Some advice for parents to help with their child’s education.
Developing reading comprehension skills is incredibly important for all readers, not only for passing tests or exams but for them to fully understand and engage in what they are reading. There is a lot you can do at home to enhance comprehension skills without your child even being aware that that is what you are doing with them. Here are some steps towards developing good comprehension skills:
Read with your child
Children love being read to. If you do not have time for anything else, reading is the key to developing your child’s comprehension (and writing skills). You do not have to read whole books. You could simply choose an extract from a book to read together. You can then analyse the language and vocabulary in the piece – looking up all new and unfamiliar words and adding them to a notebook that your child can revise from.
Visualise the text
When your child is reading alone or when you are reading to him/her encourage them to visualise what they are reading using the descriptions in the text. If they have a mental picture of what they are reading it will help them ‘see’ the answers and give a clearer picture of what is happening.
Discuss what you think might happen next in a story.
This won’t only help with comprehension skills but will prepare them for the ‘continue the story’ element of the creative writing section in an 11-plus exam. Sometimes there be clues in a passage as to what is going to happen next, sometimes a character’s behaviour will lead you to a conclusion of what their reaction is going to be in the next passage. It’s a fun exercise – give it a try!
Discuss the characters.
Questions about character are very common in comprehensions. Discussing a character’s action (or inaction) and their overall behaviour, including speech, will help your child to understand the story on a deeper level. For example you could ask your child why they thought a character behaves in a certain way? Why the character walks the way they walk? Why they reacted the way they did? etc. You can try discussing characters in films and in television programmes too.
Summarise what you have read.
When you have finished a paragraph or a chapter of the book you are reading together you could summarise it for your child. As their confidence grows, you can ask them to do the same. Ask them to aim to make the story coherent for someone who has not read the book. He/she should aim to cover the main stages in the story and the theme. You could also summarise the stories and books you are reading so that your child can learn from your example and share in what you are reading.
It’s ok to not understand.
Tell your child that as adults we don’t understand all the words that we read and have to stop and use a dictionary to find out or clarify the meaning of unfamiliar words. We also need to re-read passages for many reasons: to make sense of them, to remind ourselves of what is happening or to clarify in our minds that what we have read it correct. Encourage your child to not race through a book, no matter how much they are enjoying it, but to slow down and re-read passages to see if they can gain a deeper understanding of the story.
Read and write poetry with your child.
The Poetry Society says: Pupils who read and write poems become skilled in using language carefully…..The language skills they gain will benefit them in all areas of the curriculum and beyond.
If you are interested in reading some research from the University of Cambridge on why poetry for the young matters, click this link: http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/discussion/the-case-for-children
The Story Room’s creative writing sessions build on language and poetry skills in a a fun way. Your child will be having fun and learning too. www.storyroom.co.uk
Comprehension skills are not improved overnight, nor are they improved by doing reams and reams of past papers. Reading widely, building vocabulary and discussing what you are reading are practical ways to develop these skills and your child does not have to do this alone.
At Succeed 11-Plus we believe that children should be encouraged and praised for reading books of their choice. However, when your child is preparing for their 11-Plus entrance examinations they need to prepare for the sort of language they will face in the comprehension papers. Reading a variety of books will help them with this challenge.
Reading old and modern children’s classics will help your child develop their comprehension skills and expand their vocabulary, which is essential for the Verbal Reasoning tests. Reading good writing will also help improve your child’s writing style as they will be able identify the use of literary devices e.g. similes and personification etc. in sentences and be able to use these techniques in their own writing. Reading helps improve grammar and spelling too!
The following is intended to be a guide to books suitable for children in years 4, 5 and 6. It covers a range of genres. Some of the texts will be more difficult to read than others, so care should be taken when choosing a book that your child might enjoy. Reading should not be regarded as homework or a chore, but seen as something pleasurable. If your child is not enjoying the book they are reading then reading extracts from the book and discussing the story with your child is a valuable exercise too.
The books that are more challenging and should be read in with an adult are marked with an asterix. For more 11-plus advice and help – please click here.
Happy Reading!
YEAR 4 READING LIST
Berlie Doherty- Street Child
Lynne Reid Banks- The Indian in the Cupboard
Penelope Lively- A Stitch in Time, The Ghost of Thomas Kempe
Roger McGough (Edited by)- The Ring of Words (An Anthology of Poetry for Children
Clive King- Stig of the Dump
J.M. Barrie- Peter Pan
Kenneth Graham- The Wind in The Willows
Michelle Paver- Wolf Brother (the whole series)
Michael Morpurgo- The Butterfly Lion
Eva Ibbotson- Journey to the River Sea, The Secret of Platform 13
Dodie Smith- The Hundred and One Dalmations
E. Nesbit- Five Children and It
Anna Sewell- Black Beauty
Kenneth Graham- The Wind in The Willows
Michelle Paver- Wolf Brother (the whole series)
YEAR 5 and 6 READING LIST
The books marked with an * indicate that these are books which due to their content and subject matter are better read with an adult.
Robert Louis Stevenson- Kidnapped , Treasure Island
H.G. Wells- The War of the Worlds *
E. Nesbit- The Railway Children
Frances Hodgson Burnett – The Secret Garden, The Little Princess
C.S. Lewis- The Magician’s Nephew, The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe
Phillippa Pearce- Tom’s Midnight Garden
Michelle Magorian- Goodnight, Mister Tom *
Michael Morpurgo- Private Peaceful *
Lucy Montgomery- Anne of Green Gables
Louise Sachar- Holes *
J.R.R Tolkien- The Hobbit
David Almond- Skellig
Philip Pullman- Northern Lights
Ian Serraillier- The Silver Sword*
Richard Adams- Watership Down
T.H. White- The Sword in the Stone
Michelle Paver- Wolf Brother (the whole series)
Louisa May Alcott- Little Women
Erin Hunter- Warrior Cats
Jack London- White Fang *, Call of the Wild *
Joan Aitkin- The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
Rudyard Kipling- The Jungle Book
Lewis Carroll- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Paul Gallico- Jennie
11-Plus Preparation – Is it for my child?
The 11 plus journey can seem like a daunting voyage. There is an overwhelming amount of information available in the public domain and deciphering it can seem like a mind- boggling task. As a parent it is important that you take a systematic approach to your child’s preparation so that he or she remains happy and focused throughout the process.
You must first think about whether the journey is one that your child and you as the primary caregiver are willing to embark on. Your child will have to complete extra work outside school homework, on evenings and potentially weekends. Much of this work will not have been taught at school. This work will need to be marked and corrected on a regular basis.
You must also carefully consider the secondary schools you would like your child to attend, are they in close proximity? Is it a mixed school? Grammar or partially selective? Independent school? Finding the right school for your child is just as important as preparing for their entrance exam.
Schools have different entry requirements, familiarise yourself with these so that your child’s preparation is targeted. Most schools publish entry requirements and past papers on their websites – take time to look through this. Information on sites will also include the type of testing your child will be exposed to. Schools also use different test providers (e.g. CEM or GL), the styles of questions and hence your child’s preparation will vary depending on the test provider for your chosen schools. Regularly check schools websites for any change to entrance test dates and procedures as these can change from year to year.
How can i help my child to prepare?
Starting the preparation process too early can be detrimental to your child. They may grow tired of the additional workload and this can impact their overall motivation and subsequently performance when it is needed. We recommend gently starting the process in year 4. Children need time to develop their natural skills and enjoy school and all the other social aspsects that go along with it.
Maths Preparation
During year 4 work with your child so that they are comfortable with addition, subtraction , multiplication and division. These four operations will form the building blocks for all types of mathematical questions. Children may begin to work through age appropriate maths books so that they become familiar with worded problems that involve application of the fundamentals. Practical maths such as weighing, reading timetables and reading an analogue clock face should form a natural part of a child’s routine – and not feel like work! The more your child is exposed to maths in everyday life, the more comfortable they will be when faced with mathematical problems containing those concepts.
English Preparation
Your child needs to have a solid foundation in English before they begin the 11-plus process. This process can easily be started at home. Ensure your house is full of materials that will help your child succeed… books, children’s dictionaries and thesauruses, flash-cards , word games and children’s newspapers. Don’t leave your child to their own devices. Read with your child and discuss what you are reading. This will help develop their comprehension skills, vocabulary and general knowledge, which in turn will help in all aspects of the 11-plus preparation. For more advice on vocabulary building, please click here.
Should I get a tutor? When?
Good tutors are an invaluable resource. They will be able to guide your child’s preparation and ensure that your child is making an efficient use of his or her time with a structured workload.
Whilst tutoring can be extremely beneficial it should not be over utilised. Tutors are there to enhance your child’s abilities and help with exam technique. Children who are ‘over tutored’ often struggle to cope with the schools they get into as they had too much help getting in!
Below is a starter list of words for your child to learn. They are words that frequently appear in comprehension passages and verbal reasoning papers.
You should aim for your child to learn five words a week, making flashcards and adding them to your word book/list. Remember to review and revise the words to check your child has remembered them.
abundant
adhere
ally
assemble
advance
broad
boisterous
conceal
customary
concentrate X 2
countenance
deceive
decipher
elude
entrance X 2
extract
extravagant
fatigue
fertile
futile
fowl
grotesque
grave X 2
hideous
hospitable
immerse
insolent
invalid X 2
irate
incessant
juvenile
jocular
kaliedoscopic
lament
late X 2
melancholic
nautical
obstinate
oppose
prosperous
poultry
provoke
pursue
quaint
ramble X 2
refuse X 2
residence
regiment
revive
silhouette
surly
suspend X 2
trifle X 2
truce
troupe
unison
vain X 2
void
wince
Many children find the prospect of writing a story in strict exam conditions quite daunting. We believe that there is a lot of work that you can do with your child, from an early age, that will lay the foundations for them to be more confident writers. If a child is more confident about their writing, they will be less fearful when they reach the 11-plus stage and may even enjoy the creative writing exam piece!
… but most of all praise their writing and teach them that writing is life skill that can and should be enjoyed!
Helena Steel
Founder of The Story Room
Practice exams are an excellent way of gauging how your child performs under timed conditions. They are a valuable tool when used correctly.
It is important that your child has had ample question practice beforehand. They should have worked through past papers or attempted the practice materials that are available on many school websites.
Before your mock
If your child is attempting an online mock, they should sit in a quiet space where there will be no interruptions for the duration of the exam. They should visit the bathroom beforehand (just as they would for the real thing ).
During the mock
As a parent it is tempting to help out if they are stuck but this is not advisable – it is important to see what they would have answered without any help at all.
After the mock
After the mock is complete and your child receives their result, you should praise their efforts and ask them to take a well-deserved break. Most reputable sites will provide the solutions for the questions your child got wrong. After a short break it is advisable to go through these questions with the solutions provided.
For English and VR mock
It is important to build on your child’s vocabulary and to use the mock as a tool to help them to do this. Have a notebook handy so that you can write down all the new words your child came across and their definitions. This will help your child build up a bank of words that commonly crop up in both comprehensions and VR tests.
For SPAG questions see where your child’s weaknesses lay. Look through the explained solutions so that your child can use the mock as a learning tool. In addition, speak to your tutor about these or help your child at home so that the same mistakes are not repeated .
For the maths mock
Go through each incorrect answer with your child. Each answer is explained with step-by-step solutions. Make a note of the topics and types of questions your child got wrong. You can then revise these topics at home and ask for help from your tutor.
We want you to get the most of each of our mocks. From mock to mock you should start seeing an improvement.
We hope that your child finds these mocks a positive and helpful experience.
How parents can help their children succeed at 11-plus
One or two hours a week with a tutor is generally not enough to get your child through the 11-plus, especially in the most competitive of schools. Working with your child can help them towards their goals and make the process more enjoyable. Many parents don’t think they have the skills or the time to be able to support their children, but all parents can help in some way.
Some ways parents can get involved:
Review your child’s work
Go through the corrections that the tutor or their school has made on their work. Do this with your child so that it reinforces what they have been taught in their lessons. Make a note of misspelt words so that you can help them to learn correct spellings. Write down any new words that have come up in a lesson that they might not have had time to learn and write down.
Vocabulary
Developing a broad vocabulary is key to 11-plus success. Keep adding words to your child’s dictionary (a notebook for new words), especially ones you come across while reading, watching television programmes or doing VR tests and English comprehensions.
Make or buy flash cards so that you can test your child on the meanings of the words. You can make this into a game and get the child to help make them and to test you on the meanings too.
Reading to your child
Children love being read to. If you do not have time for anything else, reading is the key to developing your child’s comprehension (and writing skills). You do not have to read whole books. You could simply choose an extract from a book to read together. You can then analyse the language and vocabulary in the piece – looking up all new and unfamiliar words and adding them to their dictionary.
Writing with your child
In the initial stages they may lack confidence to write a story. Sit with your child when they write and each few sentences ask them to close their eyes and describe what they can see, smell, feel and hear next in their story. This helps them to find ideas for the next few sentences and to develop a descriptive piece using all their senses.
Talk to your child
Discuss news topics with your children in an age-appropriate way. This will keep your child up-to-date with what is going on in the world, help develop their general knowledge, and build a foundation for discussion essays. An idea would be to sit with them and write the advantages and disadvantages of something controversial in the local community e.g. the closure of a local swimming pool, the opening of cycle lanes, the new school roads e.t.c. This will help them with their persuasive writing and article writing.
Check their times tables
Check that your child has solid times tables skills. Test them again and again. They need to be able to work swiftly and accurately through a maths paper and if they do not really know their times tables inside out and back to front, they will falter. Children tell you they know their times tables but make sure that they do know them by testing them.
Sit with your child while they work.
The 11-plus journey can be a lonely one for a child who is sat in their room doing homework, revision and papers on their own. Sitting with your child every now and again as they work, even if you are doing your own work or reading beside them, will make them feel less alone. Make sure you are clear on where their tutor wants your child to be independent and where you can help.
Encourage them to show working out
Although there are no marks awarded for working out (in Grammar school exams) it is important for your child to be able to spot their own mistakes. As many math and verbal reasoning questions involve more than one step, having clear working out will help your child to not only process the information but also spot any errors in their calculations.
And finally, whatever you do remember to praise your child each step of the way. Don’t put too much pressure on them and do everything in your power to keep your child happy and relaxed during the whole process. In particular do not to let your stress rub off on them.
Answers to your frequently asked questions
The cart page re-directs straight to the exam page after purchase. You have 50 minutes from when you click the Start Button. If you would like to do the mock at a later date, close the window, and use the link in the Purchased Mocks after logging into the site.
The mocks are for children preparing for 11-plus entrance exams for both grammar/selective schools and independent schools. Your child should be in year 5 or year 6 of primary school in the UK or in the equivalent year(s) in overseas schools. The papers are designed to aid and support preparation for all exam boards including GL, CEM, ISEB and schools’ own 11-plus papers.
No, our exam platform is designed for your child to sit independently. They need to tick check-boxes to mark their answer on the screen. Each test is simple to navigate and no assistance should be necessary.
The mocks are written by experts in the 11-plus field. Each member of our team has over a decade of experience in tutoring children preparing for the 11-plus, writing VR, English and Maths mock exams and marking mock exams. We have run specialised 11-plus maths, English and VR courses. We are up-to-date in our knowledge and adjust our papers year by year to reflect the current trends and standards.
