Eleven Plus: Non Verbal Reasoning Tips

 

Many parents and 11-plus candidates find that preparing for the non-verbal reasoning is more daunting and challenging compared to preparing for the verbal reasoning paper. Although the non-verbal reasoning is much more based on innate skills and ability, nevertheless there are still activities you can do with your child to help them get ready for the test. 

Tip 1: Remember all the features that you need to think about when looking at non-verbal reasoning symbols and develop a checklist to go through. Here are the six features or elements to consider. To remember the checklist, think SNAPSS!

• Shape: Is there any shape that is different from the others, 2D vs 3D, or a square when all the other shapes are triangles for example? 

• Number: Think about the number of sides that feature in a shape and the number of symbols featured. For example, maybe all of the symbols contain an odd number of crosses and the odd one out contains an even number of crosses. Also, think about the number of lines of symmetry that symbols have.

• Angle (rotation or direction). Consider if one of the shapes or symbols has an element that has been rotated or placed in a different direction to all the others. 

• Position: Do any of the shapes strike appear to be in a different position compared to other symbols? Maybe one symbol has two shapes overlapping, whereas in all the other symbols one shape is always inside another. 

• Size: Are there any elements of the symbols that are different in terms of size. Look at the main shape and any of the smaller shapes inside of it. It could also be that there is more than one shape that is different in size.

• Shading: Look at the symbols carefully to identify if any element is shaded differently. Is the shading at a different angle compared to the rest of the others? 

It is important to remember that multiple features will be different or change, so have your child check the different features carefully so they don't miss out any important aspect that may be significant. 

Tip 2:  Practise reflection skills. To make sure your child can confidently predict how a shape would look when viewed from different angles, start with drawing simple shapes on paper, putting a line or lines of reflection and have your child sketch what they think the reflection would look like. They can use a compact mirror to see if their prediction was true. Be aware that when shading or patterns are involved, the direction and angle changes when reflected.

Tip 3: Practise rotation skills. To help your child understand rotation, you can get your child to trace over a shape using either tracing paper, greaseproof paper or baking parchment. Make sure that they add all the details of any symbols, shapes or shading and then have them rotate the paper by 45 degrees, 90 degrees, and 180 degrees, both clockwise and anticlockwise. Also think about practising tracing an element of a symbol to see how that would change if it was rotated by tracing only the symbol. Bonus tip: In the exam you can rotate the paper, if that helps when looking at picture or symbol rotation and angle.

Don't forget to check out my puzzles page, which is a great place for your child to develop their thinking skills. Just click on the link: Puzzles If you found these tips helpful, please let me know in the comments section below. I love to get feedback!