8 tips for parents: exam revision
Exams are undoubtedly nerve-racking for families. Mums and dads watch over their children during holidays or ‘study leave’ and wonder how they might help. So, with that in mind, we’ve brought together our favourite things you can do to help secondary school aged children to revise effectively.
1. Consistent planning
Revision timetables are a bit like Marmite – some love the structure and routine; others see them as something that sets them up for failure – if they miss a slot they are immediately on the back foot. The important thing is that pupils studying for exams have a consistent plan that suits them. For some, that might be four hours of study spread across the day interspersed with other activities and rest periods. For others it might be a rigid regimen dictated by a chart on the fridge. Whatever their learning style, remember that consistency is the key to success.
2. Create the right working environment
Make sure your young person has a quiet space to work, with no distractions. Phones away and screens out of arm’s reach unless essential for work. Quiet music – without lyrics is best – can be acceptable but only if your young person can demonstrate they can work well with it on.
3. How to retain information
By the time your child comes to take public exams, ideally they will have found the method of learning and retaining information that works best for them. It could be reading and making notes, using flashcards or Post-it notes, looking at video clips, playing back recordings of their own voice, mind mapping or perhaps a mixture of these. A clutch of youtube videos produced for Radio 1, 1Xtra and BBC Bitesize is full of useful ideas.
Encourage them to use low stakes, internal school exams to discover their style so they know what really works by the time GCSEs and A levels roll around.
4. Check the exam specifications
All exam boards publish these, along with practice papers, exemplars of top grade papers and mark schemes. Your child’s school may make these available but if not the exam board website should help. The more confident your child is going into the exam (and revision), the better it’s likely to go.
5. Revision apps and online resources
The internet is awash with excellent resources that today’s parents could only have dreamed of. YouTube is a particularly rich mine of information with relatable tutorials, hints and tips available for every subject at every level. Your child should check the credibility of these with their teacher and ensure they are following advice for the correct exam boards before jumping in feet first. Other reputable online revision and study resources include:
These can aid revision and help to clarify areas your child feels less confident about – and turn dead time on the school bus or in the car into a consolidation opportunity.
6. Parenting to the max
Children feel the stress of exams more these days than ever before. So now is the time to bring out your best mumming or dadding skills. Be around as much as possible.
When the going gets tough, children really appreciate a cup of tea, a yummy treat or their favourite meal.
Children like parents taking an interest in their revision (but not taking over) and being available for your child to bounce off their latest memorised facts can help. And keep the kitchen cupboard stocked with delicious (preferably healthy) snacks. When the going gets tough, children really appreciate a cup of tea, a yummy treat or their favourite meal.
7. Encourage breaks and free time.
Regular breaks should be built into the revision timetable. It’s far more effective to do 30 minutes of focused revision – rather than plough on for hours on end and not get anywhere. Everyone is different and consistency is key, whatever learning style works best. This is backed up in research by academics at the University of Sheffield who found that learning is more effective when spread out over stretches of time. Exercise, fresh air, healthy food and lots of sleep are crucial. Also worth mentioning that a little light socialising won’t hurt. Seeing a friend for a walk round the park or rewarding a week of hard revising with a meal out or cinema trip seems reasonable to us.
8. Help keep perspective
Most important of all, help your child to keep everything in perspective. Remind them that their value as a human being doesn’t rely on how well they perform in exams. Their best is good enough. By the end of June the exams will be over and it will be the start of the long summer holidays. Exams can usually be retaken and there is never only one single route to your child’s desired career.
If you think your child might benefit from tuition during the run-up to exams, have a look at The Good Schools Guide’s pages on tutors.
