It is no secret that the 11+ requires a high level of word knowledge. This can not be achieved overnight. Here are my TOP TIPS to help you (your child) get into a good routine and, dare I say it, even enjoy the process. NOTE: 'You' means 'your child'
Buy a vocabulary workbook and set aside a regular time to work on it each day. Once you get into a routine, it becomes easier to stick to. As a starting point, I can suggest:
11 Plus Vocabulary (Rose McGowan) - 100 exercises for 100 days
Synonyms & Antonyms (Christine R Draper) - a further 100 exercises
The Big 11+ Vocabulary Play Book - packed with activities that make learning feel like fun.
SATS Skills: Spelling & Vocabulary Workbook (Bond) - handy word lists, tasks, ages 8-11+
I recommend an exercise or page each day. Straight after doing each exercise, switch to a red pen to mark your answers. Then research/take notes on any new words. In this way, you are adding to your knowledge rather than just testing yourself on words that you already know.
Test papers are also a rich source of vocabulary. After doing the test and checking your answers, go through the paper to learn as much as you can from it. Use inference skills to guess the rough meaning, then look the word up to see how close you were. Don't forget to take notes - on the actual test paper if possible, or in a separate vocab book.
For the word 'wary', your notes might look something like this:
Wary [ADJ] = cautious (related to 'beware' and 'aware')
E.g. Her mother taught her to be wary of strangers.
Reading provides a natural context for your expanding vocabulary. If you're stuck for reading materials, visit schoolreadinglist.co.uk. Take your time to find an author that you enjoy, and that is suitably challenging for you. There should be some unknown words, but not so many that the story becomes confusing. And I don't advise looking up every single new word that you come across - this will kill the pleasure of reading. Besides, you need to develop the skill of working out the probable meaning from the context. Often, we don't need to know the precise meaning - just that it's a type of food, for example, or a negative word to describe someone's mood. Occasionally, you can look up a word if it keeps coming up or if it is vital to the story.
Get the app! These are handy little time-killers if you're on a boring shopping trip with your mum or stuck at a bus stop. 11+ Vocabulary Builder is pretty good - it tests synonyms, antonyms, compound words and more. Quizlet is another option - it looks great on the mobile phone (see point 5). I'm also a big fan of Wordscapes - a fun way to work on spelling, plus it gives you definitions if you click on the word.
Quizlet is a great way to review vocabulary. It's basically electronic flash cards and can be used in a number of playing modes. I make my own sets to accompany specific tasks that I've done with my students - click here for an example. Browse the huge library of sets created by other people, or create your own! This is an excellent way to revise words from your notebook - once a week, for example, you can upload new words, then test yourself often!
You may prefer real physical flash cards such Letts Vocabulary Flashcards. One way to use flash cards is to place them in 3 piles of 'know', 'kind-of-know' and 'never-seen-this-word-before'. Over time, the 'know' pile will become bigger. As you learn more words, you can create your own flashcards to add to the pile. You can also play games such as Pictionary or Charades. Click here for more ideas to help you make the most of your flashcards.
A picture speaks a thousand words! Google Images is an excellent tool for certain types of words, especially concrete nouns. It can also give interesting results for abstract nouns and adjectives too, or any type of word - although you should already have a rough idea of the meaning to judge whether it is an accurate depiction.
TASK - if you don't already know these words, search Google Images for:
colander, porch, palette, secateurs, destitute
There's more to knowing a word than simply memorising definitions/synonyms. Many words have a flexible meaning depending on the context. For example, 'occupied' can mean busy/full/invaded, depending on the context. A building might be occupied (meaning 'full' with people) but I would never describe a full glass as occupied! When recording new words in a notebook, always give at least one example sentence. Sentencedict.com is a great source of example sentences. Read a few to give you a full understanding of how to use the word, then copy a clear example into your notebook.
Make posters to adorn your walls! You can use Google Images, or coloured pens and paper if you're feeling artistic. Here is one that I made earlier for 'precarious'. Images were contributed by my year 5 students.
Instead of (or as well as) a vocabulary notebook, you may wish to make a digital version. In addition to definitions/synonyms and example sentences, you can copy and paste images, or include links to videos and websites. The more time you invest in getting to know a word, the more firmly it will become anchored in your brain!
All the while, you should be reading, watching films and documentaries, visiting interesting places and generally taking an interest in the world around you. On that note, I will leave you with the following image and quote: