To really squeeze the most out of the remaining time before your child sits their 11 Plus exam, creating a weekly plan to balance learning and leisure will help them reach their maximum study potential. You don’t want your child feeling overwhelmed so it is a great idea to work with them to produce a plan that works for you both! Here are some of our top areas to take into consideration:
Study Time
Ideally you will have left plenty of time before the date of the exam so revision should not be a stressful time. Regular but small chunks of time can be allocated each day; smaller blocks of time will maintain your childs’ focus without pushing them to the limit. Pushing the boundaries will be ineffective and give your child a negative attitude towards studying, feeling that it is endless and the goal is unachievable. Spending an hour studying here and there is much more manageable and effective.
Learning Style
Everyone has their own way of learning and with time you’ll quickly realise which way this may be. From visual learners focusing heavily on images, mind maps and teaching aids to kinaesthetic learners who learn through problem solving, memory games and hands on tasks.
Keeping a varied range of activities to keep things engaging is essential, utilising a broad selection of tasks and tactics will keep things new and more exciting. From interactive lessons and written quizzes, at 11 Plus Success we have an extensive list of modules on offer to cover all areas in the most engaging way possible! Once your child feels confident, getting used to timed exam practice is great preparation for the real thing. Have a look through a series of mock exams to recreate the real experience and gain instant feedback to discover areas for future improvement.
Goals
Finding a starting point can always be daunting. Start small and from here it will become clear where strengths and weaknesses lie, allowing for more time to be allocated to certain topics. Take part in some online lessons, answering questions and achieving completion certificates to keep track of progress. Setting monthly goals is a great way to work towards a target and make sure you’re making the progress you would hope to be!
Time Out
As much as we want to achieve the best result possible, it is important to ensure a balance is found; plenty of time should still be available for fun and family time! Scheduling in time out for hobbies, exercise, creativity and entertainment will leave your child content, relaxed and with a fresh brain for their study session. Ensure plenty of fun activities are allocated on your revision timetable to make it a fun tool to follow rather than a tedious one.
Making a Timetable
Sit down with your child to work on a timetable together, get their creativity flowing and encourage them to want to follow their new study aid! First block out all of the routine activities, clubs and any other set activities before allocating time each day for relaxing. Then add in chunks of study time, ideally before fun activities as a reward for completing a revision block. Get the coloured pens and highlighters out to colour code the timetable and make sure it is kept in a visible place always to hand.
