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Tuesday, April 12, 2011

The Eleven Plus and `Me' (Or should it be I?)

At one time or another most of will have been on a course where a seemingly highly knowledgeable and cheerfully pleasant `tutor’ or `lecturer’ hands out pieces of paper.

“In the centre of your page please write, in capital letters, the word `ME’. Then add the other important people in your life for example, family, children, friends, schoolmates and workmates. Place the people into sectors at varying distances from the centre.”

There is no doubt, that in today’s world, some one will ask a serious question: “What about my Face Book friends?”

“How many do you have?”

“I’ve only got 138 – but some of my friends have more.”

“Place them in a special sector but try not to let Face Book overwhelm your `ME’ chart.

Your group is then asked to add the people who are near to them – but who you would prefer to see at a greater distance. (Perhaps Aunt Agatha - who never listens to what you say – but may leave you a hundred thousand?)

The ensuing discussion should then make you enthusiastic enough to want to apply this to your eleven plus child.

“In the centre of the page write the word `ME’ in capital letters. Around the word write all the influences you think maybe affecting your eleven plus progress.”

“But what do I write?”

“You can put parents, siblings, relations, and teachers at school, books, papers and the internet.” (“And there is always Uncle George who says that you should give all this study malarkey and go to sea to see the world.”)

In the spirit of the eleven plus Mother and Father then draw up a list of positive actions:

“You see you are not alone in your eleven plus. There are lots of people around you.”

“There is a lot of work to do – but all you can do is to try to fit it all in.”

“We, your parents, are still very close to you and want to help however we can.”

Your child will listen with a keen and attentive ear. Then the question will come:

“Did Uncle George really go to sea to get away from Aunt Agatha?”

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