Author Archives: Ilana King

October is the time when the pressure starts to build.  Entrance exams are looming closer, in some cases only a month away.  It is understandable that stress can start to grab hold.   However, the impact of this pressure cannot be underestimated and can have a very real effect on learning. Even if you feel that you areContinue reading “Don’t Panic!”

When we think of how children learn, we often associate it with giving them new information.  I would challenge that and say that often the best learning comes from being questioned.  This is a method that really works for home educated children.   Asking the right questions to spark critical thinking is one of theContinue reading “Questions not Information”

Summer holidays are not only a time for travel but can also be a time for making connections to what we read.  I am currently in Devon with my family, not far from Torquay.  Agatha Christie was born in Torquay and used many of the nearby locations for scenes in her novels.  Arthur Conan DoyleContinue reading “Making Connections Through Reading”

Does this image shock you? Why do we still have this distinction between “books for boys” and “books for girls” on recommended reading lists in 2021?  Surely, the only questions that matter when choosing a book for a child are: is it well written, is the story engaging, will my child be interested?  This lastContinue reading “Gendered Reading Still Persists”

Don’t try to run before you can walk.  I am sure we have all heard this expression but have you ever thought about it in relation to 7+ entrance exams?  So often, I hear of both parents and tutors who use exam practice papers as their primary tool for preparing for exams.  Perhaps this makes sense to you.  SurelyContinue reading “Using Practice Papers for 7+ Preparation”

Over my long career, I have often come across students who are described as perfectionists.  These students have ranged in age from five to fifteen but all share the same characteristic: they will only present work when it is perfect.  Is “perfectionist” an accurate description of these students, or is there something else at the root ofContinue reading “How Do We Encourage Risk Taking as Part of Learning?”

In guiding parents through the 11+ entrance exam process, I am often asked what is the right time to begin purchasing and using practise papers.   To help parents understand why I ask them to delay doing this, I use the analogy of learning to cook.   Look at this simple recipe for stir-fry: Step 1: Finely chop orContinue reading “How is Learning 11+ Comprehension Like Learning to Cook?”

Today is the day that school children and parents are rejoicing.  It marks the end of home schooling.  Today is also the day that another group of children and parents are celebrating as it marks the return of home educating.  The terms “home schooling” and “home educating” are often used interchangeably, a fact that has long irked theContinue reading “Celebrating the Return to Home Educating”

What exactly is imagination?  Imagination is defined as the faculty or action of forming new ideas, or images or concepts of external objects not present to the senses.  Is it possible to have no imagination?  There is indeed a very rare condition in which sufferers have no ability to visualise mental images – known as Aphantasia.  It is believed that onlyContinue reading “Imagination is a Muscle”