Plan for 11+ success in 2020!

Posted 7th January 2020

A new year brings the excitement of a fresh start and exciting opportunities. What better time to set goals and plan ahead for your child’s 11+ preparation?

With over 16 years of experience in preparing children for the 11+ entrance exam, we understand what it takes to succeed. Our qualified 11+ tutors have provided five top tips to help you and your child get off to a flying start in 2020...

1.) Create effective study habits

As the majority of Key Stage 2 children are only set small amounts of homework, putting time aside each evening for their 11+ preparation will really help when it comes to creating revision structure nearer the 11+ exam. KSOL recommend up to 30 minutes per evening.

Start identifying which areas your child is confident with and those that raise the most challenges for your child. Our award-winning Year 5 Online 11+ Course with Target Teach® technology is a unique and engaging way to develop a regular study routine, with direct feedback from an expert KSOL tutor. With the option to select either the GL Assessment, 11+ CEM format or both, our Year 5 courses are specifically designed to target the 11+ exam in your region. So, wherever you are, you can rest assured that your child's course will cover the relevant material.

2.) Encourage regular reading

In order to really conquer 11+ English questions, children need to be reading as much as possible! Not only does reading expose your child to different types of literature, it will also help your child to expand their vocabulary and understand the importance of structure, punctuation, direct/indirect speech and so much more!

To help get your child into a habit of reading on a regular basis, check out the KSOL Recommended Reading List for a range of engaging books at the 11+ standard. These texts have been specifically selected by our tutors for their engaging content and use of ambitious vocabulary.

To ensure that your child is getting the most benefit from reading exercises, encourage them to keep a word diary where they can record tricky words. At the end of the week, ask them to clarify the meaning of each word by checking in a dictionary. They can also expand their vocabulary by finding synonyms and antonyms for each word in their diary. Perhaps ask them to write a short story or poem once a week that incorporates those ambitious new words or phrases.

3.) Build confidence with the core Maths skills

As multiplication and division underpin a significant amount of topic areas within Maths, a confident grasp of these topics is essential. Not only will this help familiarise your child with key mathematical operations, it will also improve their time-management skills and provide a fantastic foundation to calculating more complex questions on fractions, percentages, ratios etc.

Our tailored online courses include a weekly 'Beat the Clock' test which encourages children to race against time, answering as many questions as possible on core Maths and English skills. Speed and accuracy is extremely important in the 11+ entrance exam, so confidence with these core skills is essential when it comes to tackling trickier topics quickly and effectively.  

4.) Incorporate problem solving into their daily routine

There are plenty of ways to keep your child’s brain active whilst having plenty of fun in the process! Revision doesn’t have to be restricted to pen and paper and can be quite easily incorporated into your daily routine.

Baking is a great way to get children excited about Maths! Encourage your child to recommend a meal or dessert once a week that you can enjoy cooking together. Ask your child to calculate how much of each ingredient will be required to feed everyone. Feeling extra brave? Try and encourage them to convert the measurements from grams to kilograms or re-calculate these measurements for less/more people.

If you would like your child to tackle problem-solving questions in timed conditions similar to those of the real entrance exam, take a look at the dates for our 2020 11+ mock exams. Our renowned 11+ Mock Exams are set at the level your child is expected to have reached with their revision at each pivotal stage in the year. This provides helpful checkpoints for you to assess your child's ability. 

5.) Keep-up extracurricular activities​

Preparing for the 11+ exam requires young children to sit for thirty minutes or more on a specific topic every evening. This requires a certain level of concentration, patience and perseverance. If your child is getting lots of regular exercise and building skills and strengths elsewhere, this will significantly help when it comes to relieving stress, improving sleep quality and increasing their overall approach to their 11+ preparation.

Whichever stage your child is at, the most important thing to remember is that KSOL offer support and a wide range of personalised programmes to produce the best 11+ preparation for your child.

For any further advice regarding your child’s 11+ preparation, please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team on 0121 733 6558 with any further questions. We are always happy to help!