GCSE revision

[funnylady]

Hi, any advice re how to motivate a teenager to revise for GCSE's. He is a bright boy, good grades predicted, but claims he "can't get going" with revision as he doesn't feel motivated. He will need to work to get the grades. Has any one got any tips/words of wisdom etc that may help. Thanks.

I'll be looking at this with interest too! DD's recent mock results were unimpressive, despite all the teachers telling me at Parents Evening that she is easily capable of A*s in each subject. She, on the other hand, says the mocks don't count ...

CGP revision books are very good and are available from their website (other revision books are available from bookshops). Past papers and mark schemes should be available from the school. Make a revision plan and encourage/bribe them to work through the plan. School should be setting regular homeworks too to help revision- if not chase them up.

However good the books are (and there are some good ones out there) they only work if the pupil opens them and reads them. I know it's stating the obvious but you can take a horse to water etc.. As far as I know the only way you can be sure is to sit with him and go every step of the way with him. Either that or pay for someone else to do it for you.
Bribery is good too.

DD's school is one of those fancy, top 50 independent schools who will want to keep their place in the wretched league tables, so I do expect them to guide her as much as possible. Having said that, they are very keen on independent study (which is a good thing!) so whilst I think the teachers make themselves available to answer questions and help the girls during study leave, I think it is unlikely DD will think she needs their assistance! She's the laziest person I've ever come across. Clever, gorgeous, lovely person, but LAZY!

Trouble with the revision guides is that they don't cover anything in depth. They seem to be great in terms of helping the students pass, but perhaps not so if you're trying to achieve top grades. We do have some but I'm not sure they're CGP ones, so I'll look into those. Thanks for the recommendation, empire.

They may no know how to revise. I would suggest giving them a task such as make a mind map or concept map (a mind map with words to describe the connections) on part of the topic. Also get them to draw up their own revision timetable, good nutrition and exercise are important too. Use of the BBC bitesize website is helpful, and their are other revison websites out there. If they are doing AQA you can access a lot of past papers too.

I'm quite happy for minor bribery at least to get them started (1/2 bitesize for 1/2 playing). Getting books opened and started is often half the battle.

Good luck!

I'm with you on the bribery front, Crossword. Although DD makes a packet from babysitting and a Saturday job so money is less of an incentive. I thought about saying that she wouldn't be going to the Reading Festival with her mates if her grades weren't what she is capable of achieving, but that seems a bit mean, particularly as she'll be nearly 17 and has paid for the ticket herself anyway! Oh, it's tricky!

I'm worried that I'm starting to sound like a pushy parent, which I'm not really (benign neglect is more my bag, as I'm always either at work or cleaning the kitchen floor!) but it is frustrating when I know she is capable of so much and has such great ambitions but lacks the discipline to sit down and do the revision. Also, I'd hate her to look back later and wish she'd tried harder, just for the couple of months necessary. Funny, perhaps we need to hold hands and share bottles of wine over the next few months!#

Hey ho, as you say, Cross - you can't lead a horse to water. And I don't want to do too much hand-holding as I do feel that by this stage they should be able to organise themselves or they'll never survive at university.

I rant - apologies!

Thanks.Yes have got the rev guides and school good with past papers. We suggested the revision plan for mocks but didn't really stick to it. Perhaps the odd bribe or two would work! He has taken it upon himself to organise a bit of after school revision so that is positive (yes def at scl when he says he is!). Just want him to feel more motivated to do the revision at home. It's frustrating as he has the potential to do very well. Perhaps i'm just panicking - need to calm down a bit!

I agree about not doing too much hand-holding. What I want for my DDs is independent study. And loads of it!
What I want them to learn is stick-at-ativeness (yes I know it's a made-up word) or tenacity or determination or something.
maybe some inspiring posters on the bedroom wall WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH THE TOUGH GET GOING or something like that.
Shouldn't someone make a DVD aimed at slow-starting teenagers to show them HOW to sit down and get their heads down? I'm sure parents would flock to buy it. Niche for somebody there ...

Well yes, but if such a DVD existed, I suspect the parents would watch it but the teens would be too busy watching CSI/Sweet Sixteen/the Disney Channel instead!