The note
How schools teach it now
Compound words (football, sunflower) are taught in Key Stage 1 and 2 spelling. The 11+ adds a twist: the join is often hidden, as in car + pet = carpet. The strategy is to try every pairing in order and say each one out loud.
5-minute kitchen-table activity
Write ten short words on cards (car, pet, sun, rain, foot, bow, ball, flower, cup, board). Take turns pairing them to make real compound words. Bonus points for sneaky ones where the sound changes, like carpet (car + pet).
Worked example
Pick one word from each group to make a new word. The first group's word comes first. (hat car fog) (pet lid ten)
- Try hat with each: hatpet, hatlid, hatten. None is a word.
- Try car: carpet is a word.
- Check fog too: fogpet, foglid, fogten are not words.
Answer: car + pet = carpet
Common mistakes to watch for
- Stopping at the first word that sounds nearly right.
- Putting the second group's word first.
- Missing joins where the sound changes, like carpet.
Encouragement
- Try saying
- “Say each pairing out loud. You're checking all nine, that's real care.”
- Rather than
- “That one's so easy, why did you get it wrong?”