience with her own children – all now university graduates – has the following tips;

For the child:

On written English papers, prepare for each question before you start answering. This focuses your brain and makes sure that you actually answer the question and avoid the common mistake of writing all you know about the subject.

The best way to do this is:
1) Underline the key words in the question.
2) Look at the number of marks and write down the equivalent number of key terms (words) that the question is looking for, or the key skills the question is testing.
3) Then answer the question making sure you get the key points across in your answer. You can cross them out as you use them if it helps.

For the parent:

Early preparation. Times tables and mental maths, strong vocabulary and a good command of grammar rules are great foundations for the 11 plus. Start early and make sure this core knowledge is secure – and that’s half the battle won.

One of the most common issues is not finishing the paper. Timing is important in the exam so help your child work out how long to spend on a question and help them to set targets for themselves. They need to be confident to move on to the next question without worrying about the one left unfinished. Make it a game, not an added pressure.