The Speed of Reading Eleven Plus Questions

“Slow down. Slow down. Read the question.”

“You just need to skim the passage the first time you read it.”

These appear to be contradictory statements – but they apply to different types of eleven plus questions. Encouraging the eleven plus child to slow down suggests that the content needs to be read word by word. The second command appears to promote reading with a slightly wider eye span. Some children may find it rather difficult to speed read the following question:

“Which is the odd one out?”

Strolled walked ran flew trudged.

We then come to different type of reading:

The Caterpillar and Alice

looked at each other

for some time in silence:

at last the Caterpillar

took the hookah 

out of its mouth,

and addressed her 

in a languid, sleepy voice.

'Who are you?' 

said the Caterpillar.

This was not an encouraging opening

for a conversation.

Alice replied, rather shyly,

'I—I hardly know, sir, 

just at present

at least I know who I was

when I got up this morning,

but I think

 I must have been changed

several times since then.'

The eye span will be able to accommodate this form of presentation reasonably easily. Some people find that it is possible to skim passages with few words on a line.

Some parents may find that they actually have to point out the differences in the styles of reading. I will never forget the very bright nine year old child who maintained that she did not know that she had to read the passage in order to answer to answer the questions.   

Preventing a Sinking Eleven Plus Bubble

When I was at school I used to be fascinated by the story of the `South Sea Bubble’. This is the name of a scheme which resulted in one of the greatest financial disasters in English history. The South Sea Company was incorporated by an Act of Parliament in 1710. The company was given the monopoly of trade in the Pacific Ocean.

Parliament, despite the warning of Robert Walpole, allowed the company to take over the national Debt in 1720. The value of the stock increased very quickly. There was a wild orgy of inflation and speculation – and then the inevitable crash.

How can eleven plus parents avoid putting their children into an Eleven Plus Bubble? This is a bubble where the child is expected to think `Eleven Plus’ and little else. There is a saying: `Too much work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.’  Could an eleven plus child be encouraged to do too much preparation? This must be a matter for individual choice.

Money and the eleven plus seem to go together. 

Like the investors of years ago is seems that we are naturally drawn to wanting to belong. We want our child to belong to a grammar school. We want to belong to the group of successful eleven plus parents.

Parents can make some form of financial provision for their children – in case their child does reach university. This is sometimes called a `Sinking Fund’. A certain amount of money is taken every year out of the bank and invested in a deposit account. With university fees around £9000.00 a year for some students access to a `sinking fund’ would be most welcome.

We simply want the sun, the moon and the stars for our eleven plus children!

Is there a secret to maintaining an eleven plus balance? Is there a way to provide for your child’s future without your sinking fund being blown away in the inflation of a `South Sea Bubble’? Sadly it appears that the more your child does the better he or she gets – within reason!

The Eleven Plus and the New Microsoft Xbox One

Your eleven plus child may find some elements of digital technology advantageous. Technology can be used to support assessment, for example, in a number of ways. There is a place for the results of on-line tests to build or even prescribe activities to learn. On-line technology can help to track the progress of what your child is learning.

We have to imagine that there is a set eleven plus syllabus. This can be a remarkably difficult task – almost as difficult as Hercules trying to round up the cattle of Geryon. When I was a child I used to wonder about Geryon who had three heads and three sets of legs all joined at the waist. If you see your child doing a little doodle – and there are three heads and three sets of legs - then you know that he or she is going trying to find a solution!

A set eleven plus syllabus? How can there be one all-encompassing syllabus that will suit all eleven plus children? One `authority – the expert eleven plus teacher’ will maintain that he or she will teach in the right and only way. A different `authority’ will offer another solution. Technology can help some parents and children with a supply of reassuring feedback and assessment.

We know that self-assessment is an invaluable tool because it requires reflection and self-awareness. Some children may find it easier to reflect on on-line results rather than pen and paper achievements. To some the computer and the internet allow a degree of dis-association.

I used to think that `Minecraft’, for example, was yet another computer game. Having had the privilege of watching bright ten year old children building structures, learning coding and discussing their work, I can’t help think that questions on coding should be part of a `modern’ eleven plus syllabus. Programs like Scratch and Makey Makey also help to teach coding and desirable computer based outcomes.

I have not, yet, seen the new Microsoft offering to children – but can’t help feeling that some good will come of these advances in technology. This new Xbox has improved voice recognition, built in Skype and a wonderful sounding `Snap Mode’ which will allow a child to do more than one thing at the same time. Suring the eleven plus `syllabus’ would be richer for these potential learning tools? 

An Eleven Plus Rotation

Summer is here – or at least the strong signs of summer have arrived. Children, and their parents start thinking of what they can do over summer. Some lucky eleven plus children will go away and leave all thoughts of the eleven plus behind. Other children will go on holiday – along with their eleven plus books and papers.

What do you do if your child says that he or she would like to take up diving? Naturally you will embrace this idea with joy. “My child is a diver!” You then start thinking of logistics.

How far is the nearest pool with a diving centre?

When are the classes? How long will each class be? What will I do while I am waiting?

Who will teach? What are the qualifications?

Will my child follow an agreed syllabus or just have ideas plucked seemingly from the air?

What will the other children do? Will I have to go into the pool as well to look after the rest of the family?

You phone a friend.

“That Is great. I can-not recommend diving enough. There is the most divine diving teacher with such a honed body. You will be in raptures!”

“Forget all that. I left honed bodies behind years ago. What will my child learn?”

“Forward dives - - rotating forwards. Back dives – rotating backwards from a backward take-off. Inward dives – rotating inwards from a forward take-off.  Twisting dives – any of the previous four but spinning as well as rotating.”

“There seems to be an awful lot of rotating!”

“Rotating is easy! Just look at my new shoes!”

“You are kidding me. We are back on the eleven plus. How did we get from diving to your new shoes to the eleven plus?”

“We rotated!”

An Eleven Plus Brain

We must feel for some eleven plus children if their parents try to take this on!

The poor brain!

Interests of Eleven Plus Children

“Why was the glow-worm unhappy?”

“I don’t know. Why was the glow-worm unhappy?”

“Because her children were not very bright!”

What would happen if the eleven plus was broadened to cover questions on the interests of children?

Imagine if there were specialist questions on areas of interest. The question paper could have a reduced number of eleven plus type questions – but the children could then be offered a wide selection of questions.

Questions 56 - 60 : Modern Dance

Questions 61- 65 : Telling Jokes

Questions 66 – 70 : Cycling

Questions 71 – 75 : Swimming

The list goes on. 

Why should a child `win’ a place in a grammar school through a single `Pass or Fail’ figure?

Alpha and Beta Eleven Plus Tests

An advantage of working with your child on multiple choice papers is that you have the opportunity to talk about examination technique. Eleven plus questions are designed to have one correct answer. Naturally your child will be faced with distractors but this is where you can help.

Of course you will encourage your child to do a modicum of working out before looking at the answers. Your child, after a little practice, should enjoy trying to find the multiple choice answers that simply cannot be correct. You may need to be very positive as your child may feel a little defensive.

You may make the point that multiple choice answers offer the opportunity of being able to guess. If time runs out and there are still some unanswered questions you will, no doubt, suggest guessing the final few answers.

Sometimes children may spend too long on a particular type of question.  You may have covered the topic in great detail but – on the day – help may still be needed. Sometimes it may be better to leave the question or questions and come back to these later on.

One thing is sure – there will be disputes and unhappiness about the actual eleven plus questions and format.  Some parents and children may be concerned about how the tests are put together, others may want to question what is being measured.

During the First World War the Alpha and Beta tests were developed. The Alpha tests were designed for adults who could read and were literate and the Beta tests for the non-readers. One reason for the tests was to try to find the leaders or officers.

The First World War was between 1914 and 1918. The period of 2014 to 2018 is approaching. Will one day there be Alpha and Beta Eleven Plus tests?

An Eleven Plus Fire Alarm

There was a fire alarm this afternoon. The whole building was evacuated. We were told that there was no fire – but the fire department had to turn the fire alarm off. We left the building – and remembered to pick up the register!

There was a slight drizzle and a little sharp wind. Swimmers were in their costumes, gym stars in their brief outfits, football players in short sleeves and dancers in little costumes. Some of our pupils picked up their outside wear but others were in their school clothes.

We were allowed back in again after around twenty minutes. The children seemed to go in first.

What would happen if there was a fire alarm at a school while the children were sitting the eleven plus? What would be the impact on the children?

Eleven Plus Rules

There are some children who may possibly have an advantage during the eleven plus examinations. These are the children who are encouraged to sit more than one examination.

Some parents may, at times, want to speak to the Head Teacher or another senior member of staff. A fair proportion of parents will want to present as good a case as possible.

Rule One: When speaking to the school authorities try to stay cool.

Rule Two: When talking to other parents try to avoid any sensational `news’. It could all backfire.

Rule Three: Think of a title – as a title can offer a succinct summary.

Rule Four: Say what you would like to happen.

Rule Five: Abide by the results of the discussion – unless you feel strongly. Do not give up!

Rule Six: Rules are only any good if they actually work.

An Eleven Plus Write Off!

I was given a copy of `The Backward Child’ by Cyril Burt by my first and only headmaster Mr W.W. Wilson. The book was first published in 1937. My copy is the 4<sup>th</sup> Edition of 1958. In Burt’s discussion on General Intelligence he writes about `The Undiscovered Genius’.

He maintained that Newton, Darwin, Goldsmith and Sheridan, Watt and Stevenson as well as Wellington and Clive were all `duffers at lessons who proved a genius in disguise’. If this is true is there hope for an eleven plus child who does not particularly shine at school?

Burt quotes statements made by friends and family who may be biased.

“He will grow out of his dullness as he grows older.”

“He will be all the better for not developing too fast.”

“The slow boy is usually the sure boy, he goes further in the end.”

“When he comes to the turn of life at seven, at fourteen or at twenty one – he will put on a spurt and make up for what he has lost.”

Does this mean that if a child is not doing well on a set of eleven plus papers there is no chance of passing the eleven plus?

We must all sincerely hope not. Some authors of eleven plus papers may write in a style that is hard to follow. Some eleven plus children may do well on one type of paper – but struggle with another. And there are exceptions to the rule!

We had a child a few years ago who really struggled on a course. He found almost everything very hard. If we had been asked at the end of the first day, of a three day course,  about his eleven plus potential we would have to have said that he would struggle. It transpired that the boy was a recent immigrant. He had not been to school in England. He had done no eleven plus preparation.

His loyal mum just wanted the best possible start for her son. We met the mother a few years later with a different member of the family. The first born did make grammar school – but only in the 6^th Form.

Can you ever write a child off?

Eleven Plus R & R

The approach to the eleven plus has to be purposeful. Parents need to be motivated. Children need to be ambitious. Every now and then, however, there has to be a little R & R. For many years R & R has been used as a slang term for short periods of rest and recuperation.

Some children will respond quickly to the feeling that the pressure of the eleven plus has been eased. Other children may simply need a good night’s rest. There will also be children who need care and attention during their break from their studies.

Some will earn their rest through cycling, climbing, skating and swimming. Other children may prefer top paint or draw. There could even be some who want to make things.

Why not try your child on making something with balsa wood?

The end product does not need to be perfect. Blemishes are allowed. The waxing of the `finished’ shelf does not have to be uniform. What is important is the ability to create, build and complete a task. The `worker’ will need to dream up a project.. There must be some form of ratio between the length, width and height. Measuring and cutting the balsa will need to be reasonably accurately. Rough edges can easily be smoothed off using sandpaper!

Of course finding precious objects to place on the shelves will offer considerable pleasure. Oh! To do something where there is a result! The eleven plus is a long drawn out process. There is the preparation. Then comes a few hours of pressure in the examination. There is a long wait for the results and then another wait to hear about schools and offers.

A little multi-shelf unit may help!

An Eleven Plus Mortgage

It is almost time. Parents of past eleven plus children will know that the approaching May Bank holiday is traditionally the weekend for `doing up the bedroom’. Some people call the holiday the Spring Bank Holiday. But `Doing Up The Bedroom’ seems to have a much classier ring.

Space is vitally important in a bedroom. There is nothing to difficult to manage as an eleven plus candidate in multipurpose bedroom. Some children need their bedroom as a bedroom and a study. I wonder how many eleven plus children have their own study?

Naturally parents will be aware that there is a great need to make the best possible use of the floor. A similar concern must apply to the walls. Are their built in cupboards? Do the walls need to have areas for display of eleven plus timetables and study routines?

Some parents may be guided by their children about a colour scheme. Concertina display units will offer many possibilities for co-ordinated colour schemes. Many children, however, may be rather wary of too much labelling in their bedrooms as labels could remind them of school.

And now we come to the important bits. There must be space for the computer, the xbox, the ipad and the phone charger. This requires a desk of a certain size. The height and depth will need to be considered carefully. The eleven plus child will not stay eleven for ever! Will it be possible to alter the height of the legs of the desk?

Has this left room for the bed, the clothes, the toys and knick knacks we all seem to need?

As new eleven plus parents will see – the budget needs to be large. A new bed will need a new bed linen. Fresh walls will need a new bedside rug. A new computer desk will need a new computer chair. A new book case will be needed for new eleven plus books.

Just think of the please you will have at work. “What did you do over the weekend?”

“We did up our eleven plus child’s bedroom.”

“How did it go?”

“We managed to take out a second mortgage.”

Our Eleven Plus Calendar

Back in 1752, before the Eleven Plus examination was a twinkle in the eye, the British government instituted a calendar reform. The measure required that September the 2^nd be dated September 14^th. Many people imagined that they had lost eleven days of their lives.

Imagine what would happen if a similar decree was made today!

Think of the ensuing eleven plus question:

A family wanted an eleven day holiday to fit in with the end of the school holidays. The tour company accepted the money – and the all-in holiday was booked. To the family’s horror their holiday ended before it started.

Should the tour company have accepted the booking?

A             Yes – the family should have planned around the date change

B             No – any reputable company would not have taken the booking

C             The family should ask the dates of booking to be changed

D             The tour company should accept the date change and offer different days and times

Should the eleven plus candidate have to continue to do eleven plus papers during those eleven days?

A             The change from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar was not the child’s fault

B             Eleven Plus papers do not need to done on missing days

C             Will an extra eleven eleven plus papers make all that much difference?

D             Would a Leap Year have helped the family?

An Eleven Plus Bore

We have just enjoyed a warm weekend. We know that outdoor plants – as in trees, shrubs and perennials benefit from a heavy soaking during dry summer spells. We are also told that a heavy soaking twice a week is much more satisfactory than driblets of water every day. A smear of water draws the roots to the surface leaving them more exposed during hot days. We are also advised to never water plants when the sun is on them.

Having your own bore hole must help. My grandfather used to be a water diviner – and would walk fields and open areas in search of water. He had a forked stick which quivered when found water.

What happens when an eleven plus child meets the word bore in a question on unrelated words?

A bore can be a hole in the ground.

A bore can be a tidal wave which appears in certain rivers at the period of high or spring tides.

A bore can be a cylindrical cavity in the barrel of a firearm.

A bore can be a person who talks too much about uninteresting subjects. A tedious person!

To bore can be the act of a person who pushes his or her opponent to the ropes.

We can remember Buckingham in Henry VIII who said:

“at this instant
He bores me with some trick.”

Think of the brain of a poor ten year old who has to try to apply all these different meanings to one word!

Chances of Passing the Eleven Plus

There are about four months to go to the 2013 eleven plus examinations. A question that many parents will be asking could, possibly, be: “Will my child pass the eleven plus?”

If a horse wins four races in a row then there is a good chance that it will win a fifth.

If a coin comes up heads twenty times in a row then we would feel that the coin probably has two heads rather than a head and a tail.

If an eleven plus child answers four questions correctly – in a row – then is it likely that he or she will answer the fifth correctly?

If an able eleven plus child answers twenty questions correctly in a row – it is very unlikely that he or she will have two heads – the star could just be a good candidate.

Today the sun was shining at Camber Sands in Kent. What are the chances of finding an eleven plus child working on an eleven plus paper on the beach?

We know that the chances of the same six numbers coming up twice in a row in the National Lottery are about 1 in 200 000 000 000 000. This is an easy number to remember – about two hundred million million! We all know that the odds of winning the National Lottery are about fourteen million to one. So is there any point in keeping the same numbers week after week?

 Discuss this logic with your eleven plus child and see if he or she wants to continue working on eleven plus papers!

Eleven Plus Assessments

Does every eleven plus paper form a part of an assessment? Papers are there to assess what children know and to give practice in working through papers. It may be a very bad paper if a good candidate can-not score reasonable marks. It would be an even worse paper if the questions provided the answers.

There should be a purpose involved when an eleven plus child works through a paper. An able and well prepared child may enjoy parts of a paper – but feel in deep despair about an unfamiliar section. An eleven plus paper can-not be a good paper if the purpose of the paper is immoral. To pronounce an eleven plus paper as immoral suggests that a judgement is being made.  A lot depends, naturally, on who is stating that the purpose of the paper is corrupt.

When an eleven plus child sits down to do a paper we must hope that he or she is enjoying a positive experience. Is then a good paper one where the eleven plus candidate comes away feeling pleased and uplifted? Do children have to obtain 100% on a paper to feel happy?

When an eleven plus child works through multiple choice questions, and the results are added up, then a measurement is being made. There could be a comparison with a similar paper completed earlier. The child could also have to cope with results on one paper being compared with results on very different papers. 56% on one paper could be much a much fairer result than 78% on another paper.

If we look at a ruler used by an eleven plus child we may see one edge where inches are used and the other with centimetres. Same instrument – but different units of measurement are being used. I saw a ruler today with one side with the measurements in centimetres and the other in millimetres. There were no centimetres marked on the millimetre face – just lots and lots of little lines. In theory it does not matter if a ruler is measuring in inches and the centimetres. If the ruler illustrated on a question paper only shows inches, and the eleven plus question is about centimetres, then is the question corrupt? 

An Eleven Plus Elephant

Please ask your eleven plus child for thoughts on Eleazar. He had a theory!

Elephants used to be used in war time because they were big and could carry the `big chief’ or leader into battle. He could also see what was going on from his enhanced vantage point. Eleazar had a an enemy who he vowed to defeat in battle. Eleazar was a real leader but he was up against a King.

Elephants used to wear armour for protection. We now need to build a picture in the mind of our eleven plus pupil of an elephant moving ponderously down a dusty road. King Antiochus was sitting on the elephant looking, we presume, rather kingly.

Eleazar’s great idea was to run under the elephant and stick his spear into the poor beast’s stomach. (Down would come elephant, king and cradle and all.) He therefore girded his loins and executed the deadly dead.

The elephant faltered and fell on Eleazar who was crushed to death.

History does not tell us what happened to the the king.

This battle took place around two thousand years ago.

But the battle for the eleven plus goes on. Some eleven plus questions may appear to be remarkably esoteric!

The captain in charge of the elephants wanted a regular supply of food for them. He did not want to pillage the countryside – he wanted to pay for what he needed. He had a good collection of denarius but only wanted to spend 200. He could buy food at a rate of 15.00 or 20.00 per libra.

The libra was used as a unit of weight. A libra was divided into twelve. How much would it cost for 11 libras of food for 15.00 denarius? Could he afford to buy 11 libras at 20.00? The wily merchant then offered him a twenty percent discount on the more expensive food. How much did it cost for 11 libras at the discount?

It is easy to see how teachers can make numerical reasoning eleven plus questions out of almost anything!

Eleven Plus Trees

At a meeting today, in the centre of London, a remarkably helpful person offered some advice on how to cope with stresses of technology. The conversation ranged over a number of topics including how much failure of different forms of devices impacted on our daily lives. Naturally I was a passive listener because the odd problem of some computer not switching on is nothing like the stress faced by eleven plus parents.

“I have a bright child but he is so laid back that he would fall over if gravity did not hold him upright.”

“Oh Dad! Of course I am going to work today. I just don’t feel like it right now.”

“I will do anything but just not maths today. Please? Please?”

There is, apparently, a solution. Plant a tree. The theory is that when there is upset and chaos we need something to hug. Now a mature tree in large tub will cost around £850.00. Paying that should minimise eleven plus stress. But think how you would feel as you hugged the £850.00 tree!

If you decide to go for a little forest of trees – and you don’t want to call the group of trees a hedge -  you may need to pay around £250.00. Paying that off the credit card every month could alter the focus of your stress.

There are little sets of trees – where there are offers on a little apple, a pear and a peach. In the right growing season around £40.00 may secure your calm.

Finally, parents could even `borrow’ a child sitter to be able to walk hand in hand through the local park. Hugging established trees, in the full view of the public, should reduce stress.

Eleven Plus Girls and Curls

I am sure the following thoughts never pass the mind of an eleven plus parent! Imagine an eleven plus child being good ALL the time! We are not sure who wrote this version of `Jemima’ – but it may have been Anonymous.   

Jemima

There was a little girl, and she had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead;
When she was good, she was very, very good,
But when she was bad, she was horrid.

One day she went upstairs, while her parents, unawares,
In the kitchen down below were occupied with meals;
And she stood upon her head, on her little truckle bed,
And she then began hurraying with her heels.

Her mother heard the noise, and thought it was the boys
A-playing at a combat in the attic;
But when she climbed the stair,
And saw Jemima there,
She took and she did whip her most emphatic.

But what happens to an eleven plus child who crosses her mother and father in today’s world? Is it fair to take away the T.V.? Should the mobile phone and the ipad be confiscated? Would it help to ground the child?

There is a solution which may be attractive to some of us. Pile on the eleven plus work!

Eleven Plus Consequences

What do eleven plus children need? This is a bit of problem to try to solve. We know that children are remarkably dependent on their parents. They need, at the very least, food, shelter, warmth, emotional stability, and social contact.

If we look at these needs it is remarkably easy for a mother or father to be able to justify the kindly words: “Now go to your room and study.”

In the room the candidate will, no doubt, find a desk and a chair. There will be eleven plus books and papers, access to a computer to work on on-line tasks, a bottle of water and, possibly, even a little packet of nibbles to keep the hunger away.

Eleven plus children also need to have the physical and mental ability to be able to attempt an eleven plus paper. Successful eleven plus children will also thrive on a diet of positive feedback. If the table, however, is too high or too low then the act of working on an eleven plus exercise may be painful and tiring. If the chair has a wobbly wheel then the child may feel distracted.

There are also other factors which may, possibly, be essential to an eleven plus child. This is the desire of others in the class to pass the eleven plus. If the school wants eleven plus passes this too will play a large part in the child’s potential success. The effectiveness of playground chatter can-not be dismissed. Just how many children have passed the eleven plus after their parents have heard good ideas in the playground?

Naturally there will be a call from some parents to add a parenthetical comment. It may prove to be crucial.

“If you are not prepared to do the work NOW, then you must be sure you can face the consequences.”

(Those words may help to encourage the candidate to do that little bit extra!)

Chasing Eleven Plus Shadows

Your child is faced with an eleven plus paper. There is no need for concern. The paper is one in a grand series of offerings to the spirit of the eleven plus. The family is quiet, the cat is asleep, the canary is silent (for once!). There is only the sound of the evening stew bubbling gently on the stove.

All of a sudden there is an upheaval. A question appears to be insurmountable. How can the dilemma be resolved? Should you help or suggest that your child moves on?

“Dear, there are two main laws when approaching a question.”

“What?”

“There is the law of hedonism and the law of association. The law of association says that X is always followed by Y. X and Y have always been associated with each other.”

“Mum, I am lost. Where is this going?”

“The law of hedonism states that we learn things because they have some effect on our well-being.”

“I am not sure that I understand what you are saying.”

“Hedonism is where you look for pleasure. You are doing this eleven plus paper because you want to please yourself and please me. If you can work out the answer to that question you will please both of us.”

“Well Mum, as Y follows X there is no way I can make either of us happy. I just can’t do this question.”

“Let us do this together. Can you read the question to me please?”

“Fine. What is as big as a hippopotamus, the same shape as a hippopotamus, but weighs a lot less than a hippopotamus?”

“I am not sure. Answering an eleven plus question like that is like chasing your shadow.”

“Mum, you are a genius! It is the hippopotamus’s shadow! Now we are both happy!”

Adoption and the Eleven Plus

A revered gentleman – William H. R. Rivers - found among Murray Islander in the Torres Straits -indifference to the real parentage of a child. Adoption was common and children did not know who their real parents were. Furthermore the Murray Islanders used to put a child to death if there were too many in the family of the same sex.

Franz Boas, studying the Kwakiutl Indians of the Central Pacific, found that quarrels were not settled by physical combat – but by holding a `potlatch’ or feast at which possessions were given away. The one who gave away the most property won.

Alexander Goldenweiser discovered that disputes among people in certain Eskimo were settled by a singing contest. The victor was chosen by a popular vote.

And now we come to the crux of the eleven plus saga. Ruth Benedict found that the Zuni Indians frowned against people who sought prestige or power. It was found that it was almost impossible to test the Zuni because the tribe could not grasp the meaning of achieving a high score.

Let us look at these attributes. We could have an eleven plus child who may possibly need to give away some of all his or her possessions. We could also have a child who would need to sing his or her way out of conflict. Finally we could have a child who did not seem to mind about passing or failing the eleven plus.

But we must hope that parents do not need to give away their child for failing the eleven plus. Many children go on to enjoy happy and successful lives without the cachet of an eleven plus pass!

Striking an Eleven Plus Chord

Your eleven plus child may want to read this question twice.

Here is an ancient table of measurement.

3 palms = 4 nails

1 nail = 3 digits

Fill in the missing numbers

3 palms = …………. digits

1 palm = …………. digits

60 nails = …………. palms

120 palms = …………. nails

48 digits = …………. palms

All of a sudden your child may exclaim: “That strikes a chord! I understand. This is fun!”

Of course Grandmother, sitting comfortably, will want to add a little to the eleven plus session. “That is interesting. The word `chord’ does not have a precise meaning. It can be three or more notes sounded together. Can you think of any limitations?”

“What do you mean, Grandmother?”

“What is the most notes that can be played together?”

“I don’t know. Please help.”

“Ten of course. You only have ten fingers on your hands!”

“We could build a new eleven plus question around chords!”

“Leave it out Mum. The nails and palms are enough for me.”

An Eleven Plus Secret

Back in 1931 there was an official English publication (Burt) that stated: `the period between seven and eleven displays features sufficiently characteristic to render it desirable on psychological as well as administrative grounds to treat those years as a distinct stage in education.’ The report went onto maintain that there should be separate schools as well as separate classes.

This statement was made on the premise that tests could predict future academic success.  

Cyril Burt was a forceful and believable proponent of testing and it is likely that his thinking influenced the early development of the eleven plus examinations.

We need to roll forward a few years. Children today have also been `educated’ through T.V., computers, ipads and other touch screens, smart phones. Some children have even been able to access a local library! But does all this exposure to technology actually help them to solve eleven plus problems?

Of course there are many different types of eleven plus problems and each will need to be solved in a different way – but some problem solving techniques will probably remain until the end of time!

Step One – Trial and Error

Step Two - Blunder to try to find a solution

Step Three – Explore various solutions

Step Four – Learn from success and failure

(Somewhere in this list are the magic words: “Mum, Dad, please help!”)

Naturally there is an eleven plus secret hidden in this anecdote. If children can miss out some of the early steps - and learn from success and failure then – who knows?  

The Eleven Plus and the Tarpeian Rock

There is a bit in Coriolanus (Act3 Scene 1) where Sicinius makes a bold statement.

“Bear him to the rock Tarpeian, and from thence
Into destruction cast him.”

You will recall, no doubt, your English teacher holding forth on the rock of Tarpeian. You will probably also remember who Tarpeia was. She was a vestal virgin who agreed to open the gates to the Sabines if they would give her what they wore on their arms.

The Sabines kept their word – but crushed her to death with their shields. She was buried in that part of the hill called the Tarpeian Rock. From that day on traitors were cast down from this rock and were killed.

The Sabines, as you well know, were the women who tried to stop a war by throwing themselves between the warring men. History tells us they were successful.

Some eleven plus children, when they see `that verbal reasoning book again’ may care to find a large hill. No self-respecting eleven plus child would do anything ill-considered like tearing out pages and casting them to the wind. No, the family would accompany their child to the summit. They would gather around in a strong family circle.

“Now dear, read number five again.”

“Oh! Do I have to?”

“We will do this together.”

“All right then. `Choose a number between one and ten that has the same number of letters when written in full as the value of the figure it represents’.”

“Any ideas?”

“Well you are my parents, and I respect your efforts. I feel as if I am between a rock and a hard place. I wish I did not have to do verbal reasoning. But if you promise to give me some bracelets for my birthday, I promise to try this question.”

“Come on dear, what is the answer?”

“How many bracelets? Can there be four?”

“Four! How can you ask that of us? I am not happy!”

“No, I mean `four’.”

Eleven Plus Random Errors

When an eleven plus child sits a multiple choice paper, there could be a chance of him or her making a number of random errors. A random error on a paper may, for example, be meaning to select one answer and marking a different one. A constant error would be a child choosing to fill in the second multiple choice answer on every question. This would produce a random error – but would be a random error by design. Some questions, at least, would be correct!

When the examiners design eleven papers they try to eliminate all the possible sources of constant errors. They cannot, however, do anything about a child who finds the paper too hard and thus adopts a comforting strategy of selecting answers at random.

If examiners tried to eliminate random errors on eleven plus papers then they would have to work with a cohort of children of identical ability and having the same educational opportunities. Some comprehension questions, for example, may require a strong reading vocabulary while other questions look for inferences.

On the day of the examination all the children would need to have the same breakfast, arrive at school in the same calm but positive frame of mind and all the children would need to have the same number of sharpened pencils. The list to try to eliminate randomness must go on and on. On an eleven plus mock day, some time ago, there was an accident in the road near to one family’s house. There was a hold up while the cars were moved. The candidate’s car was not affected – but could not turn around because of the build-up of traffic. A rather stressed mother arrived dragging her child by the arm. “Are we too late?”

Eleven plus examiners have much to answer for – but cannot take into account any or all random events beyond their control.

Eleven Plus Fortifications

There is a powerful word in the vocabulary of many eleven plus parents: “Fortification!”

From the earliest times fortification has been used in warfare. It is likely that earthworks and palisades were among the earliest forms. Later on stone was used and citadels were built as fortification.

The Romans, for example, built Hadrian’s Wall to keep the marauding tribes from England and Scotland from fighting each other.

During the Middle Ages walls were built around many towns in England but along came gun powder which had the ability to knock down walls. In the Nineteenth Century fortification was attempted around some towns by building a ring of detached and hidden forts. Naturally there will also be some who will comment on the role of the sea in providing fortification against the enemy.

But how will some parents fortify themselves against the pleas of their eleven plus children?

“But mother, you can tie me up with barbed wire but I am not going to do another paper.”

“No mum, there are too many barriers for me to surmount. I am not doing this exercise on codes again. Please take pity.”

“I would rather jump into the moat than do any more maths today.”

“If we are going to live in France, I won’t need to do any more eleven plus work.”

“But mum, we have won the lottery. I will never need to work. Think on it, mum.”

Girls and the Eleven Plus

There was a time when the education of girls was modelled on that of their brothers. Furthermore there was no reference to their different functions in society. The pioneers of higher education for women finally secured `equal opportunities’ for women.

There were natural consequences of the Victorian equal opportunities movement where it was felt that women should not continue to be too involved with domestic duties. There were, however, words written along the lines of: a woman should never forget that she is a woman. She must dress like a woman, talk like a woman and walk like a woman.

Women were also exhorted to observe feminine attributes and feminine virtues – and they were expected to build these features into their education. Domestic science, for example, was canned. But people kept seeking for the truth. Questions were raised:

If a woman studies mathematics will she become more accurate in her later life?

If a woman studies history will she have more understanding?

The Grammar School girls were taught academic subjects leaving no time for drawing, music, cookery and house-craft. There were strong feelings that the names of the subject should be changed. Grammar School girls should learn public health, town planning and estate management. This would enable the girls enjoy practical activities in fields that had been previously scorned.

The Hadlow Committee of 1923 maintained that different types of tests – as in intelligence and vocational advice were founded on hypotheses which could not always be trusted.

It was also felt that tests should be developed by recognised experts.

Intelligence tests should be supplements and not substitutes for establishing ability>

It is likely that the roots of eleven plus selection were sown in these observations. Today clever girls and boys sit the same eleven plus examinations. Boys and girls sit the same GCSE and `A’ Level examinations. In theory, both sexes have the same opportunity of entering university life. Life since the Victorian days has moved on!

The Eleven Plus and Parent Philosophy

Do you remember the debate about the refrigerator and the hot house when you were reading philosophy for fun in your early twenties? You will no doubt recall discussions about what is right and what is wrong.

“Let us suppose that two people, who have just entered a room, are asked to guess its temperature. The one from the refrigerator could guess 75 degrees F., and the other person, from the hot house, may say 70 degrees.”

It is possible that subjective conditioning may have determined the guess about the temperature of the room. The person leaving the cold room may find the room warmer than the person leaving the hot house.

It is likely that someone said, “We can use a thermometer to establish the facts of the case. It won’t take long to work out who was right.”

What happens if your eleven plus child decides to have a little `eleven plus argument’ with you? An `eleven plus argument’ is the equivalent of a thermometer. You have right on your side. You know that any `eleven plus argument’ must end in your favour. Whatever points your child may make will be wrong.

Time to go to bed? Your child is wrong.

Complete the paper before watching T.V.? Your child is wrong.

Argue about when to work? Your child is wrong.

An eleven plus argument is about what is right and what a parent thinks is right. If a parent thinks that he or she is right then the argument is to all intents and purposes over. It does not matter how hot or cold the eleven plus child blows – or how the temperature in the room rises or falls – the argument is over. There can only be one person in charge.

Eleven Plus Colours

I have always liked the story of Mr Cheskin of the Colour Research Institute who was very involved with colour and how things looked.

He was asked to design two boxes for a sweet manufacturer. One of the boxes was to cost £1.99 and the other £3.50. He came up with the conclusion that the box for the £1.99 sweets should cost 50p while the box for the £3.50 sweets need only cost 9p.

He gave the reason that the person buying the £1.99 sweets may not have bought as many sweets as the person buying the £3.50 sweets. The person with the £1.99 sweets may feel that the sweets were important. It is possible that this box may be kept as a keepsake and valued.

The person with the £3.50 box would simply throw the box away – because it was the sweets that counted.

Is there a parallel in the eleven plus market?

Do children storing their eleven plus work in fancy files value their work more than those who keep their lessons in a plain old files?

Do children work better with a battery of three or four sharp pencils or is the stub of a pencil just a good?

Eleven Plus Hierarchies

As families sit around the table discussing the eleven plus can you spare a thought for the few who are talking about `Habit-family Hierarchies’ . These hierarchies have an important part in problem-solving behaviour. In formal terms , when placed in a problem situation the subject exhibits certain behaviour directed towards a specific goal.

Let us look for example at an eleven plus child who appears to approach analogies questions using a set range of rules. How can you break these routines and encourage your child to think a little more widely? We had a child on a recent eleven plus course who kept trying to find a solution – and followed a prescribed set of rules. We suggested a range of alternative methods but the earnest scholar maintained: “But my tutor says I must do it this way.”

A different child may follow a seemingly more random method of approaching eleven plus problems. This could be called the `scatter approach’. If this tactic does not work immediately then think of another. Keep trying in the hope that something will work.

Naturally these two methodologies have names:

Convergent Hierarchies – here all thoughts are collected to try to solve a problem.

Divergent Hierarchies – a number of different strategies can be attempted.

We now need to throw into the mix that most children will adopt different approaches to solve particular types of problems. So as not to stifle creative thought, parents may, at times, appear to be mediators: “We need to look at a range of options, dear. Remember to diversify your habit-forming hierarchies.”

In the olden days a clip around the ear was thought to solve most problems. Eleven plus children may need a rather more subtle approach!

Words and the Eleven Plus

There is an abundance of eleven plus materials, books, pages, forums and websites. Many of them will focus on the same type of question. It is easy for a publisher or a parent or a teacher to change a few words and then present a supposed brand new question.

Which are the two words, one from each set of brackets, that complete the sentence in the most sensible way:

Silver is to (picture material jewellery) as glass is to (window grass envelope). 

Silver is to (jewellery material postcard) as glass is to (showboat window grass).

Latching onto a theme is not a new phenomenon in our daily life. We just need to look back a few years to a song many of us may have sung at school. Mr Morley of Bincombe, near to Dorchester, offered this 1907 version:

On yonder hill there stands a creature

Who she is I do not know

I’ll go and court her for her beauty

She must answer Yes or No.

O No John, No John, No John No.

Mr Beale of Wareham in Kent (1908) suggested:

On yonder’s hill there lives a maiden

Who she is I do not know

But I’ll go and court her for her beauty

Whether she answers me yes or no

No John No, No John, No John, No John, No.

Some parents may care to consider not being too fussed over individual eleven plus questions. If your child is not sure of a word or an answer there could be an alternative elsewhere. The words may change, the punctuation may alter but the sentiments may stay the same.

A Philosophical Eleven Plus Discussion

What goes through the mind of a teacher or a parent when an eleven plus child asks: “Why?”

We know, for example, that 12 + 3 = 15. We can prove this by adding twelve objects to three objects and then counting up to fifteen.  We could also have made four groups of three from the twelve and then added one more group of three to make fifteen. Naturally there could be a problem if there was a miscount – but on numbers up to fifteen we should be on reasonably safe ground!

Suppose you asked your child; “Does your sister have more objects in her room than you have in your room?” This creates a multitude of problems. Your eleven plus child may ask you to define the word `object’.  Are there more in her collection of books than you have?  Suppose she dropped a plate of cakes – and the plate broke. Are the broken pieces of plate worth as much as an object as a mashed piece of cake?

What happens if your eleven plus child asks the family to run outside and count raindrops running down the window? Is a misshapen raindrop an object with the same value as a perfect rain drop?

Parents may then choose to use the well-worn example of Newton. Did Newton just happen to be in the orchard when the apple fell on him? Did Newton just happen to be in the orchard while he was thinking about gravity – and so was able to join up the dots? (By the way – did Newton eat the apple or did he preserve it?)

Some parents may choose to complete a rather philosophical discussion by using an adaptation of the well-known phrase: “The harder you work the luckier you get.”

If your child then asks: “Why?”

You simply offer a mash-up and hope for the best in the examination.

Rocketing Through the Eleven Plus

There must be many of us trying to find ways of exciting the minds of our eleven plus children. One of the exercises over the weekend had the word `propulsion’. The great majority of eleven plus children will have little difficulty in being able to define the word. One boy, Kevin, had problems in finding reasonable synonyms. It is very easy for a teacher or a parent to give answers and move on – after all there are many different exercises and examples to work through. But what happens if you don’t want the child to be spoon-fed?

Harry, who was working with Kevin, went through the process of building a hydrogen powered rocket that would take Kevin from his lesson to the nearest MacDonald. Naturally there was a discussion around how hydrogen is produced. We can then see the hydrogen carried off in a cart to the rocket. Kevin then took his precious hydrogen and climbed into the rocket – ready to be launched.

It is clear to see what Kevin chose! The smile shows that he was very happy. He was then launched back to his lesson, replete and happy. Mission accomplished!

Some purists would argue that this whole exercise was a complete waste of time. Kevin should have been given a Thesaurus and told to look up the word `propulsion’.  (“It was not like that in my day!”)

Perhaps he should have been given the answer and then advised to complete the next few questions.

Kevin, however, was happy with his journey and his Big Mac.

An Eleven Plus Fire Eater

What do parents do if their child announces that he or she want to be a fire eater? Does this mean that all that hard work towards the eleven plus, all that anxiety about grades in the grammar school and finally all that expense towards the geography degree (that was followed by a Masters) is to be thrown away?

My child, with a grammar school education, and two degrees is to become a street performer? How can that be? What can we do? What can we say? Should we say something?

We know that there must be an element of pre-selection before a job is offered. But pre-selection for fire eaters?

Consider this likely scenario. The fire-eater-teacher is sitting on a box outside the kitchens of a well- known hotel. The interviewer has your child’s CV in his or her hands. Your child, properly dressed for an interview in a smart suit kneels reverently down.  There are three piles of papers on a smaller box. (Possibles, promising and rejects.)

The interviewer, who has seen it all before, but is highly trained and remarkably successful, starts with a brave opening gambit.

“Did you used to play with matches as a child?”

“No, my mum and dad would not let me.”

“Have you ever set anything on fire?”

“No, not really, but I used to blow out my birthday candles.”

“Good, good, that is a positive response. I see you did the eleven plus.  Can you solve this anagram?”

(The interviewer writes three words on a piece of paper. “Tar free Ife”.)

The ex eleven plus candidate, ex grammar school pupil and ex university graduate smiles and writes two words. The interviewer offers thanks, and is thanked, and the candidate is told to wait a few days.

(The parents now wait anxiously for this part of the story.)

“Did you solve the anagram?”

“I hope so. I wrote `fire eater’. “

“Was that correct?”

“It must be after all I was successful at the eleven plus!”

Is This the Future of the Eleven Plus?

Is this part of the future of the eleven plus? Children are encouraged to think, solve problems and enjoy themselves. There is no arid working through multiple choice questions. Children have to build their own eleven plus papers. 

Here an eleven plus pupil is using fruit to move the cursor. He programmed the `action' using Scratch and has attached a board to his lap top.

If your child had to spend ten minutes would he or she prefer to answer ten questions or move the cursor ten spaces to the right touching a banana?

Imagination and the Eleven Plus

We have just enjoyed the pleasure of some eleven plus courses. Some of the children were finishing off exercises which they had not managed to complete. Some were relaxed and confident. One rather `bright spark’ asked why a square number was called square – when it was not a square. No-one likes to show complete ignorance so I had to confess that I had no idea at all. There was general pleasure.

Someone from a different table asked why cube numbers were called cube numbers when a cube had a very different shape. The children looked to me for an answer. I raised my eyebrows. There was general pleasure.

By now the children in close proximity were `in the zone’.  The chatter grew very swiftly. One girl, however, was writing on a page. She said: “I know!” She wrote:

1 x 1

2 x 2

3 x 3

4 x 4

The girl, and her friend beside her, drew one dot, then four dots in a two by two array. Of course others took up the challenge with patterns of three by three and then four by four.

Of course one boy did not join in. He had listened to the chatter about square numbers but he was trying to prove cube numbers. Now cube numbers may not be taught to many Year 5 children in the National Curriculum – but could come up when discussing volumes.

In a few moments there was a group around him. Someone wrote:

1 x 1 x 1

This was followed by

2 x 2 x 2

And then

3 x 3 x 3

The interest of the children, however, was gone as quickly as it had arisen. The moment was lost.

As I bent to write: “Good thinking!” beside the work of the children concerned I wondered why they didn't ask me how the purity of solid can be proved by finding its melting point. Again I would have had no definitive answer to this question and would have had to expose my ignorance. How long, however, would it have taken this very bright group of eleven plus children to come up with some sensible theories? Why can’t the eleven plus examination leave room for children to be able to think freely and imaginatively?

Stormy Eleven Plus Weather

Stormy Weather

A child, Loretta, is a member of her school football team. She looks forward to the football games – but is sad that so many games are cancelled because of the bad weather. She started becoming involved in the weather – and was particularly taken with `cold snaps’. When her teacher at school suggested that the class may be interested in doing project work, Loretta wanted to do a project on cold snaps.

She was working through an eleven plus paper and was asked to solve the anagram: `span clod’. Loretta saw at a glance that `span clod’ was an anagram of `cold snap’.

Was this fair?

Do children who are fit and play in teams do well in eleven plus examinations?

Is the eleven plus an unfair examination if some children can cope comfortably with anagrams?

We once had a mother who wrote to us to complain that her child had been given part of a cross word to solve. Some of the questions involved anagrams. Part of our answer was that we sometimes read of very bright men and women who can solve crosswords remarkably quickly. Crossword solvers have to be able to reach the correct answer. A `punt’ at an answer may hold up proceedings for some time.

Can eleven plus children learn to pass an examination by learning to solve anagrams?

(Answer: “It depends”.)

Obscure Eleven Plus Questions

One of the really pleasant things about being an eleven plus teacher is the ability to work with very bright children. Sharing the joy of solving obscure eleven plus questions is to be savoured. As more and more eleven plus publishers have jumped on the band wagon there are some rather bizarre verbal reasoning questions.

The excitement comes when a child reads a question aloud. Which teaching method was used to teach reading in the very early days?

One child may have benefited from a phonic approach.

A different child may have learnt to read using a whole word method.

Some children may have `picked up’ reading by `a little of this and a little bit of that’.

Years ago there were carefully presented tests designed to establish the best way for a child to learn. Will there ever be a battery of tests designed to suggest the best method a child should use to be able to cope with reading a verbal reasoning question?

Some questions, for example, seem to rely heavily on the ability to spell well. Have children who are good at spelling been well taught – or are they just good at spelling. Some children may learn good spelling techniques by working through eleven plus papers.  Eleven plus verbal reasoning papers, however, are designed to help a child pass the eleven plus and therefore do not have the responsibility of developing good spelling techniques.

Of course we meet the question faced by many teachers and parents - is good spelling preceded by good reading? Can a child be good at reading if there is a problem with spelling? How much responsibility do publishers have to bear towards their target audience? Do some verbal reasoning questions rely too heavily on spelling?