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11+ private tutoring

Expand your Reading List to Expand your Mind

27 July 2020 / 11+ Admissions, 11+ English Tuition, 11+ Grammar School Tuition, 11+ Maths Tuition, 11+ Mock Tests, 11+ Non Verbal Reasoning Tuition, 11+ Prep Courses, 11+ Prep Exams, 11+ Verbal Reasoning Tuition, A levels, GCSE exams

Lists are to students, what traffic is to drivers. Notoriously unavoidable and inevitable in day-to-day life. Back-to-school stationary lists, homework to-do lists, and shopping lists – The list of lists can go on and on. Despite their pedantic reputation, lists have been proven to be a powerful tool to increase productivity as they display all the items clearly, ensuring nothing is forgotten. However, there is one list in particular, that we are all familiar with: the traditional reading list.

Receiving an annual or termly reading list may not seem like a momentous moment, in that it is typical of academic institutions to enforce literary requirements. Specific books are integral to a year’s syllabus and curriculum, so it may often feel as though reading is a chore or another task to finish in an endless list. But now amid the summer months, I wanted to explore the various benefits of reading for pleasure – when one can go beyond just academic obligation. The rough definition of ‘reading for pleasure’ is as follows; freely choosing the reading or enthusiastically continuing reading after the respective material is assigned. The common factor is enthusiasm. When reading can be seen as a hobby rather than a chore, it can unlock a whole new deeper meaning behind the discipline itself. Reading promotes a sense of empathy, where the reader naturally aligns their emotions with that of the complex characters presented in the plot. Reading also has the power of metaphorical transportation; we can depart from our four walls, our situation, to different historical worlds of fantasy or mystery. In a research essay exploring the benefits of ‘pleasure reading’ on academic success, Whitten writes:

“Many educators encourage their students to read outside of the classroom in order to increase reading comprehension, vocabulary, general knowledge, and cultural awareness; however, research indicates that pleasure reading may have a greater influence on a child’s overall academic performance than their socio-economic background-” (pg. 48)

I find that one of the biggest advantages of pleasure reading is that the reader can determine their own pace, and there is no better setting for this than over the summer holidays. Schools, English tuition, private tuition, or other academic environments have to press time constraints in order to follow a schedule. Reading for fun calls for independence in time scheduling, pace, and location. With lockdown measures still in place, one can get creative in finding cosy reading spots around the house.

 

So, I urge students, parents, and everyone to try qualitative not quantitative reading, to explore new genres, work from modern authors, and classic texts. Below are links to more lists – ones that don’t have the usual time pressure – for you to read and enjoy this summer.

100 ‘Must Read’ Books for All Ages:

https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2018/100-must-read-classic-books/

 

Must Read Books for 9-12-year-olds:

https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/children/2019/apr/must-read-books-for-9-12-year-olds.html

 

References: Whitten, C., Houston, S.J., & Labby, S.A. (2016). The impact of Pleasure Reading on Academic Success.

-Ketki Mahabaleshwarkar

Why is Exercise important in a busy Exam Period?

19 June 2020 / 11+ Admissions, 11+ English Tuition, 11+ Grammar School Tuition, 11+ Maths Tuition, 11+ Mock Tests, 11+ Non Verbal Reasoning Tuition, 11+ Prep Courses, 11+ Prep Exams, A levels, GCSE exams

Exam time is pressurising. Late nights, last minute preparation, irregular sleeping patterns and eating times are characteristic of exam period. Exam stress can result in anxiety and increased chances of succumbing to illnesses. Getting unwell can undermine your efforts and so maintaining good health and a positive attitude to study is key. Physical activity (PA) is a fantastic adjunct to help relieve stress during exams, whether its KS2 SATs, 11+, GCSEs or A-levels! In addition, PA actually has multiple benefits on brain function, helping you to study efficiently.

Cognition is the process through which an individual acquires knowledge and develops understanding via thought processes, experiences and study. Research on the effects of physical activity (PA) on the cognitive function of children shows improvements in attention; thinking capability; articulation as well as learning and memory.

 

Attention

Kubesch et al. (1) have shown that regularity of PA in children is positively correlated with their ability to focus within the classroom. Interestingly, those children who exercised were able to maintain their attention even through the third hour of lessons, which is usually the time when attentional processes start to deteriorate.

 

Thinking Capability

‘Thinking’ is defined in this context as the cognitive functions involved in abstract thinking, planning, creative thinking and assessing cause and effect. PA helps to develop creativity in children. Research has demonstrated that unorganised PA, such as going to the park, improves thinking capability more than organised sports activities, such as drills and circuits (2). However, it is important to note, that any physical exercise is better than none at all.

 

Articulation and Language

Scudder et al. (3) showed that there was a positive relationship between PA and lexical networks in children, allowing them to comprehend text, spell and detect grammar and syntax errors with greater accuracy.

 

Learning and Memory

Working memory is the type of memory used for short-term to middle-term retention of information and is important in reasoning and decision making. PA has been shown to improve working memory in 8-12-year olds as well as 12-14-year olds (1,4). Learning and cognitive flexibility also increases with PA, enhancing visuospatial memory as well.

 

 

All in all, it is clear that exercise has a plethora of benefits in cognition. In addition to these advantages, dopamine (the ‘feel-good’ hormone) increases in the body during and after exercise, helping you to maintain a positive outlook despite exams! In fact, as a result of the extensive research in PA, the UK Government and the NHS has issued the following guidelines for Physical Activity in children (5):

  1. All children and young people should engage in moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity for at least 60 minutes and up to several hours every day.
  2. Vigorous intensity activities, including those that strengthen muscle and bone, should be incorporated at least three days a week.
  3. All children and young people should minimise the amount of time spent being sedentary (sitting) for extended periods.

 

Incorporating PA is just one way in which you can uphold balance during exam time; getting enough sleep and nutrition are also key to the equilibrium.

Here are a few tips to help you obtain a healthy balance:

 

Good luck!

-Esha Dandekar

 

  1. Kubesch S., Walk L., Spitzer M., Kammer T., Lainburg A., Heim R., Hille K. A 30-min physical education program improves students’ executive attention. Mind Brain Educ. 2009;3:235–242
  2. Bowers M.T., Green B.C., Hemme F., Chalip L. Assessing the Relationship between Youth Sport Participation Settings and Creativity in Adulthood.  Res. J. 2014;26:314–327
  3. Scudder MR, Lambourne K, Drollette ES, Herrmann SD, Washburn RA, Donnelly JE, Hillman CH. Aerobic capacity and cognitive control in elementary school-age children. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2014; 46(5):1025-35
  4. Verburgh L., Scherder E.J.A., van Lange P.A.M., Oosterlaan J. The key to success in elite athletes? Explicit and implicit motor learning in youth elite and non-elite soccer players.  Sports Sci. 2016;34:1782–1790
  5. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/832861/2-physical-activity-for-children-and-young-people-5-to-18-years.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

11 plus grammar school tuition near me

11+ Exam Prep: Group Tutoring vs One-to-One Tutoring

10 May 2020 / 11+ Admissions, 11+ Grammar School Tuition, 11+ Prep Courses

Why does Achievers’ Academy provide 11+ grammar school group tuition rather than just 11+ private tutoring?

 

In a world driven by international competition, it is extremely critical to hone the skills and knowledge to be able to compete in the game. There is no doubt that giving a child the best education provides them the tools to climb the ladder, endowing them a lifetime of success.

 

At Achievers’ Academy, we offer 11+ grammar school exams tuition where children learn in a small group setting. All our 11+ exam tuition courses embed a competitive nature and empower our 11+ students to strive for excellence. In addition, our 11+ grammar school group tuition allows your child to go above and beyond others. Hence, pushing the child’s capabilities and enhancing their skills for the future.

11+ group tutoring vs 11+ private tutoring: Which one is better?

Here we will discuss the facets of the argument between 11+ grammar school group tuition vs 11+ private tuition or 11+ private one to one tutoring. Let us share how we are able to provide both to help your child with 11+ grammar school exams and 11+ admissions.

 

11+ Private Tutoring

For some, 11+ private one to one tutoring is attractive due to the attention that the child might not otherwise get in 11+ group tuition. 11+ private tutoring allows personalised 11+ exams preparation and teaching for students so they can learn at their own pace. This will enable the child to grasp the topics, improving their understanding and knowledge. However, due to the one-to-one nature of 11+ private tuition, the pace of the learning could be slower as the student is not pushed to excel by the peers around them. As a result, having a customised 11+ private tuition approach may result in missing out vital topics that the child needs to cover for a broad and in depth understanding of the course.

 

11+ Group Tutoring

Our 11+ grammar school group tuition allows the child to strive to be the best amongst like-minded people, installing a competitive streak within, which is vital for them to achieve their goals. Whether the child is preparing for 11+ or higher levels such as SATS, 13+, GCSEs or A-Levels, the presence of other people in a classroom allows for peer group discussion and provides a natural push and encouragement for each student to perform better at 11+ exams. At Achievers’ Academy, we have groups of maximum 10 -12 children that is optimum for 11+ grammar school tuition. This 11+ small group tuition setting maintains a formality and enables us to keep good teacher-student relationship at the same time. In this 11+ small group tuition setting,  the child can be open and need not be afraid of making mistakes. Moreover, 11+ group tutoring also provides an opportunity for the child to broaden their circle of peers, creating friendships with people that also want to strive for success.

 

11+ Group Tutoring Course Benefits for 11+ Exam Prep

During the child’s education journey there comes a time when they must start to learn to be self-sufficient and have control over their own path and education. 11+ one-one private tuition can deter children from the discipline over their journey and lead to overindulgence from both tutor and parents.

 

At Achievers’ Academy, we teach 11+ students how to develop their skillset to be independent and guide each child on their way to success. Our 11+ grammar courses and teaching aims to challenge the students, whilst best preparing them for 11+ exams. Our 11+ grammar school tuition in small group setting provides the optimal outcomes for the child to prosper.

 

11+ grammar school exams tuition: What’s right for you?

Children are constantly growing and being exposed to different environments and issues which allows them to grow as individuals. We want our students to become accustomed with various topics that develop understanding and their worldly view. An analysis by the Education Endowment Foundation suggests that this way of teaching enables ‘benefits on attainment… in addition to improvements on behaviour and attitudes’,[1] strengthening the argument for group study.

 

Hence, we provide a wide range of texts in 11+ English Tuition and real-life problems in 11+ Maths Tuition to show the importance of outside the classroom knowledge. Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is founded upon the belief that children have great cognitive abilities,[2] which are enhanced when they are pushed and given opportunities to excel. Classrooms and formal schooling are a direct application of his theory,[3] proving that children become more experienced individuals when surrounded by like-minded people. Our 11+ prep classes allow for wide discussion, which allows children to reason with others, think logically and form succinct arguments, which builds their cognitive skills to be better equipped in the world.

 

Though 11+ group tuition has many benefits, sometimes students do prosper with one-to-one attention and 11+ private tutoring may be better for their needs. The child can understand a particular topic better when not under the pressure of a classroom. To combat this issue, Achievers’ Academy provides additional 1-to-1 aid to our 11+ students, where we go through individual topics in detail to make them proficient and up to speed with the rest of the group.

 

Furthermore, we take pride in our system that can be tailored to each child, as we know them personally and can give our best support to enable them to reach their goals. Parents of our 11+ students are self-assured in our ability of this as we produce growth in students’ year in year out, providing quality teaching and astute, able students.

 

To conclude, Achievers’ Academy provides 11+ grammar school exam group tuition for the 11+ preparation. We believe 11+ group tutoring is beneficial for students academically and socially. It develops not only knowledge and depth of understanding but soft skills such as discussion and reasoning, which is the most important tool to carry in life. Though 11+ private tuition and one-to-one tutoring has its strengths, and we are able to provide this where children fall behind the class, group tuition advantages outweigh those of private tuition, as we believe that it is vital to be encouraged by others in class to strive for excellence.

Wondering what is better for your child? Please get in touch with us at

 

References:

[1] Education Endowment Foundation, https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evidence-summaries/teaching-learning-toolkit/reducing-class-size, 2018

 

[2] A spotlight on the stages of child development, https://www.superprof.co.uk/blog/tutoring-for-young-children/, 2018

 

[3] Piaget’s theory of cognitive development on children, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piaget%27s_theory_of_cognitive_development

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