Taking the 11+ exam for grammar school can be a daunting prospect for pupils but with the right skills, they’ll be able confidently head into the exam it give it their best shot. For the 11 Plus, preparation is often key, for many pupils it’s the first formal exam they’ve sat and the results will have a big impact on their future. If you’re child is revising for the 11+ now, assessing these essential skills could help them achieve their goals.
- Comprehension – As part of the exam, your child will be expected to read excerpts and demonstrate that they’ve understood the content. It’s a skill that will develop the more they read in their daily lives. But it also requires them to be able to clearly explain their thoughts and opinions, which can be a challenge. Here practice is essential.
- Spelling – As with all English exams, spelling is important in the 11+. Children that sit the exams are expected to spell well-known words correctly and will lose vital marks when mistakes are made. Building this skill often works best when children are given a small list of spellings to repeatedly write until they’re engrained.
- Punctuation and grammar – Like spelling, punctuation and grammar is a basic skill that will be looked at closely during the English 11+ paper. It’s vital that your child should have a very good grasp on the basics, such as full stops, capital letters, apostrophes, and commas.
- Vocabulary – In order to be successful in the 11+ English paper, your child will be expected to have developed their vocabulary. Encouraging them to look up words in the dictionary and learn synonyms to improve their writing are all ways to help in this aspect. You should also ensure they know how to use each word in context.
- Sentence structure – How your child’s sentences are formed plays a big role in their final English mark. Sentences should vary in terms of length and, where appropriate, be complex, such as containing embedded clauses. Learning how and where to use different sentence structures is an essential.
Assessing these skills is no easy task but School Exams offers you an alternative to the usual costly tutors and dull books. We deliver engaging, fun content for your child to compare their answers and methods too. With a range of materials right at their fingertips, School Exams helps children across the country succeed in their 11+ English paper.