Why Being an Early Bird is Key to 11+ Success

Are you the parent that hasn't read a single book, article or blog post about the 11+ and have no idea about what the process involves?

Are you the parent that's left everything to the last minute and now you're nervous about how to help your child pass?

Or are you the parent that's researched every area of the 11+ since your child's first birthday? 

Are you the parent that's immersed themselves in reading as much 11+ guidance material as possible?

You see, there are two very different types of 11+ parents.

The first type is the one that leaves everything to the last minute and then freaks out when they realise that their child doesn't even know the basics.

The second type is the parent that's so well prepared that they've studied every piece of literature known to man.

As 11+ experts, we've noticed that the second type of parent is far more likely to have a child that passes the exam simply because they are prepared! They are an early bird and as they say, the early bird always catches the worm.

Time and time again, we come across parents that are the first type and they leave everything to the last minute. As a result, their child is overwhelmed and struggles to score higher than 50% in practice tests. Such parents have no idea how to help their child improve and quite frankly, they often expect miracles from tutors like ourselves. They expect us to magically take a child that doesn't have a grasp of the basics and turn them into geniuses.

Sometimes, there are rare instances where we can help such students but often enough it's the children that have been studying for at least 1.5 years and have worked consistently hard that end up passing the 11+.

So what can you take away from this?

Start preparing for the 11+ as early as possible! 1.5 years is the ideal amount of time.

The exam is meant to test natural ability and potential so ultimately a child that has built an exceptional vocabulary and has a wonderful grasp of English and Maths from an early age is much more likely to pass than one who is trying to cram at the last minute.

Leaving things to the last minute is one of the worst things that you can do when it comes to the 11+ so try to prepare as early as possible.

PS. It's okay to teach your child yourself but it's also good to have your child assessed by a tutor at least once before they sit the exam. It's even better to enrol your child in an 11+ mock exam so that you can find out how they're doing in comparison to other students and identify any weak spots that need addressing.

If you liked this post, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend that might also benefit from reading this advice.

Wishing you the best of luck with exam preparation.

TheTutoress.com.

3 Things Successful 11+ Parents Always Do

There are a small number of parents who confidently exclaim that every single one of their children has passed the 11+ exam.

Such parents are the ones who leave other parents filled with envy; they just seem to be able to do everything and they do it with such grace and ease.

It's difficult not to be jealous of them.

I was recently talking to a parent who declared that every single one of her four children had received multiple offers from prestigious grammar schools. 

She asserted that only one of them was particularly bright and that she had hardly tutored them because she couldn't afford to.

She was a normal working mother who simply wanted the best for her children and did what she could to help them pass their school entrance exams.

Intrigued, I began thinking about the many other parents that I've come across over the years who have had similar success with the 11+. 

Many came from 'normal' backgrounds and didn't always tutor their child excessively.

They did however, share three things in common.

1. They believed that no matter how well their child did in the exam, they would always show their child that they were proud of them. They didn't hold back on giving love or affection based on how well their child did. They understood that exams can be hit or miss and that failure in one exam isn't a reflection of their child's full abilities. 

2. They were willing to invest what little money they had into at least a few months worth of intensive tuition. For instance, several of the parents I spoke to invested in 5 or more hours of tuition per week for their child in the final two months before the exam. In the instances where they couldn't afford tuition they simply taught their child themselves or asked an older sibling to help out and then they hired a tutor for a few hours on top. This ensured that key topics were covered and that their child was ahead of their revision schedule.

3. They didn't put all their eggs in one basket! This has to be the most important thing that I observed from these parents and it falls in line with some of the advice that I usually give my clients.

Make sure you have more than one option when it comes to the schools you're applying for. Parents whose children succeeded in the 11+ exams often applied for multiple schools and the vast majority of these parents applied for both grammar and independent schools as a back up measure. They understood that even if they couldn't afford independent school fees, they could look into options such as scholarships and bursaries. 

There's so much to learn by speaking to successful 11+ parents. For me, it's always an eye-opener and I am often amazed by the wonderful advice that they share.

Whether your child has already sat the exams or is about to embark on their 11+ journey, pay attention to the tips above and always remember that your attitude and positivity has a huge role to play in how successful your child is in the exams and beyond.

Here's to your child's success!

Victoria.

Founder, TheTutoress.com.

How To Prep Your Child For The 11+ During The Summer Holidays

As it's one of the hottest weeks of the year, studying for the 11+ exams is the last thing that most children want to do.

This is especially true of 11+ students who would much prefer to be relaxing and playing outside rather than studying for one of the most important exams of their life.

For parents, it can be incredibly difficult (and sometimes even impossible) to motivate your child to study during these warm summer months. 

Even the slightest attempt to encourage them to pick up a book can result in hours of screaming and moaning.

Quite simply, it can be an incredibly frustrating time especially when you're fully aware of how close by your child's 11+ exam is.

Nonetheless, getting your little one to be motivated enough to study isn't impossible and it can actually be an easy process if you follow these 3 steps.

Step 1.

Be sympathetic. Think back to your childhood and how much you enjoyed playing in the glistening sun. Those were incredible days that have lifelong memories.

Although it's natural and normal to want to scream at your child and beg them to study during this period of time, try to be understanding and talk to them in a way that shows that you acknowledge their frustrations.

Step 2.

Act like a parent, think like a child.

One of the smartest ways to deal with a child's lack of academic motivation is to think like not just any child, but your own. 

What motivates your child?

What are there passions/interests? 

Which activities inspire them?

Make a mental note of your answers to these questions and begin embedding some of your child's biggest passions into their study periods. 

There are several ways to do this.

For instance, you could tell your child that for every hour of 11+ practice that they do, they'll receive 15 minutes of time towards an activity that they love most.

You could also consider incorporating their passions into their studies, for instance, use football to teach creative writing (yes, it's possible - we do this all the time during our 11+ courses)

Now this brings me to the final step (and my personal favourite). 

Step 3.

Use the "jam jar technique."

What's that?

The jam jar technique encourages you to think like your child and pay attention to the one thing that they've dreamt of doing or receiving. 

For instance, it could be a trip to Disney Land, a new digital tablet or the latest gadget. 

Next, grab an empty sweet or jam jar and tell your child that for every hour they dedicate towards their 11+ studies, you'll place a marble in the jar, once the jar is filled they'll be able to get that dream prize/gift.

The reason why this works so well is because it encourages your child to study without stating that they'll only be rewarded if they pass the 11+. 

It rewards them for working hard and acknowledges their efforts in a positive way.

Now that you've learnt three great ways to prepare your child for the exam, share this post on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook so that other parents can be inspired.

PS. If you haven't already, sign up to our newsletter so that you can receive the latest updates and tips on how to pass the 11+ exam.

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Should I move to a different area to get my child into a good grammar or independent school?

Competition for secondary school places is constantly heating up.

Naturally, there are too few spaces for the hundreds of children in each area who want to attend their best local (or not so local) school.

Due to the fact that several of the best schools prioritise the applications of children who live locally, parents are often tempted to move homes in a bid to guarantee that their child wins a place at a sought-after school.

Although this is a tempting option, it's worth asking yourself whether it's really worth the effort.

Are you willing to take the time and energy to change jobs, travel to work further, move away from close family and friends?

Are you willing to do everything and anything in the bid to increase your child's chances of getting into a particular school?

For some parents, the answer is a straight-forward YES.

For others, the idea of making such a big change is absurd and could potentially cause both short and long term problems.

Truthfully, there is no one-size fits all solution.

When making a decision like this, think about your child, yourself and your family. 

Whilst some families will find moving to be a breeze, others will struggle. It's therefore important to think about how your family will adapt to moving to a completely different area during a time when your child is making one of the biggest changes that they've ever made.

Also consider the fact that you'll be going through all of the difficulties of moving home whilst also supporting your child through their first year of secondary school. 

There's plenty to think about but ultimately the decision is yours. 

Now, let's hear from you.

Have you decided to move school during the 11+ process?

How have you found the move?

Are you thinking about moving but haven't decided yet?

Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below.

How to make 11+ vocabulary fun

One of the most common reasons why children struggle with the 11+ exams is because they haven't gotten to grips with mastering their vocabulary.

As a parent it can be difficult to help your child with this area because to be frank, most parents (and adults in general) struggle with vocabulary). 

Furthermore, with more and more private and grammar schools adopting the CEM exam, vocabulary is becoming a greater part of the exam which means that if you want your child to pass, you must focus on this area.

How do you do that?

Here's one simple but highly effective thing you can do to help your child to boost their vocab skills.

Introduce Vocab Moments™
Vocab Moments™ are simply a 20 minute slot each week assigned to fun yet educational word and vocabulary games.

If you have family or friends over, get them to join in and make this a weekly activity.

One of my favourite games to play during vocab moments is Scrabble and I always encourage my students to have a dictionary, thesaurus and paper on hand so that they can write down any unique words they come across.

It's a brilliant way to improve vocabulary whilst enabling your child to enjoy learning.

Your Homework (yes, parents get homework too!)
Your assignment this week is to introduce vocab moments in your household.

It can be as little as 20 minutes a week and it will really help your child to prepare for the 11+ and future exams such as the SATs and KS3 assessments.

Wishing you a wonderful week.

Miss Olubi.

Founder, TheTutoress.com.