Essential English Reading for 11 Plus Success

The English paper is where reading pays off most directly. Here’s how classic books build each of the skills it tests, and which titles to reach for.

Comprehension

Exam passages are often taken from older or more literary texts. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll is a great place to practise, because following the story means keeping track of strange events and stranger language.

Vocabulary

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame is packed with rich, precise words. Keep a notebook of new ones and challenge your child to use three of them in conversation each week.

Inference

Inference means working out what the writer suggests but doesn’t say outright. Detective stories like The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and adventure stories like Treasure Island are ideal: ask your child what they think a character is feeling or planning, and how they know.

Descriptive writing

Reading great description is the best way to learn to write it. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is full of vivid settings. Ask your child to borrow a technique, such as a sense other than sight, in their own writing.

What about maths and reasoning?

Reading strengthens verbal reasoning through vocabulary and word knowledge, but maths and non verbal reasoning are best prepared through regular practice with the kinds of questions your child will meet. A balanced plan covers both.