Trafford’s grammar school entrance exams will take place in just a few weeks. At this stage, your child may be well-practised in non-verbal reasoning and secure in mastering all the necessary maths topics. If, however, vocabulary is your stumbling block, you may be asking yourself how you can help your child quickly increase his/ her word power.
Why Vocabulary Matters in Grammar School Entrance Exams
Your child will need in-depth knowledge of many words in order to accurately answer questions in comprehension and verbal reasoning. In verbal reasoning, your child may need to identify synonyms, antonyms and analogies, as well as picking out the best words to fill in gaps in cloze procedures. The standard expected is extremely high, so it’s imperative that your child is fully drilled in a wide range of vocabulary.
How to Help Your Child Increase His/ Her Word Power
1. Reading
If you want your child to read, you need to be a reader yourself. Let them see you choose and read books you love. Ensure that s/he reads widely, not fiction OR non-fiction. Visit the library for inspiration. Read to your child and have them read aloud to you. Check their understanding of new words.
2. Definitions
Reading is not enough! Children need to develop vocabulary in a structured way. You can look up definitions of words in the dictionary together. Encourage your child to use new words in a sentence and to find synonyms and antonyms for new words. This helps embed new vocabulary in their long-term memory.
3. Vocabulary Masterclass
Better Tuition’s very popular Vocabulary Masterclass consists of fourteen pre-recorded video tutorials and a bespoke workbook. Your child can complete the masterclass anywhere you can take a computer. Centre Director Christine McLaughlin’s fun, engaging tutorials guide your child through the workbook and help them develop strategies to build vocabulary and techniques for making it stick. The masterclass covers:
- Using the online dictionary and thesaurus
- Parts of speech
- Word categories
- Male or female/
- Shades of meaning
- Number words
- Prefixes and suffixes
- Synonyms and antonyms
- Root words
- Context
- Word association
- Words from other languages
- Next steps
The masterclass takes a minimum of three hours to complete and costs just £20. Contact us to order your masterclass today.
4. Vocabulary Booster Course
Centre Owner Christine McLaughlin will run our four, one-hour online Vocabulary Booster sessions on Tuesdays at 11.30 on 2nd, 9th, 16th and 23rd August. The course will cover:-
- New words – a learning homework will be set each week and students will be tested at the start of the following lesson.
- 2-for-1 words (e.g. object, which can mean ‘protest’ or ‘item’ or incline, which can mean ‘hill’ or ‘lean’
- Synonyms and antonyms
- Prefixes
- Suffixes
- Word categories
- Word association
- Shades of meaning
- Using the online dictionary
New vocabulary will be explored via engaging activities such as reverse cloze, letter soup, word hybrids and bingo. We use child-friendly definitions and, as with all good vocabulary tuition, we will be aiming to develop your child’s ability to decode unfamiliar words. The four-week course costs £88. Ring Paul Syrett or Christine McLaughlin on 0161 748 3912 or email us at info@bettertuition.co.uk to book if you have any questions. Places are VERY limited, so please do not delay in booking. Book your online vocabulary booster now.
5. Practice Papers and Workbooks
When preparing for entrance exams, it is essential to practise, practise, practise and that means ensuring your child has a good (but not overwhelming) supply of practice papers and workbooks. We recommend Bond, CGP and Letts. You may also like to visit our download library, where you will find our FREE Word Power Vocabulary Workbook, along with a host of other resources.
