At the end of each year, it is commonplace for children to have to go through exams. Whether your child is taking practice exams or about to tackle final assessments, here are some tips to aid your child in going through the exam period smoothly.
Encourage Healthy Habits
First and foremost, it is important to encourage healthy habits during the exam period as kids can often get too caught up in the stress of exams and neglect their regular healthy habits. You can help your child by gently reminding them of the importance of regular exercise, eating a balanced diet and getting enough sleep throughout the exam period. Studies show that it is much easier to concentrate after eating healthier and fresher foods over processed and sugary snacks. Exercise is also a great way to let out excess energy and to manage stress when concentration becomes difficult.
Learning Preferences
Kids learn in different ways, so to help your child figure out how they learn best, let them decide what type of revision methods they enjoy using best. Some revision methods to introduce your child to can include mind mapping, use of headings, subheadings and bullet points for notetaking or the Cornell method. Some kids may find it easier to retain information when it is presented colourfully with diagrams and images, while some may find that a systematic and logical approach makes information easier to recall. Another way to promote revision is to encourage use of technology, especially if it is provided to the student by the school. Many revision apps and websites are available that can encourage different methods of recalling information.
Seek Out Extra Help
Group tutoring and private tutoring are great ways to get extra help for exam preparation. Often students may find it difficult to ask questions or approach a teacher during class. Tuition and tutoring may help a child overcome these difficulties as well as provide a personal learning experience.
Know What To Expect
Depending on the level and type of exam your child is taking, there will be different rules and requirements for the exam. It can be extremely useful to go over the exam rules and instructions with your child before the exam at home so that they know what to expect. This means going over scoring guidelines, test procedures, permitted materials for the exam, subject specific resources and useful study skills. Practice time management and time planning before the exam so that your child knows roughly how much time to dedicate to each mark.
During The Exam
Remind your child that staying calm during the exam is one of the best ways to ensure they perform at their peak. It’s also important to remember to write the answers on the correct answer sheet, write neatly and to show all working out as partial marks may be awarded for correct thought processes. Time management is also important, so remind your child not to spend too much time and energy on questions that they can’t figure out.
Plan A Post Exam Reward
The exam period can be extremely exhausting so a post exam reward is always well deserved. This could simply be a trip to the movies, shops, a meal out or a big sleep in the next day!
