When it comes to schools, the most dreaded time for both teachers and students is exam season. Times are stressful and tense and everyone feels under pressure to do their very best for their future. You will notice that your child may start acting different due to the fact that this is a very big stage in their lives. As parents, helping your child prepare for exams is vital as it can help reduce their stress levels which will lead to better concentration levels and higher quality of work being produced. Your child will seem more agitated, tired and hungry in this time so be prepared to support them through. Here is some advice from an independent nursery in Harpenden on helping your child prepare for their school exams.
Monitor your child’s school work. One of the best ways to understand where your child is standing when it comes to their academic development is how well they are doing in class. Look through their work regularly to see what they are doing in their homework as well as what grades they are achieving. Exams are always based on what is being taught in class so if your child is falling behind, it will show through their day-to-day classwork. Talking to your child’s teacher on a regular basis means they will be able to give you an update on how well your child is progressing and what they might need extra support with.
Understand your child’s learning style. Everyone learns differently. If your child is a visual learner, using methods that help an auditory learner will do no good for them. Your child will struggle to engage with the work and absorb information. By truly understanding what kind of learner your child is, you can help them use the right methods and resources available to help them with their studies.
Help them make a realistic study plan. Studying is something that many students struggle to do when it is down to self-motivation. At the start of the school year, sit with your child and lay out all the subjects and topics they need to cover before they start practicing for mock exams. This could mean your child sits down every day for even half an hour to go through some content. Begin light with some reading and small activities as it will ease your child into the heaviness of exam revision which can be overwhelming. Creating that routine and habit is what is key.
Practice exam papers. Mock exams are a fantastic way of understanding how long your child takes to finish an exam and which topics they need more work on. It is important your child gets used to the concept of an exam so doing it under timed conditions will help them deal with the pressure on the actual day better.
Make sure they eat well and get enough sleep. It cannot be stressed enough how important these are. Students will binge eat due to stress and study throughout the night. In the long run, this will have no positive impact and can lead to an exhausted child with low mood. Ensure they make time to have fun and relax as balance is what will lead to great results in their exams.
