With the excitement of time off with the family, rising temperatures and holiday destinations, 11 plus revision rarely springs to mind at this time of year.

However, with the 11+ entrance exam in less than two months time and SATs right around the corner, it is essential that your child does not lose momentum in this vital stage of their preparation.

As 11plus tutors, the question we are most often asked is: “How often should my child be revising throughout the summer holidays?”

The answer is that your child should be revising a little bit each day and there are simple techniques to help incorporate revision into your child’s daily routine.

Strike the right balance between relaxation and revision

To add some revision structure to your summer, KSOL tutors have provided five top tips and a useful checklist that will take the pressure off your 11+ summer!

Tip 1 – Make revision a personalised experience

Every child is unique and has a different way of absorbing and retaining information. For example, some children are auditory learners, retaining information best when speaking and listening, whilst others are visual learners who prefer learning with bright colours and images.

Identify which type of learning style your child responds best to and tailor their revision accordingly! This can often be determined by considering your child's interests. Auditory learners may prefer listening and speaking, whilst visual learners prefer visual stimulation. e.g. watching videos or creating 11+ flashcards. 

Tip 2 – Use your surroundings to inspire revision this summer

Revision doesn’t have to be restricted to pen and paper, it can be incorporated into your everyday routine. For example, encourage your child to calculate the speed your plane/bus is travelling at, distance it travels and the time it should arrive given speed and distance.

Tip 3 – Play board games!​

Word board games expose your child to regular word pattern recognition, vocabulary and spelling; ensuring subtle English revision is maintained throughout the holiday. Why not allocate your child a Word of the Day? Encourage them to write out the definition, incorporate it into multiple sentences and come up with synonyms and when travelling this summer. Shout out a passing object and exchange words with similar connections.

Tip 4 – Try a new learning environment

Put the pens and pencils away for the day and try an educational excursion that’s close to home. Surrounded by plenty of distractions at home, children often associate this environment with after-school downtime, which can disrupt concentration and prevent them from getting the most out of their revision.

Plan a day out to the library, museum or revision with friends. Getting your child out of the house and away from a monotonous revision schedule will help motivate learning and improve memory retention. Revising with friends will provide plenty of opportunity for question and answer revision practice and furthermore, remind your child that they are not alone in preparing for the 11plus.

Tip 5 – Create a structured revision plan

Although it is difficult to plan exactly when your child will be revising this summer, to ensure your child is fully prepared, planning ahead is essential. Firstly, it would be extremely beneficial to make a list of each of your child’s weak areas. This will help you assess exactly how much your child needs to cover before the exam and therefore how much revision is needed. Once this list is prepared, you may set aside a specific time each day and allocate a topic.

KSOL tutors recommend that children revise first thing in the morning over the summer. As the 11+ entrance exam usually takes place in the morning, this will help your child mentally adjust to perform quickly and efficiently when it comes to the real thing. What’s more, it feels great to get revision out of the way, so your child can enjoy the rest of their day!