How to help your child pass the 11-plus

There is a common misconception amongst parents that only dedicated 11-plus tutors can help students achieve success in the 11-plus exam. We have gathered a few of the ways that you as a parents can support your child at home to prepare for the 11-plus exam:

1. Get them familiar with the style of questions

While a child will be familiar with arithmetic and English comprehension questions from completing their school work, they may not be familiar with the comprehension style/worded maths questions that are common throughout the 11-plus. Likewise, verbal and non-verbal reasoning style questions may be new to them. The best way to prepare your child for these questions is to work through example questions.

2. Look over practice questions

There are many 11-plus example questions available on the internet for free - simply search for ‘practice questions for 11-plus examinations’ and you will find them. You can also find practice workbooks from all high street book retailers. Look for workbooks that contain the answers and explanations as to how the problem was calculated.

3. Make learning fun

Play games to encourage critical and logical thinking, such as spot the difference and sudoku. Develop their spatial awareness and understanding of how shapes interconnect through doing jigsaw puzzles, and encourage your child to play with construction toys like Meccano and Lego. 

4. Encourage regular reading

Wider reading will help your child improve their vocabulary. Children who read regularly and have the ability to comprehend complex passages of texts should be able to cope with verbal reasoning style questions. Kumon has an extensive Recommended Reading List that you can look to for book suggestions for all age groups. 

5. Prepare 

Allow sufficient time to prepare for the 11-plus exams and factor in time for breaks from the practice questions.

6. Enrol your child into Kumon

Kumon doesn’t ‘teach’ children how to achieve success on the 11-plus exams, however it does help them develop the skills needed to tackle them. For example, comprehension, working under timed conditions, good stamina, speed and accuracy, an ability to think deeply and address advanced work. Furthermore, Kumon students are familiar with the process of following examples and reading questions carefully, which is extremely useful when tackling the verbal and non-verbal reasoning questions of the 11-plus exams. In an independent study conducted by the Education Policy Institute (EPI), the research revealed that Kumon pupils are over a year ahead of the national average, and over six months ahead of their peers in their maths learning at the end of primary school! 

To find out how Kumon can help your child prepare for the 11-plus exam, contact your local Instructor to find out more.