The English paper of the 11 plus exams consists of comprehension questions – often more than 60% of the whole test; So it’s vital to prepare. It’s not just for the English paper though, increasingly we have seen maths questions include word problems which require a thorough deciphering before one can attempt the numbers. English reading comprehension success depends greatly on the number of books your child reads. Of course, there are other key skills to be learned, but the first step is to read lots of books.
Higher reading age and appropriate texts
The books, however, must be appropriate for the level of the 11 plus exams. This should include classics as well as modern titles. Avoid Disney books that were intended for six-year-olds. Your child’s reading age should be at least two years above the national average at the time of sitting the test.
Just to give you an example, In a recent 11 plus exam, the comprehension text was from Harper Lee’s novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ – a text used in GCSE papers.
Finding books to read
Join the library. You’ll find plenty of good books there. And for those not available try this great website for free eBooks
This is a great website to download free classics in eBook format.