Is a ten year old mature enough to be able to do a bit of
organisation? (How long is a bit of string?) Some are and others would like to
be! In one way it probably depends on what the eleven plus candidate is being
asked to do.
There is a lot of preparation to be done before we can
expect a ten year to be able to make organised, informed and thoughtful decisions.
Collect all the different eleven plus books and papers you think your child
will need between now and the examinations. Layer in talks from past
candidates, improvement lectures from interested relations and promotional
speeches from the parents of school friends.
Once your child has gathered the `data’ then ask him or her
to process it – exhaustively and protractedly. Allocate time for many
thoughtful discussions and conversations. Then run through this pre-eleven plus
checklist:
Has your child made a plan of action?
Is your child able to communicate a decision in a way that
most people will understand?
Will all concerned `buy in’ to the proposals?
Does your child have a method of monitoring and charting the
progress?
Is your child committed to the eleven plus?
Will empowering your child to make eleven plus decisions help
to solve at least some eleven plus problems?
