How to Improve Your Child’s Vocabulary for Their 11 Plus Exams

Word of the day concept

If you’ve been following our recent content, then you’ll know we’ve been breaking down the different strategies parents can use to improve their child’s vocabulary.

We’ve also covered the benefits of crossword puzzles how you can use them to help your child’s spelling and vocabulary to thrive. 

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The 11+ Vocabulary List 

To take things a step further, we will be looking at how you can support your child in their preparation for the 11 plus exams using word puzzles like crosswords.

One of the main ways to ease children into what’s to come in these exams is an 11+ vocabulary list. This refers to a list of words that your child will be expected to know: both the spellings and their meanings too.

Having a good range of vocabulary will come in handy in getting them ready for the 11+ verbal reasoning tests.

Essential 11+ Exam Materials

While there are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to 11 Plus resources, you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed by all the choices. There are so many book publishers, online resources and software these days that’s it is unsurprising!

If you’re trying to decide between the CGP or the Bond books, in particular, then you can watch our video below for some in-depth information to help you make the best decision.

The Importance of Reading

In the time leading up to one of the most crucial moments in your child’s academic life, you’ll want to make sure they are getting ahead from early on. This is why we advise that you introduce your child to the habit of reading while they are young. Parents who wait until there are only a few months left till the exam find that the stress can become extremely overwhelming for their child.

If you choose year 3, 4 or 5 to get your child into the habit of reading, make sure that there are a mix of age-appropriate and challenging books for them to get into. Take a look at our:

Crossword Puzzles – How They Can Help With 11+ Preparation

A fantastically effective way to help your child excel in their vocabulary acquisition and expansion is to use crossword puzzles. We can’t stress this enough!

Aside from vocabulary building, there are plenty of added benefits to your child engaging in these activities, even if they aren’t taking the 11 plus exams. Crossword puzzles help with spelling, increasing word bank and also word knowledge and understanding.

If you’re looking for extra ways you can improve your child’s vocabulary, watch the video below:

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