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Secondary education

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Original poster

Parents of Year 11DC support thread. The final term.

997 replies

OhYouBadBadKitten · 30/03/2016 14:53

Eep.

OP posts:
HesMyLobster · 04/04/2016 19:56

I loved Room, both the book and the film but I'm not sure it's one I'd recommend to DD - it's quite distressing.
I enjoyed Gatsby, in a gentle slow kind of way, but it's not one I'd recommend, not a lot happens really. The book thief is wonderful. As is Me before You which is about to be a film.
DD and I both loved the Divergent series (but hated the films) and also Delirium trilogy by Lauren Oliver.
To Kill a Mockingbird is the absolute favourite.

Bluelilies · 04/04/2016 20:09

Oh yes I read To Kill a Mockingbird recently - liked it very much, and also the recent one/prequel to it - Go set a watchman. Not remotely unsuitable for a teenager (unlike Room, which I do see your point with) though I wonder whether Go set a watchman is a book I appreciated more at my age than I might have done as a teen - it's very much about looking back at your younger life with an adult's head on.

Well, I've now got 6 days away from GCSE revision - DSD and DS have both gone off to spend a few days with their other parents (ie my ex, and DH's ex respectively) DS has insisted on being picked up by car so that he can take his computer to his dad's so that he can study, which I guess is a good thing. Bit of a hassle disassembling a PC, but he's done it before for gaming purposes, and seems happy to do it. I've tried to brief my ex on what study he needs to do, but relying mainly on DS to be on top of it himself for the next week I think. I'm off away for work from Wednesday, but DH is away at the moment, so just me and eldest DSD in the house today and tomorrow, which feels very quiet and calm. She has uni exams coming up but is the sort of child who never needs any prompting to study or organise her life. I think we're only now realising how lucky we've been with her - others are not proving so easy!

Dreamgirls234 · 04/04/2016 20:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

derektheladyhamster · 04/04/2016 21:05

Exit - sorry to hear about your dad Flowers

Re tassomai, DS has only been doing about 15 mins a day in it (about 11 tests) but he is still ahead. He's only using it for physics as that's his weakest science.

He's enjoying using Mr bruff and other you tube videos to study English.

Au79 · 04/04/2016 22:19

I like the sound of tassomai, but she is really just getting to grips with her revision plan for the remaining few weeks. Science is the stronger side as well, though that's her A level focus too so getting good grades in those is particularly important. Hmmm...

Now I think I'll let her settle in for a couple more days before introducing another distraction, she is likely to prefer it to getting on with some of her other subjects.

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 04/04/2016 22:49

oh Exit :(

OP posts:
ShanghaiDiva · 05/04/2016 03:24

Au79
Quizlet is worth looking at too - all free - and you can create your own flashcards and access others. Ds assures me there are science ones on there and I know his class created some for iGCSE biology revision.
Memrise - also free - is good for foreign language vocab testing.

needastrongone · 05/04/2016 08:23

Exit Flowers

DS is plodding on with probably too little revision here.

I have read Room, but not seen the film. I found it strangely uplifting. The capacity of the human spirit to withstand terrible circumstances and the protection of a mothers love in the darkest of places. Book Thief I loved too.

DD has read To Kill a Mockingbird and it's sequel.

Routine a bit out as DC are off and so is DH (more to the point).

BlueGazebo · 05/04/2016 08:31

Hi
I'm having a massive battle with DS to get him to revise. It's very disappointing. We have all the revision guides neatly lined up but most remain untouched. We haven't gone on holiday. He's happy to do the odd hour here and there with a couple of teacher friends but this is only once or twice a week. I can just about bribe him to do the odd past paper with me and watch the occasional You Tube but he cannot sit down and focus by himself. The dyslexia obviously doesn't help matters. I was looking at Tassomai - I guess it's not too late? Science is his best subject so important but it's not what I have been trying to focus on with him. Any other reluctant revisers out there?

raspberryrippleicecream · 05/04/2016 08:56

So sorry Exit Flowers

derektheladyhamster · 05/04/2016 10:01

Ds has a migraine today, but as its his brother's birthday, we'd planned a revision free day Wink
We've been away for the last couple of days so no revision, but I don't think D's drank very much - so maybe this caused the migraine?

With regards to reluctant revisers - I think the majority would rather be doing something else! With ds I had a rant at the beginning of the holidays which seemed to sink in Shock I have organised his notes (he's at boarding school - they were in a right state) and sat down every evening with him to plan what he's going too do the next day. A mixture of past papers, YouTube & conventional revision. I make him work out exactly what topics he is going to look at. He is ridiculously disorganised though Confused

MrsGuyOfGisbo · 05/04/2016 10:04

Also revise issues here. DS keeps telling me he has 'all that time he will be on study leave' to revise Hmm
He has Spanish and German orals immediately after going back so is supposedly concentrating on that. I have offered to help ( I am a MFL teacher Grin) but he prefers me not to, and tbh I would rather not anyway.
(Derek I love your name - we had one like you Grin)

boys3 · 05/04/2016 10:09

thanks to all those who posted about maths a few pages back. Able to casually enquire of DS2 about how to calculate the surface area of a cylinder, and received an immediate and accurate response and eye roll to go with it

Went to a revision morning at school yesterday, and one last week, both of which he felt were useful.

exit best wishes for your DF Flowers

Bluelilies · 05/04/2016 10:21

Gazebo - the only thing I've had any success with is to limit access to more fun things to do, and then hope that they get bored enough to crack on with some. Plus lots of encouragement when they do do some. Getting into a conflict situation when they refuse to revise because you're telling them to is not helpful - even though it's quite frustrating to watch them waste their time.

I've also allowed opt out of any family activities they don't want to do (eg coming to the park with younger siblings), or chores only on condition of doing some revision, which has worked on ocassion.

Icouldbeknitting · 05/04/2016 10:32

I've given up - he's doing some revision each day and although it's less than half of what I think he should be doing it's better than nothing at all. In the morning I ask what his plans are - "revision" is not an adequate answer and I keep going until he's tied himself down to subjects and topics. Once he's said what he's going to do then he's been good about doing it but it's obvious that he doesn't like German because that's very clearly the back marker.

BlueGazebo · 05/04/2016 11:44

So glad to hear I am not the only one struggling. I am also on the verge of giving up and usually do give up by the end of the day but not before some nagging, bribing, threats, begging, pleading and the like.

Au79 · 05/04/2016 13:13

I tried to suggest dd follow her normal subject schedule for each day and got my head torn off-she said spends far too much time in some subjects and not enough in others, for that to work!

I tried to say I only meant cover that subject on the usual day, not spend the whole day pretending she is at school slavishly following the schedule! got a dismissive "oh" for my trouble.

Advice please on Tassomai-there are two options-one crash course in all three sciences, meant for the last month like we are in now, or the full course-the thing is she is doing pretty well in sciences and is now trying for an A*-might it be best to go for the full course and she can bash through the bits she has secure already?

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 05/04/2016 13:21

dd is looking for videos to help make revising for french listening fun. I've found the app fluentu, but is there anything that you don't have to subscribe to, that isn't an app so she can watch it on her laptop?

OP posts:
ExitPursuedByABear · 05/04/2016 13:27

Thanks for the flowers and good wishes. He died last night. DD had planned a day off revision anyway as she has been invited to a friend's house with some others. They are hoping to book flights for a short trip to Mallorca between finish of exams and the prom.

Mysillydog · 05/04/2016 14:27

Exit I'm so sorry for your loss. Your whole family must be in complete shock. I really hope your dd doesn't take it too hard. I would let her school know once she's back, so they can give her support and understanding. I know that my dd would be in pieces if this happened, as would I.

boys3 · 05/04/2016 14:35

exit Sad It is a horrible thing to go through. I hope you and your family have many, many happy and treasured memories of your DF. They can never be taken away. Flowers

flatmouse · 05/04/2016 14:45

Exit, so sorry to hear that.

Icouldbeknitting · 05/04/2016 14:52

Exit, I am so sorry.

Shineyshoes10 · 05/04/2016 15:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

littledrummergirl · 05/04/2016 16:20

Flowers for exit. I am so sorry for your loss. Please make sure you tell the school so they can support your Dd. Hugs. X