Everyone knows that knowledge is power and, in this day, and age, nearly everyone under the sun knows that you can read to improve your knowledge. There are a few initiatives to encourage students and children to read more yet many teachers and parents do not introduce anything at all. It is a growing problem that needs to change.

Earlier in 2021, global testing company Cambridge Assessment now creates and assesses the NSW Selective exam. Every year tens of thousands of students undertake the exam in hopes of getting into one of these schools as the benefits are clear. However, a trend that has been developing over the last few years has made the test even more difficult for students who are yet to complete it. The fact is there is an increasing number of students doing the exam every year! It is getting so competitive where the number of applicants has grown by hundreds based on the last few years.

Does the Thinking Skills exam in the NSW OC & Selective Exam trouble you? What do we do when approaching verbal reasoning type questions from the beginning? Is there important information to keep in mind to best answer these types of questions?

Poetry can be annoying to get the full grasp of. From understanding the meaning in comprehension reading exercises to writing your own poems, it is critical to be comfortable with abstract ideas. I share an exercise that we use with our students to help them to begin and understanding the ideas in a poem can be different images in our mind depending on the person. There is no right or wrong way but using this exercise will help your creativity flow. It can be used with students from primary school all the way to students in high school.

Most people make the mistake of not going for the Opportunity Class (OC) exam because they feel inadequate. They don't see the benefit in it, they think it would be a waste of time considering their child's level or they would not accept moving schools anyway. Develop the mindset and the strategy on why I believe the opposite and why every child and student should participate in it regardless of whether they make it in or not.