Failing to Plan…is Planning to Fail. Or put another way, ’Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.’ Whichever way we put it, this old adage rings true for almost everyone. For those currently engaged in or considering 11 Plus entrance exams, GCSE or SAT preparation, it is clear that thinking and planning ahead most certainly produces better results than acting spontaneously. Finding an suitable tutor to help with learning, enrolling your child in workshops and courses – and of course completing practice exams – are methods guaranteed to bring in better results and keep your child in the top tier compared to peers.
Yet, although this approach applies to all kinds of challenges and to people of all ages – preparation being the key to success – many of us fail to put it into good practice. For us parents, the planning element revolves around giving our children the best chance by finding an experienced tutor and enrolling them in engaging learning activities. This enables them to practice relevant skills and gain essential knowledge ahead of time. Visiting schools and universities also gives children the insight they need to understand their goals plus the inspiration to succeed and take those important next steps in their educational career.
For the children, the planning element finds its roots in the overall approach described above – getting as much practice as possible across a range of academic and extra curricular subjects. On the micro-scale, the planning and preparation aspect is crucial when attempting assessments or tests involving reading and writing tasks. There are highly important planning skills required to maximise performance in both comprehension and composition tasks. The majority of students who perform better in tests invariably have comprehension exam technique mastered and also make use of simple plans every time they produce a piece of writing. With sciences, maths and reasoning, knowledge, speed and accuracy are of the essence, so, by getting much practice under their belts, you are giving your child the best chance to answer confidently, correctly and speedily by the time any exam comes around.
Of course, spontaneity can be a good thing – but when tasked with the prospect of assessment and evaluation – at any and all levels – the ability to splatter thoughts onto a page is something that must be regulated. We must encourage our kids to follow a system, adhere to a structure, and deliver a final product or result based on a set framework.
Examiners usually correct test papers based on fairly rigid mark schemes – by fully understanding the tasks at hand and planning ahead, your child will make it easy for them to gift marks and higher grades. Children often ‘don’t know where to start’ with many difficult tasks – so by giving them a framework, especially in English, which they can apply to almost all types of questioning, they will gain confidence in their own ability to consistently produce quality work. They will also be encouraged to persevere when having a crack at solving problems and applying knowledge in science, maths and reasoning too.
As the saying goes: Give a man a fish and he can feed his family for a day. Teach him how to fish and he can feed them for an entire lifetime. Giving your child the ability for independent and confident planning and methodology will support them through increasingly demanding school careers– and way beyond, as they face the challenges of adulthood.
If you are in need of expert advice on how to get the most out of your child’s learning, contact the team at 11 Plus London (email info@11pluslondon.co.uk or call +44 207 384 2792). If you like what you’ve seen or heard here, please share your thoughts and comment below. Also feel free to share this with other parents and become a part of the Sharing Parent community.
Original content sourced from: 11 Plus London.
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