The 4+ entrance exam is a popular exam designed to analyze potential students and their abilities. This exam can be used to secure a place at a school of choice. However, schools often don’t report on what exactly they are looking for in potential students. All 4+ exams are based on behaviour such as cooperation with others and manners, active learning, and the ability to be engaged in and complete tasks. As is the case for most entrance exams, the 4+ is a competitive exam that will be challenging for most students. Here’s what you need to know:

Literacy

Your child will be tested on their literacy competency, so it is important that they are prepared. The goal is that they will be an independent reader, writer, and spellers in the future. The best way to build their literacy skills is by reading daily and incorporating reading comprehension into every story. The more you read, the more your child will gain confidence in their abilities and feel more motivated to continue working on them.

Don’t just stick to one area, but read a variety of genres to broaden their understanding. It is completely fine to rely on traditional reads, such as fairytale children’s books, because they have certain benefits as well. These types of books can be beneficial for learning things, such as rhymes and patterns, that might not appear in other genres like non-fiction.

Letter recognition is an important skill for competent literacy. Have your child practice drawing letters in objects such as sand, flour, or clay, in order to strengthen their letter recognition skills. You can also use other tools, including reading websites, games, and flashcards, to practice reading skills.

Be sure that your child, even if they cannot read themselves yet, is an active participant while reading. Making small changes like having them hold the book, turn the page, and point to pictures can keep them engaged and active in the story. You can help increase their reading comprehension by asking questions about the story as you read. Have your child make predictions about what will happen next, or ask them to explain what you have read so far.

Numeracy

Similar to the need for letter recognition, number recognition is another skill that your child should focus on and a skill that will be prioritized by schools. At this stage, your child should be able to recognize, count, and write numbers up to 20. This skill can be built upon in everyday life through play and life at home in an easy manner.

Use your playtime to demonstrate and increase their understanding of numbers. Fun games that use dice and dominoes are an easy way to integrate counting in a fun way. Be sure to be aware of everyday situations in which you can take advantage of the opportunity to grow your child’s counting skills. For instance, ask about how many items you have in the cart at the grocery stores or the number of toys they have to put away.

Aside from counting, you can start explaining the concept of measurement to your child. Introduce topics like size and weight and help them gain a basic understanding of different measurements. You can have them organize their belongings from biggest to smallest or from heaviest to lightest. This will help them visualize different sizes and gain a basic comprehension.