The first month of 11+ preparation is, frankly, the most important one. Get it right and you set the tone for a calm, productive year. Get it wrong and you risk burnout before the real work begins. Here's a slow, sensible 30-day plan.
Week 1: Audit, don't act
Don't buy ten workbooks. Spend the first week observing — what does your child enjoy reading? Where do they hesitate in mental maths? Is spelling a strength or a struggle? Practice now with a short trial to get a quick baseline.
Week 2: Build a reading routine
Twenty minutes of reading a day, ideally aloud for some of it. A mix of fiction (to build vocabulary and inference) and non-fiction (to build stamina with denser texts) works best.
Week 3: Introduce one subject at a time
Pick the weakest of the four areas and start there with short, low-pressure questions. Avoid mock papers for now.
Week 4: A first short timed session
Set a 10-minute timer. Aim for engagement, not perfection. Celebrate the effort — the score isn't the point at this stage.