Tips for Parents to help with Revision for Exams

Know your child's examination timetable

make your own copy. Ensure your child has all the relevant materials ready for their exams
did they miss any lessons? Have they collected any materials that were missed?

Provide a calm and relaxing environment at home and ensure that the family is aware that your child needs to be left alone to concerate
Avoid 'nagging' and arguements: this causes unnecessary stress and loss of focus
Suggest 25-minute revision sessions with a 15-minute break
Re-test what they learned in the previous session
Ensure a mix of subjects are revised each day, perhaps one subject they most like or dislike and one they find 'ok'
Ensure regular breaks and exercise: this releases endorphins to stimulate the mind
Provide healthy snacks and water during and between revision sessions
Eating meals with the family can help your child to relax between revision sessions
A good night's sleep is vital before and exam, so discourage your child from staying up to cram - and make sure they eat a good breakfast on the morning of the exam.

Show an interest in your child's revision and ask them questions based on a topic they have just learned
Go through school notes with your child or listen while they revise a topic
Ask your child to list the most difficult topics in each of their subjects and ensure these are built into their revision timetable
Suggest they assemble all the notes on one topic, then condense them to for sides of A4 by reading through the original notes and prioritising the most important arguments, evidence etc. Then reduce those notes to to one side of A4. This can then be reduced again onto a card with key words on, to act as revision prompts
Flash cards, making notes, drawing flow charts and diagrams are all effective revision strategies to help remember important information
Take revision notes or flashcards/prompt cards with you on journeys to make good use of travelling time.
Teach them how to test if their revision has worked: you test Q&s;A style; they speak for two minutes on a topic; they write as much as they can about a topic for two minutes and so on
Time your child's attempts at practice papers and use marking schemes to help mark their answers. Read the examiner's report based on previous past papers to understand where learners make common mistakes.

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