Current Year 5 summer studies

many of you are signed up for sessions through the summer and that is good because it means the children will not dip just before sitting the actual papers. If you are hoping to take the exam and have no summer session sorted for your child be aware that you need to create some work to keep them ticking over at the level they require to pass.
Many of you have bought papers from the internet or from the retail stores and that is great as the children need to keep practising but I would suggest you make them do no  more than a couple in a week or they will get so stale and bored by the time they reach the exam proper they will not perform well.
I tend to suggest the following weekly work schedule;

1. Two test papers; maths and verbal [following week non-verbal and maths or English if your area requires it]
2. Bond 10 minute test [mixed set] one a day when they are not doing a test paper
3. games from the website, coolmaths4kids, say two days out of the week
4. plenty of relaxation and fun and play for the majority of the time

by doing this, they will still be interested and motivated to work when they are expected to, but know they have time to go and have fun for the majority of the day. If you are going abroad take 10 minute tests with you and fit them in first thing after breakfast, that way one is completed every day but they are over and done with whilst parents are organising the day, the swimwear, the picnic.. and the remainder of the day is for the family and the holiday.
For the period of time from August Bank holiday Monday to the first day of term, do nothing, let them have a break, then give them a paper, one from each area and work through it with no time limit, just bringing their brains back into gear again. They will remember it all and it will come back with greater understanding,having been given the opportunity to rest in the head for a while.
So to all parents out there feeling as though they are sitting the exam themselves; its nearly here and nearly over and soon you can sit back and relax.........until the results are due.