The 11 Plus revision, as challenging as it is, can be made easier for young minds to cope with using these tips.
Revising for a highly competitive exam at such a young age can be exceptionally stressful. Children tend to be naturally full of energy. Hence, getting side-tracked is very easy for them.
Bearing this in mind, we have come up with a list of helpful revision tips you can try with your child to get the most out of their 11 Plus revision!
11-plus revision tips for motivation
- Keep it short
Countless studies have shown that people learn more by studying for shorter amounts of time. This is particularly relevant for children who have smaller attention spans and are more likely to get tired and bored quicker than older students. At Tuition Tree, we suggest that each regular revision session should last no longer than thirty minutes. This length of time will make it easier for your child to stay focused without losing interest. Most importantly, this reduces the pressure on your child and leaves them plenty of time to take part in other activities. Forcing a child to study for hours on end can be highly detrimental; they will end up dreading revision sessions and never want to do it again! - Routine
This is linked to the previous point. Shorter revision sessions are ideal for incorporating into your daily routine so that your child is frequently revising. By building study sessions around your schedule, your child will not necessarily see revisions as a chore but as an objective to be completed. As well as this, some children may treasure this as quality time to spend with you, their parent, especially if you have a busy lifestyle. It goes without saying, but when 11 plus revision is done regularly, children get used to the exam patterns and the questions they must answer quicker. - Rewards
This is an important tip because it makes revision an enjoyable experience and helps to motivate your child. Rewards are a sign of progress and that your child’s work is paying off. Even if your child does not do as well as in one revision session, do not avoid rewarding your child. Rather, offer them a better reward if they improve in the next session. Rewards are the key to making 11 Plus revision sessions exciting and ensuring that your child stays focused. Furthermore, when a reward is in sight, children will push themselves harder! - Mock exams
Practice exams should always be done before the real 11 Plus exam. Mock tests allow your child to get used to exam conditions, such as working in silence with time constraints. If you start doing mock exams early with your child, it may be worth adding extra time. We advise this because it lessens the pressure and allows them to focus on the technique of answering the questions. Then as it gets closer to the exam, lower the time limit for a realistic mock exam. Knowing how to answer the questions is only half of the challenge. By getting used to exam conditions, your child will learn to stay calm and focused. Take a look at our Tuition Tree Mock Exams page for more information. - Make it fun
If your child finds 11 plus revisions boring, they will lose interest, and their learning will suffer as a consequence. Making the revision fun can be as simple as putting questions on post-it notes around your house. Another idea is to put the multiple choice answers to a question on top of cups, with a sweet or treat hidden under the cup that has the right answer. If you make 11 plus revisions fun, then your children will want to participate wholeheartedly and may even ask for extra sessions!
Top tips for making learning more efficient
- Mix it up
While revising at home makes your child feel comfortable, it is necessary to prepare them for the exam situation. A good way to do this is to revise in a different environment or give your child a mock examination in a place that replicates the exam room. This is beneficial because the change in the situation of the 11 Plus exam will not faze your child. Furthermore, your child may also benefit from sometimes revising with other children, as the variety may help them to learn better. - Visual aids
Students often have different learning styles, which means that by learning in a certain way, they are more likely to absorb information. Visual learning is a useful technique for children because imagination plays a significant role in solving problems and memorising information. Aids such as mind maps can be particularly useful when summarising what your child needs to learn for the 11 Plus exam and testing knowledge in a fun and constructive way. - Limit distractions
Take away electronic devices during revision sessions, especially if your child is doing a practice examination. Such devices are not allowed in the exam, so it is good for your child to practise focusing without them. You should conduct 11 plus revision sessions in a quiet room away from any other possible distractions. Additionally, it may also be useful to limit distractions outside of revision. Then, your child will be less tempted during the revision sessions to play with phones or watch television. - Work on weaknesses
Some parts of the 11 plus are more difficult than others. However, what one child finds difficult may be easy for another child. It is important to first determine what your child has difficulty learning. You must work on these areas so that your child feels confident with them and ready for the exam. It is also important that you tell your child there is nothing wrong with not being as good at some elements. On the contrary, this is a chance for them to prove to themselves how much they can progress. - Have a day off!
You do not want your child to work too hard! Even if your child does short revision sessions, these can get tiring. If you make your child revise excessively, then this increases the pressure on them to do well. You do not want your child to be scared to do badly, as this may cause them to lose focus and increase the chances of inadvertent mistakes during the 11 Plus exam. Show your child that there is more to life than just revising all day long, and give them room to blow off some steam!
At Tuition Tree, we believe that revision is a valuable experience that will teach your children skills for life. However, it is important that it is enjoyable! As a result of this, some of these tips may be more appropriate for your child, and others may not. Either way, revision is a great chance for parents to spend time with their children and help them to reach their full potential.
Get in touch with us and find out how we can help your child on their way to 11 Plus success. You can find our tuition centre in Edgbaston, Birmingham here.
