10 things you can do to ensure success in your child’s 4 plus assessment?

1.        Start at least 12 months before the Assessment dates – Some children will need more than this but this is my minimum baseline. Any less than this and we may not have enough time to develop the skills that need to be developed in order to pass the 4+ assessments.

2.        Read 5-10 books a day (fiction and non-fiction)- You need to read a variety of books but you can also read the same books over and over again and ask a variety of questions about the books. This is the best way to boost vocabulary in my opinion. If you think 5-10 are too many books, go for what feels right for you – just be consistent with it.

3.        Ask your child L3 and L4  questions from as early as possible – and if you do not know what these are, work with a teacher who does. L1 and L2 questions will not cut it.

4.        Encourage your child to go into more detail when they give you their answers – never accept the bare minimum. Challenge your child to give you more, more and more! They can do it if they are given the opportunity to do so.

5.        Teach the ‘correct’ pencil grip from 17 months of age. I cannot tell you how important this is.

6.        Teach your child phonics from 17 months of age. Some children will pick them up quickly, others will take longer. Know which schools will expect your child to know their sounds and which ones do not. Even if they do not expect your child to know their phonics - teach them. Know which school will expect your child to be blending.

7.        Teach your child their numbers 1-10 from 17 months of age. Again, some children will pick this up quickly and others will not. Some children are super interested in numbers, and some are not. It will come with time and maturity.

8.        Take your child to new and unfamiliar places weekly from at least a year before their 4+ assessments. This is the biggest mistake that I see parents make in this process. They send their child to nursery and they think that this is enough. Well it is not. Your child is familiar with their nursery. Your child needs to go to new and unfamiliar places and have that sensation of being left somewhere new and uncomfortable to them and know that you will always come back to collect them and that there is absolutely nothing to worry about.

9.        Encourage your child to observe the world around them and share with you their observations. Talk constantly about the world around you as you are with your child. Observe the moon, the sun, the trees, the weather etc.

10.  Explain to your child your expectations of them in their 4+ assessments. If you don’t do this how else will they know?

Have extraordinary success by working with us in 2026. We will support you every step of the way to have tremendous success in your child’s assessments.

Join our Waiting List today. This will form your registration fee when we are ready to get started. Simply join and tell us a few days/times that work for your child for weekly lessons. You will receive confirmation of your start date within 24 hours.