Free lessons for NSW Selective, OC and NAPLAN
Short concept pages with worked examples, written for primary school students in Australia preparing for the NSW Selective High School Placement Test, the Opportunity Class (OC) test, and NAPLAN in Years 3 and 5. Read one, then practise it.
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Years 3 to 6
Apostrophes that behave
Apostrophes do exactly two jobs: they show letters are missing, or they show something belongs to someone.
Years 4 to 6
Area and perimeter without mixing them up
Perimeter is the distance around the outside. Area is the space covered. The units tell you which one you are working with.
Years 4 to 6
Comparing fractions confidently
When denominators differ, rewrite the fractions so they share a denominator, or compare each one to a landmark such as one half.
Years 4 to 6
Equivalent fractions
Different fractions can name exactly the same amount. Multiplying or dividing the top and bottom by the same number keeps the value unchanged.
Years 3 to 6
Finding the main idea
The main idea is what the whole text is mostly about, not the most interesting detail in it.
Years 3 to 6
Making inferences from clues
An inference is a conclusion the writer implies but never states. Good inferences point at specific words in the text.
Years 3 to 6
Place value to millions
Every digit has a value that depends on where it sits. Once you can name those places, big numbers stop feeling big.
Years 3 to 6
Planning a narrative in five minutes
A short plan protects you from running out of story halfway through. Decide the problem and the ending before you write a word.
Years 3 to 6
Reading column graphs carefully
Check the scale before you read any bar. Most mistakes in data questions come from assuming each gridline is worth one.
Years 4 to 6
Solving deduction puzzles with a grid
When clues describe who has what, a small grid turns a confusing paragraph into a handful of ticks and crosses.
Years 3 to 10
Speed, distance and time
Speed is how much ground you cover in a chunk of time. Once you can see how the three fit together, you can always find the one you are missing.
Years 4 to 6
Two-step word problems
Write down what you know, decide what the question actually asks, then plan the two steps before calculating anything.
Exam strategies
Managing the clock
A simple pacing plan so no question is left unread.
Eliminating options
Ruling answers out is often faster than working the answer forward.
Reading the question twice
Most careless marks are lost on the last line of the question.
Approaching Thinking Skills questions
A repeatable order of operations for logic questions.
Working through a Reading paper
Read the questions before the long text, not after.
Writing under time pressure
Split the time so planning and checking both actually happen.
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