Step by Step Verbal Reasoning by Philip Kay

11+ Verbal Reasoning Core Skills Worksheets by Lucky Gecko Tuition

Verbal Reasoning forms part of most 11+ exams and also some Common Entrance papers. More than that, vital skills can be developed through VR which benefit all areas of learning. It can be fun too and gives a real sense of achievement when questions are successfully answered. There are 60 activity sheets in this workbook and they cover a wide range of skills - vocabulary, mental arithmetic and general knowledge - wider than just VR. These are covered randomly through the book so children will not get bored with one type of question; they will also learn plenty of different approaches so that they will not be 'thrown' when presented with an unfamiliar format. The questions are slightly unusual so you won't have the feeling that you have seen them before.  It's all about confidence building and familiarity and this book is excellent for that. All presented with touches of humour to make the work enjoyable!

VR from Lucky Gecko

 These two books from Lucky Gecko Tuition are excellent resources for preparing children for the 11+, and other verbal reasoning tests - and for improving coincentration and developing thinking skills in all children. VR is a subject which is not commonly taught in schools, so practice and preparation are essential to ensure familiarity. There are many types of VR questions and these books are an excellent way of ensuring all the different types are covered, giving your child the confidence needed to tackle the tests. The questions are laid out in multiple choice format. This gives experience of transferring the answers to the questions to the answer sheet - not an easy skill to acquire, so this is really valuable. The authors recommend that children work through the questions in the first book at their own pace, ensuring familiarity and allowing areas of weakness to be picked up. The second book consists of timed questions, giving essential practice in making the best use of the time allocated. I highly recommend these books for essential pre-test practice and revision. The format and the 21 types used in the books and papers match the Buckinghamshire exam.
The same company produces a set of 11+ Verbal Reasoning practice papers. The pack includes 4 VR papers plus answer sheets, each containing 80 questions to be answered within 50 minutes; answers are provided. There is also very useful information for parents and a record to keep of progress. This is an excellent set and will prove invaluable. All these titles can be purchased from the Lucky Gecko website
They also work in partnership with an iPhone App developer, who has produced three 11+ apps , with two pending with Apple at the moment- please see www.luckygeckoapps.com for more information. They're great for the 11+, and can be really useful for any students looking to improve their mental maths and vocabulary range. 

Practise and Pass: Discover Maths Level 1

Discover Maths  is the first stage in this carefully structured programme from Trotman. Children progress from the Discover level  to the next level, Develop, and lastly to the Practise Test Papers (published August 2012) so they receive a full programme of coaching needed to pass the 11+ maths exam. This structure is followed for English, VR and Non VR too. It introduces children to 11+ maths exam questions and tests so they can get the basics right first. Divided into manageable sections, each type of question is analysed so children know how to approach it, then there are plenty of questions to reinforce learning. The layout is clear and the multi-choice layout of the answers is invaluable for those children taking the exam in this format (but do check with your child;s school!). Continue learning with Practise and Pass 11+ Level 2: Develop Maths (Practise & Pass 11+)

Practise and Pass: Discover English Level 1

This book will be useful, not only for 11+ revision, but also in SATS and Common Entrance preparation. The book is split into four sections, each containing four lessons - spelling, sentence structure, punctuation and comprehension. The best way to develop your child's confidence is through practise and this book is packed with questions in a multiple choice format used in many 11+ areas. It is invaluable to gain experience of the format, which can be a stumbling block if children have not encountered it in school. The questions are appropriate and each section builds on the learning of the previous one, allowing the parent to consolidate their child's learning. All the books in the series include answers - but more than that, they include excellent suggestions for improving the child's answers. Move on to Practise & Pass 11+ Level Two: Develop English

Practise and Pass: Develop Non-Verbal Reasoning Level 2 

This (Develop) is the second stage of the series of 11+ books by Peter Williams. Many schools do not specifically teach VR and Non VR skills so plenty of practise in these areas is essential - for this reason alone, it's great to see this new series. But this is not just another set of papers - the important thing here is the step-by-step coaching which explains the skills needed to answer these questions. There are hundreds of questions in this book, which (like all in the series) is excellent value. Start with Practise & Pass 11+ Level One: Discover Non-verbal Reasoning

Practise and Pass: Develop Verbal Reasoning Level 2 

So often we are asked by parents how they can help their child to work more quickly. One key answer to this is practise, practise and more practise. The more familiar children are with the many types of questions there are, the more confident they will be. So, the 100s of questions in this book are excellent for building confidence. Peter Williams is an experienced tutor who specialises in 11+ preparation - that knowledge shines through in this excellent series. Before using this book, introduce the skills with Practise & Pass 11+ Level 1: Discover Verbal Reasoning

The Official Parents' Guide to the 11+

11+ Explained: Non Verbal Reasoning

11+ Explained: Verbal Reasoning

11+ Practice Tests by CGP

There are 2 packs in the series, each containing 3 Vr and 3 non VR; one pack is multiple choice, the other is standard questions. Check with your child's school which type of paper they will be sitting. The papers are in a format commonly used for the 11+ thereby giving your child essential experience and familiarisation. The answer books are really useful - alongside the answers are suggestions on timing, how to mark the papers and valuable hints on how to tackle each type of question, ensuring you give your child the best possible help. Excellent packs from CGP, which are well worth using with your child in the run up to the tests, especially as VR and non VR are not always taught in schools. Excellent value packs.
http://www.cgpbooks.co.uk/pages/productList.asp?list=ks2_11plus

The 11+ process can be stressful for children, parents and teachers. There are many approaches to helping children through this and in this book Judy Bartkowiak and Carolyn Fitzpatrick suggest how NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) can help to ease the pressure on everyone involved and give our children the very best chance of success. The experience of the authors means they have valuable tips to offer which parents should find useful. Neuro Linguistic Programming offers strategies for; building self esteem; goal setting; focus and concentration; understanding how they learn best; coping with stress and anxiety; building the skills needed to pass. There are many strategies for coping with tests and exams and I recommend parents to dip into this book to get tips that are applicable to their child.