Any teachers revision techniques?

[Holdingtherope]

Any teachers give me a clue on how to support year 10 daughter to revise and get motivated. Just been to an awful parents evening where we were told she will be lucky to pass if she doesn’t put more effort it. I do t even know where to start but from tonight rightly or wrongly, phone is going away and she is sitting down with me to come up with a plan.

Please any thoughts?

Mindmaps. Especially coloured by subject/ topic area.

There should be videos online to help. (Sorry I don’t have time)

Ok thanks. I’ll have a google

Google videos: 'How to mind map to revise'

She needs to figure out which method of revision works best for her. I’m sure google will help with different ways of revising. I’ve got a PhD and have never found Mindmaps helpful. I prefer writing cue cards or notes.

For mindmaps, I would say use notes to create a mindmap. Then either turn it over or the next day recreate the mindmap from memory then use notes to add more.
Create flash cards.
Compress the info, so a page of info into a paragraph, then that into bullet points, then that into one sentence.
She needs to make sure she is doing something with the info.

It’s early in the year for the issue to be revision. What is the problem? General lack of effort?

www.learningscientists.org

Have a look at this website. They are cognitive psychologists and have done loads of research into the most effective study techniques. Their website is aimed at teachers, parents and upper secondary students so you will find some good ideas there for your DD.

She needs to figure out which method of revision works best for her.

If she doesn’t know by now, she needs to start somewhere.

Ignore the fancy mind maps - the point is they’re quick to put together, with colour to link ideas, not to make it look pretty.

It’s lack of effort, not handing homework. Coasting Other daughter has additional needs so I feel that I have neglected eldest and need to get behind her. She is struggling to get d equivalent at this rate

For maths (that's what I teach, so what I know about), the best way to revise is to do questions. There's a great website called corbettmaths where they have a video and worksheets (with separate answers) on each topic. So she could be doing a topic each week, revising topics they've already covered this year. Watch the video, try to answer the questions, check her answers, go back and correct any mistakes.

The same website also has "5a day" revision questions for each tier of entry. So she could try them as well.

If she is crafty then revision boxes or rooms.
GCSEPod if she finds it easier to listen and learn.
Look up the 'leitner technique'
Snakes and ladders board game
Kahoot!
And some that I can't think of off the top of my head

That’s amazing. Maths is one of the main ones where she is really struggiling. Just need a teacher from all the rest to help!

Over on the Secondary board you may like to join this thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3653238-Starting-Year-10-GCSE-2021

There is also a y11 one which is worth following for info on revision and getting reluctant students to study:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3626184-Starting-Yr11-Gcses-2020-Support-Thread-Edited-at-OPs-request

Year 10 you say?

Start with the basics.

Do the homework. Review the class work. Look ahead in text books and get prepared for school. Work on changing general attitude to learning.

No amount of mind maps will substitute for this imo.

What helped me was making my own notes on everything and then getting someone to ask me questions on my notes. So you can help her by asking her questions. If she's stuck give her hints until she gets it.

Ah well. A question is asked and you answer in good faith. Do the mind map/ don't so the mind map. It’s the same to me (not aimed at the op). It’s just one of a hundred ideas. I gave the one that works best for me. Others will give what works for them. What matters is that the op's dd find what works for her.

It seems to me (I have a y10 too) that 'effort' at this point is threefold:

1. pay attention and participate in lessons
2. do homework properly
3. put effort into revising for end of topic tests

Doing the revision for tests will be way harder if the first 2 haven't been done properly.

(We don't get parents evening until March).

Pull off past exam questions online / ask teachers for a bank of them - answer in one colour without looking at notes / revisionguide ect - test what you know already even if it's just bullet pointing stuff. Then use revision guides / notes to add to answers in a different colour pen. Helps to see what you know already and then what areas you need to work on.

I would also get strict with homework - sit with her if possible while she does it / check planner to see what has been set / set short term goals and reward if done - if you and her don't crack homework now there will be no hope when it comes to revision next year. You could also quiz her on what she has learnt that day - get her to teach you ect

That was a disaster she was awful to me. Said she wants to revise by herself. She has no homework. Why am I so different from everyone else’s mums. Why am I such a weirdo.

I have just lost my way. Single parent working full time, I have neglected her and worry it’s too late.

It's not too late - she is in year ten so plenty of time! It's also not your fault regardless of what the outcome of her exams are - she is responsible. You can help her as much as you can but she has to want to do it. In regards to her saying she has no homework get in touch with the school and ask for a copy of their home work timetable so you can keep an eye on what she should be getting. I would also be tempted to ask teachers for any support or ideas - form tutors are normally a good port of call for this.

What does she want to do after year eleven - perhaps have a look together at the grades needed for any courses she has her eye on might give her a bit of motivation.

Is she worried about failing and using lack of revision homework to cover this up. Some students prefer not to even try because they are so worried about getting things wrong.

Honestly she just seems to be lazy and unmotivated. I rue the day I got her a phone.

I am not academic atall and just want her to be her best but unless she meets me half way it’s impossible

It's highly unlikely she has (is she saying gets?) no homework. My DD is at a school which doesn't set much homework, but DD's load has gone up quite a bit with y10. In the weeks either sider of half term she has also had topic tests in all subjects which have needed revising for.

Does your school use planners with stamps for each lesson? Do you ever look in there? Missing h/w would be marked as such.

Does she bring exercise books home? Can you look in them to see what she's doing?

You need a way of opening communication. Maybe try asking her each day about a couple of her lessons. Make it clear that if she won't tell you then you'll have to be 'embarrassing Mum' and contact school directly. If you can get her to start telling you about topics etc, then you can ask how they are going, then say she needs to tell you about tests, then you can ask how revision is going for them, and what scores she got.

re Phone. It is out of her room overnight? Presumably you pay for it? It could be a good bargaining chip, but you might want to try other stuff first.

We are really early in y10, there is time to play a longish game.

There’s evidence to suggest that writing notes by hand (not typing) and speaking them aloud helps you to retain memories. Can she summarise what she’s learnt into notecards and then read them out loud to herself in her bedroom?

Everything I suggest she just scowls and doesn’t engage. I fear I have missed the boat

Holdingtherope it's not your boat to miss I'm afraid! It's very hard to watch, but the more you 'nag' the more she'll dig her heels in. Having just been through this with an incredibly bright but incredibly lazy DS, you have to accept that at the end of the day, you can't make the revise and that it's their exams, their results and if it all goes wrong, their situation to deal with. Our DS did really well in the end, but we (dad and I) were both rather disappointed that he didn't do as well as he could have done.

What we did was make sure he had everything he needed at home like revision guides, cards, pens etc. We did encourage him to go to the after school revision sessions on year 11, and actually in the autumn term in year 11 he asked if he could have some tutoring in science. The trouble is, if you push too hard your DD might push back harder and not try at all.

I'd advise having a conversation at some point where you lay it on the table, why you want her to do well, tell her you'll give her whatever she needs to help her when she's ready, make sure she eats well and gets lots of sleep, and try not to nag too much. I know how frustrating it is having to watch, but ultimately they're her exams not yours and she has to deal with them in her own way.