As a Mom of an year 5 kid, I can say one thing about 11+ preparation – “It’s not a walk in the park!” It is an uphill ride on a tandem bike which you and your child need to pedal together. The more you both are in sync, the easier this ride would be. At such an early age; most of the 8 – 10 year olds aren’t mature enough for a competitive entrance. This is where you play a vital role!
I am penning down a few tips based on my experience of the 11+ journey (thus far); hoping that it proves to be useful for those who are already on this path and those who are yet to start on this voyage.
First and foremost, assess your child’s interests, strengths and weaknesses in the core subjects. Look for what motivates him/her and what puts them off.
Gear 1 : Get them into a habit of reading from an early age (year 1, 2). Check with the class teachers which reading band is your child in. Get books from shop/library based on their interest. I borrowed a lot of books for my son to ignite the passion for reading in him. It’s not just a good habit for life but also lays a strong foundation for Vocabulary and English comprehensions skills. These are the skills which take years to build up; the sooner you start; the better.
Gear 2 : Get them into a habit of study time from year 3 itself. Start with focus time of 20mins a day after coming back home; gradually increasing it. Doing homework or revising what was taught in the school. Year 3 is crucial for implanting discipline in the child. You can also buy 11+ books for various age groups (starting from 7+ years) from publishers like Bond, CGP etc. I will soon be publishing a reading list for good 11+ preparation books for various year groups.
Gear 3 : Year 4, is about laying a strong foundation in core subjects. Go through the concepts in Maths, VR, NVR and English covering topic by topic. Give them time to understand the fundamental concepts. Remember that every child has a different pace. In my analogy; if you pedal the tandem bike faster than what the child is able to cope with; then you end up hurting him/her. Give them time to understand the concepts well.
Gear 4 : Once your child is ready with basic concepts, get him/her enrolled in a few topic wise tests. This is a good way of assessing how they perform in a time based exam. Few kids cope well with time constraints; but many don’t. In my case, I booked online tests and watched him while he took the tests. This way I could understand which questions he is struggling with; where is he taking more time and which ones he is at ease with. At ExamChamps, the topic wise tests could be attempted twice to ensure kids get a chance to practice before the second attempt to gain more confidence. The result analytics software then generates improment curve, prediction graphs etc. to highlight areas of improvement.
Gear 5 : Having laid a good foundation its now time to change to a higher gear! Year 5 is where you need to start working on the weaknesses like time management skills, handling exam pressure, silly mistake (they all make it) etc. Make sure you book topic based tests from Sept – March and then move on to Full Mocks in Apr. The more they practice the better. Also keep an eye on the exam timelines. Most of the grammer schools publish the application deadlines and exam dates in Jan. Check this post for the Sept 2024 entry (exam dates in 2023).
Gear 6 : Summer of year 5 – time to move to the top gear! Block dedicated time in your calendar every day to spend with your child. Spread the time evenly across the whole week so that it doesn’t get to what I call “study overdose”. Sticking to a specific time routine yields better results when compared to adhoc intense study time. If possible, book in the Open Days at your schools of choice to show them the school. Most of the grammer schools conduct open days between Mar – July. It acts as a motivating factor for many kids to reach the summit!
If your child is already in year 4 or 5 and you haven’t started yet; then it is still not too late. You will have to put in a little extra effort and time; but don’t worry kids pick up quickly. Consider enrolling them into a good coaching center to speed up the process of learning. Feel free to reach out to us here to get recommendations on reputed training institutes. I have seen kids who started preparation in year5 and made it to top schools. I would also recommend continuing their extra cirricular activities (like clubs etc.). Maintaining a good balance between study time and other activities is important to keep them moving. Remember that it is a marathon; not a sprint!
I know that this is easier said that done. There will be bumps in the way, there will be periods when you need to push the child a bit more and times when you need to hold back. It is critical to ensure that the child is comfortable with the pace at which you are going. Because at the end of the day, child’s happiness and wellbeing is much more important than any exam.
If you need any guidance; please get in touch with us here. As parents, we will be happy to provide you advice and support you through this journey!
– Priya Saxena
