It's that time of year when children are faced with exams and revisions can be quite stressful on them. Most parents, having gone through revisions themselves, also suffer a bit as they watch their children stress, become agitated and worried.
Tracey Williams, parenting expert of iVillage.co.uk (and mum of two), the UK's leading site for women, along with leading experts has put together top tips on how parents can help their children survive exams, deal with stress and help parents deal with flaring tempers.
Before the exam Make sure your children know where and when their exams are.
Make sure your children know what they have to do and what they will need to take with them.
For each exam, make sure they understand the appropriate number of questions from the right sections and which compulsory questions they will have to answer. They should visualise themselves reading instructions carefully, planning time, answering questions and reviewing what they've written.
This is not the time for students to diet, take a new job or start staying up very late at night. Maintain a balanced lifestyle. Eight hours' sleep at night, regular exercise and a diet rich in fruit and vegetables all help performance.
The night before their exam, they should avoid cramming; relaxing and having a good night's sleep will be much more beneficial. On the day, they should start with a leisurely breakfast During the exams Stay calm! Calming relaxes the brain, information starts to flow and then children remember the things they knew all along. Also be sure they have a calm atmosphere around them.
Use relaxation techniques to control anxiety. Taking six, long deep breaths, and massaging the temples and behind the ears increases blood flow to the brain. If allowed, they should suck a glucose sweet and take sips of water. To keep working, the brain needs both. Be sure they take breaks as well.
Anxiety can be hardest to control. George Turnbull at the Qualification and Curriculum Association advises students to answer in outline if they are short of time. 'More marks can be gained by writing what you would do, outlining an argument or jotting down formulae without working through the actual calculations,' says Mr Turnbull.
Managing revision Planning is one of the most vital revision skills.
Students should start by making a list of all subjects, and topics within those subjects, that need to be revised (teachers will help draw up the list). They will also highlight areas of weakness that need extra attention. And they will know the grades a student is aiming for, which dictates how deeply a subject has to be revised. A student aiming for a C grade at GCSE needs to know less than a student aiming for an A grade.
Count the number of revision topics. Allot 15 minutes to each and then they should look at their daily routine to decide when and where they want to revise.
Now they should start making their revision timetable, filling in revision slots with topics until they have a master timetable, which details everything they have to do.
Students should start with a little revision time and build it up as concentration levels improve. At the end of each week, they should allow a few minutes in their timetable to review topics.
Always start revision with topics they dislike most and finish with those that they like best.
For a whole package of tips for students and parents during exam and revision time, visit www.ivillage.co.uk/parenting and click on the designated exam link from this page.
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