Starting S4 for NAT5s in 2020

[BrokenWing]

Anyone like to join a thread for dc starting S4 and heading towards NAT5’s in 2020? Either if you have dc starting S4 this year, or if your dc have been through S4 already and can tell us on reflection what worked well and if they wish they had done things differently?

ds will get his new S4 timetable next week, dropping down to 7 NAT5 subjects, and will start the NAT5 curriculum the week after (english, maths, physics, chemistry, french, modern studies, PE).

Ds’s school had internal S3 exams late last year for his 9 subjects, 16 exams to revise for, all within a 2 week window. He left it all too late to begin and discovered there just wasn’t enough hours, he had to prioritise, didn’t really know how to study, his jotter notes were pretty poor and he felt under pressure. He did fine results wise, but I think it has given him a bit of an insight into next year’s prelims and exams and how important preparation will be and I want to get him into good habits early on this year.

It has been 30+ years since I studied for anything and have no idea on the best way to approach it, any advice? I’ve shown ds this short on revision cards and he is going to give this a go as he starts the first units of physics, chemistry, french, then use the cards to help revise for the end of unit exams and see if this is a tool that suits/helps him, he can also use them to revise the units prior to prelims and NAT5s. I’ve also bought some NAT5 revision books to supplement his notes. Do schools give out subject books in S4 or is it all on-line/note taking again?

Ds' advice (which he gave to our neighbour's ds who is a few years behind him) is that it is never too early to start studying

My advice re Nat 5 French is to practice a lot and to check how he is getting on with it. I only got 2 days to work with ds on his French Oral (I have a French degree but he'd refused to let me help ). I managed to help him a bit (and it was the only area in which he let me help) but I could have done so much more if I'd had longer

He passed his French - but dropped it for Higher

He did similar Nat 5s to your ds: Geography instead of Modern Studies and also Computing Science as his school allowed pupils to sit 8 Nat 5s. I think PE is now more difficult than when he did it. How good is he at his chosen sport? Or more relevantly, how thoughtful is he at it, as it's the planning, thought and review that makes the difference to the practical mark (ds is not only a brilliant player at his sport but also thoroughly geeky about it with an idetic memory of every aspect)

He crashed a Higher in Modern Studies in S6 though as he changed his mind about what he wanted to do at Uni (also took AHs in Maths and Physics) and is now studying Politics and International Relations at Uni

Agree with your ds! I think it makes sense to get into the habit of doing and organising his work/revision in a way now that he can then pick up again easily later.

I did French to O'Grade only in 1984 so unlikely to be of much help to him for that! He's not particularly keen on languages, but the way the columns worked out he didn't have much choice (he hated the only other subject in that column more!), but his teacher says he is good at it. He'll need to be pretty self sufficient on that one. He did the Duolingo app at home 5 days a week in S3 which helped, but I am thinking it will be better if he is more focussed on the NAT5 topics this year. I have bought him the Bright Red NAT 5 study guide which seems well laid out. He can do vocab and grammar on revision cards. There are quite a few NAT5 online audio resources for practising listening. No idea how he is going to practise oral with no French speakers to listen to him!

I think he'll find maths, chemistry and physics straightforward enough to revise. He loves Modern Studies, but needs practise in getting all the points down to get those marks. Hopefully that will come from proper revision and making sure he can easily recall all points rather than just recognising them when reading over.

English and PE I think will both be harder.

I should add that ds passed on that advice because he didn't start soon enough taking his studying seriously - in his own opinion, with the benefit of hindsight

Although he got good Nat 5 results, he could have got better especially his French .

One of the most important things is to understand the marking schemes - it’s all on the sqa website! Where possible get the folio work done and out of the way as soon as possible - I say this in the hope that someone’s DC will actually do this - my DC have always run as close to the deadlines as possible with all the associated stress.

Skint owner of 4DDs checking in to offer support. All but DD1 (about to graduate) came through the Nat 5 route. Also an English teacher, who loves job but has a questionable work life balance. DD4 about to embark on her Nat 5s exams this week

My suggestions- find out what texts are being covered in English ASAP. DC can read in advance and go to classes with an idea of what is going. Set up a study timetable (there are templates online) if DC has homework they can slot that in as revision. They may be looking at prelims as early as Nov so as others have said never too early.

Discover BBCBitesize, student room and other supports sooner rather than later. Prepare for pace and challenge to ramp up quickly . Help them organise resources- they will be given materials in May that they need next April- colour coded plastic wallets is a favourite of my DDs and pupils.

I know he has Sailmaker and poems by Carol Ann Duffy, can't remember what else the teacher said at parents evening. What else is it likely to be (might trigger my memory). Is it worth reading sailmaker before they start to study it in class?

DS1 found this really useful

www.amazon.co.uk/s?hvlocphy=1007397&hvnetw=g&ref=pd_sl_44qwf0u2ft_e&hvpos=1t1&hvdev=c&hvadid=259105528514&hvqmt=e&k=the+lazy+students+revision+guide&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&hvtargid=kwd-316403537248&adgrpid=51330468137&hvrand=1500832807558124791

DS2 never got round to reading it - that basically sums them both up.