"My child's 11+ exam is near - I need to build their vocabulary quickly. What do I do?"

To build vocabulary - talk!

As an 11+ tutor, I frequently hear parents asking questions such as:

"My child's 11+ exam is near – I need to build their vocabulary quickly. What should I do?"

"What are the best flashcards to use?"

"Can you give me the definitive list of 11+ vocabulary?"

These questions, and their variations, point to a common problem: that many children's vocabularies are not sufficiently strong, leaving both parent and child deeply uncertain about the child's chances of succeeding in the English component of the 11+.

Here's the thing: there is no quick way to build vocabulary, flashcards are of limited utility, and there is no definitive list of 11+ vocabulary. Vocabulary acquisition cannot be short-circuited.

Why not?

To explain, we first need to define IQ, or general intelligence. General intelligence is often described as comprising two components: fluid intelligence and crystallised intelligence.

• Fluid intelligence is the ability to solve problems without prior learning or context. In the 11+, fluid intelligence is primarily tested by non-verbal reasoning (NVR). It is largely an innate ability.

• Crystallised intelligence, on the other hand, is the accumulation of knowledge and facts (e.g., knowing that Paris is the capital of France). Crystallised intelligence develops over a long period of time.

  
  

Vocabulary acquisition relies mostly on crystallised intelligence*. For this reason, vocabulary grows over years, not weeks. This is why I run an English Excellence Programme starting at the beginning of Year 5, which includes a heavy vocabulary component: to give children the time to learn, practise, and assimilate new words.

At the time of writing – whether close to exam season or at the start of a new academic year – I encourage parents and children to acknowledge that vocabulary building is a long-term process that should begin as early as possible.

For those who wish to start that journey now, it does not have to be arduous – even though it is long-term. The obvious advice is to read widely. However, I believe the best way to learn vocabulary is to identify unknown words from any source (books, TV, signs) and then attempt to use those words in conversation. Conversation is a powerful way to assimilate vocabulary, because words are best understood in context as well as by their dictionary definitions.

My advice to parents is to ask their child to find words encountered during the day whose meanings they do not know or are unsure of, look them up, and then try to use them in conversation – not just once or twice, but repeatedly over weeks and months.

*Vocabulary can also involve fluid intelligence, especially at the point of etymology, where structural knowledge of one word allows us to infer the meaning of etymologically or structurally related words.