How many eleven plus parents will be growing tomatoes under
glass this year? It just takes a little planning and organisation! Next month,
in the middle of February, sow 2 – 3 seeds per square inch in a propagator
filled with sieved compost. Cover the propagator with newspaper – and remember to
close the greenhouse door.
When the seedlings have developed, provided that you can
still get to your greenhouse through the snow, prick out the seedlings into 3 inch
peat or plastic pots. Water the seedlings gently. Keep the seedlings at around
18 degrees. Every now and then apply some liquid feed or fertiliser.
The secret to greenhouse grown tomatoes depends on
meticulous attention to watering and feeding. The secret to eleven plus success
is remarkably the same – meticulous attention to watering and feeding of the
child – along with some old fashioned brain fertiliser!
Once the tomatoes are a little more mature, ask your eleven
plus child to select five healthy looking ones. Help him or her to weigh each
tomato carefully. Record the results. It is possible that the family’s tomatoes
could be held in a table looking rather like this:
Our Eleven Plus
Reasoning Question
|
One
|
Two
|
Three
|
Four
|
Five
|
Mean
|
|
200
|
150
|
550
|
|
600
|
350
|
Weight in grams
How much did the Tomato Number 4 weigh?
A 130
B 550
C 600
D 300
Reasoning is not just answering a question like: “How many
wheels does a tricycle have?” Reasoning can involve planning, participation and
solving a problem.
