Preparing for 11+ assessments: the best books to add to your child's reading list

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At this time of year, children in Year 6 are preparing for ISEB pre-tests, 11+ exams and interviews, all of which are a little daunting and highly competitive. Many prep schools now timetable verbal- and non-verbal-reasoning sessions to familiarise children with the types of questions they will be asked. Children have mock exams and interview practice, which also help them prepare.

There are resources that you can use at home, both online and off. A number of websites are designed to mimic online testing, covering the key subjects as well as verbal- and non-verbal reasoning. They track progress and can identify strengths and areas to work on:

includes mock papers and offers live, on-demand lessons if you feel it might be useful.

provides adaptive questioning in the key subjects, video tutorials and covers the range of questions asked in the ISEB tests.

is a no-frills approach but again covers the subject areas with a huge database of questions, which are derived from its books.

The advantage of these sites is that they give instant feedback and the user becomes accustomed to answering online. They can be fun as well, especially if you try them with your child.

If you prefer books over websites, there are Bond, Schofield and Sims and CGP, but I would recommend the Bond books as the most user-friendly.

When it comes to English papers, I recommend that you encourage your child to read as regularly and as widely as possible, from classics to contemporary fiction. Some of the hot authors this year include BB Alston, Phil Earle and Jessica Townsend with her Nevermore series. If possible, children should read a range of works in both prose and poetry. Try reading poetry together or looking at classic poems online – is a really good site for contemporary poems. A couple of wonderful collections can be found in The Puffin Book of Utterly Brilliant Poetry (ed. Brian Patten) and 100 Best Poems for Children (ed. Roger McGough). For 11+ poetry-test books, try those produced by Letts.

For interviews, always ensure that your child has one book that they know really well and enjoy, so that they can have a good conversation with their interviewer about it.

The most important message from me, however, is that the extra work that children do should be a pleasure and not an agony. If you feel that it is getting too much, don’t be afraid to draw back. A child will shine in an interview if they are feeling confident and happy, rather than beleaguered and overworked.

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Preparing for 11+ assessments: the best books to add to your child's reading list

TE Schools Advice