Supplies and organising for year ahead

[Rosebud2005]

What kind of things are your teenagers using to keep them organised with their work? Mine has had folders in the past but last year refused to use them and everything ended up scrunched at the bottom of the bag. Also, where can we get past papers for n4/5 revision?

You can get past Nat 5 papers on-line from the SQA https://www.sqa.org.uk/pastpapers/findpastpaper.htm

Unless things have changed, Nat 4s consist of internal modules with no exams.

Yeah that’s right sorry. I was referring to some revision material for n4 x

What about BBC Bitesize? As well at the SQA.

This might be helpful too

https://young.scot/get-informed/national/where-to-get-help-when-revising-for-national-4-5s

You should get revision material for N4 on BBCBITESIZE. My DDs are fans of Pukka pads with dividers for subjects and colour coded plastic wallets . They then transfer into even more colour coded jazzy ring binders once they get home to prevent to bottom of the bag paper scrum! There is then pastel highlighting and other such fancies. Which was one of the saddest things to look at in March 2020.

Looking at what pupils in my classes do - most go for lightweight but sturdy plastic document wallets (labelled by subject lovingly by mum ) that they keep their jotter, handouts, printed stuff etc in a mostly organised way.

I am generally very impressed as I was a bombscare with my notes even at uni .

If you can afford it: one good bit of advice I got (I think it might even have been on MN ) was to take ds to OfficeWorld/Staples and say he had £50 to spend on what he wanted to get organised and let him decide on dividers, folders, pens etc.

As it happened, he said that wasn't necessary: but he has developed an addiction to a liking for to Red 'n' Black spiral bound hardback A4 notebooks to take notes/do revision in. And expensive gel biro pens that his dad likes.

The notebooks I bought for him while he was still at school (and got him some as an initial stock when he went off to Uni) but now that he's budgeting for himself at Uni, he has to fund that particular addiction himself

The pens he gets as "stocking fillers" at Christmas and I'm sure his dad slips him some when he's visiting and/or when we send him care packages

Both at Uni now. My Ds1 has a pad that you can upload the notes directly to your PC and DS2 has what Lidl describes above, it's quite a big pad but is divided into 4 or 6 sections. He seems to be using it and keeping the notes separate. They are very different and shows progression, this is from a while ago when they both brought home a school newsletter - I have to add that I had to extricate the one on the right myself from amongst the rotten orange peel and general detritus in his bag - sometimes whole rotten oranges....

Hi yeah I tell him all the time go on Bitesize. It’s got everything you need in there. He just doesn’t get that he really needs to start doing revision

Lidlfix - So do the teens being their own pads n things then? His always give them jotters which is why I never know whether I should buy some. You made me laugh when you said labeled lovingly by mum as that was literally me! ... I always thought great have him organised, he gets folders in class so these will be good for his homework. First and second year it worked, last year it was like there was an explosion in his bag every day. He always says I don’t need this, nothing matters, I don’t need to do that.... where do I start to get him into

Good question and I guess that will vary from school to school, so frankly no idea. I am not 100% sure what I can do regarding this with my own classes as all will be revealed on Monday...

For me the jotter belongs (in senior phase) to the pupil for notes, short tasks, group work etc anything that is being marked and which is potentially evidence is on A4 paper and handed in to me. There are rumblings of paper free .Or quarantined paper. Me - I'll dae whit ah'm telt

Quarantined paper?

Goes in a folder or drawer for 72 hours from pupil handling to teacher . I think I'll be digital submissions

Oh I see. I failed him miserably in home schooling. Barely any work was done at all. I just hope they don’t hold it against him this year and just start again somehow

If you both emerged through this a little tattered around the edges, with academic minimalism rather full on planned days of rich learning, but he is well and okay about school then you rocked pandemic pedagogy!

Zero expectations beyond coping!

Thanks x

If you're looking for revision guides and "how to pass" books, check out your local charity shop. I volunteer in one and we have DOZENS obviously none of which we sold this year. They'll go out after Christmas in preparation for the prelims.