The note
How schools teach it now
Schools teach shape properties (sides, angles, symmetry) in KS2, which helps. NVR itself isn't usually taught. The 11+ strategy: check one feature at a time across all the figures: shape, number of sides, size, shading, number of dots, position, direction.
5-minute kitchen-table activity
Lay out five items from the cutlery drawer or toy box where four share something (four metal spoons and one plastic one; four Lego bricks with four studs and one with six). Ask your child to find the odd one and say why. Swap roles.
Worked example
Which is the odd one out? (a) a square, (b) a rectangle, (c) a kite, (d) a triangle, (e) a rhombus. All are white and the same size.
- Check one feature at a time. Shading and size are all the same.
- Count the sides: 4, 4, 4, 3, 4.
- The triangle is the only one without four sides.
Answer: (d) the triangle
Common mistakes to watch for
- Choosing the first difference seen, without checking it's the only one.
- Forgetting to count sides, dots or lines.
- Missing that one figure is a mirror image of the others.
Encouragement
- Try saying
- “One feature at a time. That checklist really works.”
- Rather than
- “Just pick the one that looks weird.”