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Friday, December 24, 2010

Eleven Plus Questions

The Eleven Plus examination is a serious business for some parents and children. The attitude of the children to the examination may sometimes mirror that of the parents – but on other occasions parents may wonder; “It that really my child?” or “Where did that come from?”

Do more eleven plus boys revere achievement more highly than girls?

Do eleven plus girls value qualities of personal relationships than boys?

It could be interesting to ask eleven plus children to put into order the following list of ten attributes they would like their parents to aspire to:

Respect
Love
Being a good cook
Understanding
Not given to nagging
Tolerance
Good manners
The ability to pass the eleven plus
Willingness to help at home
A sense of humour.

Out of this list may come a realisation, from some parents, that there could be a need to re-evaluate their attitude, at times, towards their children. It would be very hard for some parents to understand, for example, why some very able eleven plus children set their sights too low – and work below the level of their capability. A wide number of eleven plus children may want their parents to accept their deficiencies as well as their obvious strengths.

What would children prefer?

Parents who demonstrate respect for strengths and weaknesses

Parents who want their children to demonstrate ambition to pass

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