GCSE preparations...how necessary is this...?

[GypsyMoth]

DD due to take GCSE's this summer....am very supportive,trying to help with revision,gentle nagging tc etc

however,2 things....
first.....revision books....school seem to be flogging them,more than just making them acvailable,but STRESSING how usefull they are etc. recent parent/teacher consultation evening they were all on display to buy/order and all the teachers were mentoning them. how important are these??

second....group text and letter home about parents evening for maths and english revision information evening. i cant really make it. its 6pm,am a lone parent with younger children to sort out. how important is this evening??

i remember NONE of this kind of thing when i sat my exams. short of actually going in and doing the exams for them,is this amount of involvement necessary....feel like the worst mum in the world for not jumping at the chance to more or less force revision at this stage.

anyone got any views?

3blondeboys Also lots of cake and choc and food in general!!Take away laptop/phone etc. 45 min bursts are best imo.

DD had aload of revision books (VERY cheap as school bought in bulk, and it was a HUGE school). She liked them and found them user friendly.

DS then used them lower down his school as they are good for explaining/learning points needed for Homework where he may not have "got" it all in class straight away. e are now buying him the newer versions for himself.

8 hours a day revision for GCSE??? I doubt even that is reasonable for A2s. Revision guides - hmmm, huge money spinner.... however seem to work, but what happens if families can't afford them all (they do add up if you buy them for all GCSE subjects)

Um ,wasn't the poster who suggested advising 8 hours a day ,also advertising his revision guide and his website ?
Maybe I'm cynical but makes me think people will feel inadequateas parents advising kids on revision and in need of expert advice .
Tho I feel that without any posts suggesting 8 hours a day !

I did well in old-style O levels and A levels and no way did I do eight hours a day, five hours a week--and I was considered a swot!

You'd be so jaded you would be in no fit state to take the exams.

When I did my school exams in the early 80s, I basically followed the school timetable, so this could easily have been 5 - 6 hours of studying a day. I had revision books then too.

We recommend to our students to split the day into three sessions - morning, afternoon and evening - and study for two of these per day. This will work out to about 6 hours if they do that.

Thanks MmeB - as ever ,the calm voice of reason .

Revision guides are very good. Some children do revise well with lots of music. FB is probably a step too far though!
What?s really motivating is if you can give her goals and revise things with her ? like getting her to recite stuff which has to be learnt to you while she sets the table (maths/science formulae, vocab, dates). Repetition, repetition, repetition. Get her to do answer plans and go through them together - even if you don?t say anything knowledge-wise you can ask leading questions, comment on structure and I bet you she?ll remember a bit more than she did before.

Have days off from formal study but do keep up with the stuff that has to be learnt, especially vocab. It will only take half an hour a day but it?ll keep it ticking over. Have a ?French? day at home where she has to teach you as much French as possible to get through the day (or other appropriate modern language).

Following the school timetable roughly is a good idea unless she?s very weak in certain subjects, in which case I would halve the time she spends on a strong subject and reallocate it to the weaker ones Games lessons stay IN ? physical activity is vital to get the blood going round the brain. Every ?break? time get her to run an errand or play something active with her siblings.

I followed this pretty much for my A2s (I can?t remember about my GCSEs but I was away on a music camp for most of the Easter holiday) and I got 3As.

Learning can be fun (and I?m not just saying that cos I teach). Even if your DD just aims for that she'll end up doing more than nothing. No structure is the enemy of effective revision IMO.

thanks frak....good to hear a teachers opinion!! had a quick word with her last night,she feels ready now. organising a few afternoons and evenings out over the hols,but scaled it down.

she does like music on whilst working,which i know i find a total distraction myself,suppose we're all different tho!

Hi, I can give my opinion on science as I am a science teacher. The CGP guides are good for getting things into perspective and knowing what to cover. They are not comprehensive though.
The best thing I advise my students which is really important is to look up past papers. You can find about 3 years back on AQA website if thats your board. Then try them and then look up markscheme. Its amazing how many marks they lose by failing to answer properly. The mark scheme details what to look for in an answer. Do a few of these and you are in a good place. Good luck.