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Top 5 Fun Tips to improve Vocabulary for 11 Plus Exams

11 Vocabulary Test Solved Papers with Detailed Answers Membership

Introduction

With verbal reasoning a core part of the 11+ Exam, parents should be doing everything they can to improve their child’s vocabulary. It can be intimidating at first, but don’t worry! This article from PiAcademy will be breaking down everything you need to do to prepare for this extremely important element of the eleven plus. 

The 11 plus exam requires your child to know a wide range vocabulary to achieve a high mark. There are two specific parts of the exam that test your child’s vocabulary, namely the English section and the Verbal Reasoning part.  Only with a strong vocabulary and understanding of synonyms and antonyms can your child ace the test.

So without further ado, here are the top five tips for acing 11+ vocabulary.

Check this Out: Top 5 Easy and Fast Tips to Build 11+ Exam Vocabulary

Reading skills for 11+ Grammar School Exam

It’s no secret that reading increases your vocabulary and improves your spelling, but did you know that reading increases your vocabulary more than talking or direct teaching? Reading forces us to look at words that we might not have seen or heard recently at the pub. In fact, language in children’s books is likely to be more sophisticated than your average conversation.

What does this do to benefit students? Well, after several days of reading and looking up new words you don’t understand, your vocabulary will begin to expand one word at a time. Words and phrases, when reading every day, fill your brain with a new vocabulary that you might never have learned without reading. 
The vocabulary used on Verbal Reasoning papers tend to be very old-fashioned. As many of the authors writing practice papers are also teachers who will have seen the real test papers, they will use vocabulary that is as close as possible to the standard of the real tests. So, it is important to use reading materials from different eras. This is another significant benefit of courses like the 11+ Reading Club, that offer lots of different texts.

The 11+ Exam demands a great & vast 11 plus vocabulary if applicants are wishing to do well. It is incredible how much vocabulary students can take in while reading, rather than direct instruction.

Study the 11+ Vocabulary List

The major problem children have with 11+ vocabulary is that they are seeing the words out of context. Looking at a list is by no means definitive, but has been collated from years of tutoring children for the 11+ and 12+ exams; in my experience. These are words children commonly found difficult. These words may not appear in a real test, who knows what may turn up? The children have to start somewhere in order to build up their vocabulary.

I suggest that you go through the list asking your child whether they know the meaning of each word…. BUT you MUST NOT give them clues, after all you will not be there in the exam! They need to know the meaning of the word in its singular form; not in a sentence.

Here’s a great system for using this list to improve 11+ vocabulary;

  • Once you have established which words are unknown, start making up flashcards…
  • Write the word on the front in large bold letters (decorated if they so wish), on the reverse the meaning, together with SINGLE words meaning the same and the opposite. This is where a good Thesaurus will come in handy.
  • Once a fair few have been recorded, start making up memory games, get your child to pair up word and definition, for example.

I would also strongly recommend that you ensure your child regularly reads out loud to an adult (making note of unknown vocabulary). Most parents are guilty of assuming that if our children can “read” then they can be left to their own devices. 

However, what happens when they come across a word they do not understand, do they look it up in a dictionary? Do they get out of bed, come downstairs and ask? Of course, they don’t, because they can get the general meaning of the sentence (or paragraph) without knowing the meaning of the offending word. It’s also quite surprising (when left to read by themselves) how many words they mispronounce.

Vocabulary Assessments

Using assessment is a brilliant way to improve eleven plus vocabulary – but it is important to do it in the right way. Some students don’t respond well to checklists or quizzes. Memorising vocabulary lists can be a real chore too. 

But learning core vocabulary is proven to help students excel at the 11+ Exam. So, what is the best way to test your child’s knowledge?
PiAcademy has built a platform which is perfect for using assessments like these – and best of all, you won’t have to worry about repeating the same old questions over and over to get the most out of them.

It’s great for students who have tried to use assessments before for vocabulary that you require for 11+ exams and have failed to engage with them. Here are some reasons to use the 11+ vocabulary courses from PiAcademy:

  • 1000+ frequently used 11+ exam’s tricky Vocabulary Words from various categories to help your child ace 11 plus vocabulary. 
  • Subscribe now to instantly unlock 50+ Vocabulary Tests with detailed answer explanation and start practising.
  • You can access two free vocabulary papers right now to get an idea of how good these papers can be – including answers children can use to self-assess. 

Feedback is core to learning any new skill. That’s why the eleven plus vocabulary papers from PiAcademy give students the capacity to see their progress in real time. There are tons of tricky vocabulary words to get to grips with, and they are designed by educators with plenty of experience in getting the best eleven plus grades.

Play Word Games

The more words your child encounters and understands, the broader their day-to-day vocabulary will become. Word puzzles are a great way to increase your child’s exposure to old and new vocabulary, and to think about the different definitions of words, especially if you encourage them to use a dictionary to look up any words they're unsure of.

  • Word games can help to reinforce spellings in your child’s mind, particularly in the case of puzzles like crosswords, where it’s crucial to spell linked words correctly to be able to complete the task. 
  • You can also use word puzzles to inject a bit of fun into learning spellings, for example by making anagrams of this week’s words for your child to unscramble.

Many word puzzles help to develop the skills your child will need if they're sitting the 11+ or Year 7 CATs: verbal reasoning, vocabulary, problem-solving, spelling, grammar and memory. The more your child practises these skills, the faster they will become, meaning that on the day, they're able to think quickly and get through the entire paper in good time.

Talking and Reading

Probably the most important way of teaching a child new vocabulary is to first introduce the word and then place the word into context and then repeat this a few times so they really get the meaning. This is generally the way we learn when we are very young and continue to work even when we are older. The eleven plus vocabulary list is no exception. If your child asks you the meaning of a word it’s a perfect opportunity to provide an explanation but normally just by hearing the word in context the meaning will become obvious. If they do ask you the meaning, get them to look it up in the dictionary as a first step.

You should have regular reading time with your child where you not only read to your child but also listen to your child reading. Firstly, the interest you show in reading will help your child love reading, secondly you will be modelling the correct reading style with appropriate intonation and pronunciation, thirdly you will provide feedback when your child is reading. It also gives your child an opportunity to immediately ask about vocabulary they do not understand.

The above routine should not stop even after your child can read independently. Children enjoy listening to stories, especially from books which they find too difficult. Find books and material which interest them and use non-fiction too. You’ll be surprised at how interested they are when you read an article on the first SpaceX launch!!

Conclusion

Gaining new vocabulary can be one of the toughest parts of eleven plus preparation. If you do all of the above religiously you will be amazed at how quickly vocabulary can develop. 

Remember – some students can be reluctant readers. But don’t give up! Using simple strategies like the ones listed above can lead to leaps and bounds in terms of vocabulary. For all your English needs for the eleven plus try out PiAcademy’s resources. 
Whether it is verbal reasoning, comprehension, or creative writing, see how you can help your child pass the 11+ Exam today!

What Parents Are Saying?
  • Well structured Vocabulary test papers which includes different topics. Unique test papers, thank you Piacademy for designing these papers.
    Akanksha Varma, 11+ Parent
    Very distinctive test papers which cover different topics in vocabulary. Highly Recommended!
    Amanda, 11+ Parent
  • I have been using vocabulary test papers from this website for my daughter. They are extremely useful, trust me it makes me feel that you don't need tuition if you go through these test papers properly. My daughter loves it. I would recommend these test papers to anyone who is preparing for 11 plus.
    Edith, 11+ Parent
    These are a unique combination of test papers covering different topics of vocabulary. The best material I could ever find. I would love to continue using these papers in future. Also, support and guidance from their team are really spot on. Thank you!
    Jocelyn, 11+ Parent
  • We have been using piacademy resources for 3 years now. We used their resources for my son’s 11+ journey which helps him to achieve in his exams and now we are using them for our daughter’s preparation. Very professional and helpful team.
    Misty, 11+ Parent
    Well, structured Vocabulary test papers which include different topics. Unique test papers, thank you Piacademy for designing these papers.
    Akanksha Varma, 11+ Parent
  • Well structured Vocabulary test papers which includes different topics. Unique test papers, thank you Piacademy for designing these papers.
    Akanksha Varma, 11+ Parent
  • Very distinctive test papers which cover different topics in vocabulary. Highly Recommended!
    Amanda, 11+ Parent
  • I have been using vocabulary test papers from this website for my daughter. They are extremely useful, trust me it makes me feel that you don't need tuition if you go through these test papers properly. My daughter loves it. I would recommend these test papers to anyone who is preparing for 11 plus.
    Edith, 11+ Parent
  • These are a unique combination of test papers covering different topics of vocabulary. The best material I could ever find. I would love to continue using these papers in future. Also, support and guidance from their team is really spot on. Thank you!
    Jocelyn, 11+ Parent
  • We have been using piacademy resources for 3 years now. We used their resources for my son’s 11+ journey which helps him to achieve in his exams and now we are using them for our daughter’s preparation. Very professional and helpful team.
    Misty, 11+ Parent
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