Using online sources for 11 Plus Verbal reasoning preparation- any good?

There are lots of available online sources for Verbal Reasoning preparation. Of those we have looked at we’d say that they are only really useful where a child is going to sit a traditional VR exam (not a CEM style Exam) . The reason for this is that online suits the formulaic question type focus of the 21 types but not necessarily the CEM style of exam which for instances includes comprehension.

Research has shown that children especially read text on screen less effectively than on paper so pages of text (such as you find in a comprehension or cloze exercise do not work well in our view) – it’s better spending the time doing it on paper.

With the 21 VR question types online Verbal Reasoning programmes are most useful where you want to focus on an individual question type to get used to it.

One word of caution….. sitting in front of a computer screen is a lonely place to learn and going back through work completed is sometimes difficult for parents. We also have had some feedback that when children’s concentration levels drops they just start ‘clicking’ without much thought which doesn’t help them at all.

Our advice based on our own experience and the views expressed by many parents would be to try and focus on working on paper where you can. We do feel children learn more effectively like this and it is easier for parents to get involved in a meaningful way. At its worst preparation using online sources can be a complete waste of time and certainly isn’t an ‘easy’ solution, it can be quite counterproductive.

Which 11 Plus Exam Preparation Options Are Right For You ?