Eleven Plus Non Verbal Reasoning Cubes

Some eleven plus children are able to make their own decisions comfortably and positively. Other children seem to prefer some form of committee meeting.

There are committee meetings that are essentially formal in nature. The members of the committee raise issues, speak for and against proposals – but usually have to work within formal rules of engagement. There is often a chairman and a secretary. Their role is to try to help to direct the flow of the meeting. Sometimes there will be committee members who appear to have axes to grind. Some will be ready to jump on any infringement of the rules and regulations, of course it is the chairman’s role to manipulate the proceedings to prevent decisions that are not in `the common interest’ of the chairman!

Show me any mother in the land who has not managed a family meeting. Some will see an eleven plus mother as a prime mover in harmonising proceedings.

When the eleven plus discussion moves to one’s home then it sometimes becomes the role of the hostess to gently become the informal chair person. The other eleven plus mothers may often sit in the same seats – and refer to the same topics. After all many of us are creatures of habit. Bit by bit each of the mothers will work hard to become members of the `inner group’. Too much dissention and the miscreant will not be invited again! Like their children they will need to take it in turns.

There is one emotion that does have the ability to bring a group of mothers together. The same emotion could be present in a family meeting convened to solve an eleven plus problem. The common topic uniting groups of mothers and whole families is one that could be foreign to some unfortunates. The emotion is called `empathy’. Empathy can unite families and less informal groups. There is a topic in non verbal reasoning called cubes. The cubes have to rotate and spin to allow identification of a hitherto hidden side. Rotating and translating a cube is not a skill most of us have to use on a daily basis. When cubes questions have to be solved then family and friends have to unite. We need to feel sorry for those who can not see the solution. We need to be aware of a common urgency.

The cubes chair person will emerge. (Sometimes this could be the person who owns the answer book!)

The cubes secretary will take his or her natural place.

The recipient of the cubes largess will no doubt say: “Thanks, mum, can I have a pan cake now?”

On some occasions it may not be prudent to record the mother’s response!

"He has a good Eleven Plus chance."

What does it mean if you have a child who has been identified as having `a good chance of gaining a grammar school place’.

We should think that your child is above average. You child may also have qualities that set him or her apart from their peers. You may sometimes hear the statement: “Oh he is a bright one!” Does this mean that he is a bright one intellectually, or is he good with words or even just a charming cheeky chappie?

The word `bright’ must apply to many different situations. Sadly, however, in terms of passing the eleven plus the word `bright’ only relates to obtaining a certain score on a certain day.

Your child may only be bright in terms of taking a certain type of test on a certain day. For example his intelligence may shine through on the verbal reasoning test – but he may come up with an unexpected score on the non verbal reasoning test. He may have completed the non verbal reasoning test in a third of the expected time – but at the same time missed two pages. You child may never have done anything like that in all papers you have done together. Does missing a couple of pages on the day of a vital test make your son less bright?

We had this happen to us very recently. A very able boy did a retest after six months of tuition. He did very well on the mathematics and verbal reasoning tests. He missed the third and fourth page of the non verbal reasoning test. He only made one mistake on the paper – but left out seventeen questions. His mother asked him why and he simply shook his head. I think that this demanding test was just a bit too easy for him and he lost concentration.

His non verbal reasoning score still came out above average – but no one would be able to call him `bright’ on the basis of that score. So how did his intelligence `fly away’? He just made one mistake of turning over two pages – not seventeen mistakes. That one error could cost him a place in grammar school.

So you can’t call a bright boy `average’ on the basis of one test result. The `Eleven Plus System’ in his area can easily call him `non selective’. The appeal panel can also reject him on the grounds that he did not fulfil the selection criteria.

It all seems illogical and very unfair. In eleven plus terms a bright child is intellectually able. He may also be bright, charming and articulate. On the day of the examination he has to prove his `bright’ side. Please remind him to read the instructions at the beginning of the test, check he has completed all the pages and look back over his paper. Above all remind him not to `switch off’ while he is being told what to do at the start of the test.

He will remain as having `a good chance of a place in grammar school’ if he keeps `bright and alert’.