Share your tips for helping your DC through the exam period with SchoolExams.co.uk – chance to win £300 voucher! NOW CLOSED

[EmmaMumsnet]

Whether your DC are at primary school, secondary school, or doing their A levels, exams can be a challenging time. SchoolExams.co.uk want to find out how you help your DCs through this period and for you to share any tips you have for making the process easier.

“You might not have the knowledge to help your child to revise for an exam, but you will be able to help them to gain the skills they need to maximise their success. You can also help to build their confidence, ease their stress and support them if things don’t go quite to plan. With experienced tutors, downloadable papers, and video tutorials SchoolExams.co.uk is the closest online experience which replicates the home tutor experience, at a fraction of the price.”

So how do you support your DC during exam time? Do you work with them on a revision timetable which includes planned breaks to help your DC stay focused and avoid last-minute panics? Or do you make sure they get lots of sleep and eat ‘brain food’ the morning of an exam? Is it a constant battle to get them to revise or are you more worried about them working too hard. Perhaps you are really involved and quiz them with flash cards on their subjects? Or maybe you're more laissez-fare, leaving them to get on with revision on their own.

However you help your DCs through the exam period, please share your tips below and you will be in with a chance to win a £300 voucher of your choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

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Planning revision times and mixing in enough relaxation time and also making sure the house is a calm and not stressed.

allow for plenty of down-time as well as revision . Relaxing, having breaks, regular meals and sleep are all essential for children to get through exams.

my boys are still young & just starting to learn about tests. my eldest had sats & youngest has weekly spelling so at this age i think it's really important to keep it fun & low-key. I don't make a fuss about it being a big test or put any pressure on them which is working very well

I help my DC with revision by giving a little test, asking questions to see what she remembers and what needs more attention.

Give them all the brain food i can find, make sure they have lots of breaks and let them know there is no pressure, i want them to succeed, and be happy.

Keeping their minds active with nice foods and drink. Plus making sure they get out between study so that they can relax.

a good nights sleep plus a treat after each exam

For A Levels
Depends on the child - mine were all so very different. I'd just think I had it cracked then the next child would be completely different.

Generally I just tried to be as supportive and nice to them as I could. I let them off their chores and I fed them well. I was also lenient if they were a bit moody or bad tempered which is something I wouldn't normally do.

I tried to help them feel excited and positive about the future. It should be an exiting time of your life but I think it can be hard to feel that way if you are really nervous about your exams. One thing I did with one of my DCs who was particularly worried about her results was help her come up with acceptable worse case scenarios - so we looked at a few lower ranked uni's so that if she really messed up she still knew what she would do. It wasn't necessary to do that with my other DC but it helped her.

I never nagged. I felt like it sometimes but it would not have worked with my DC. I'd always told them that they were responsible for themselves and it wasn't up to me to pressurise them. I know that wouldn't work for all kids though.

No last minute revision, it really doesn't help in the long run. So the evening before an exam I always used to go for a swim, or watch a film to take my mind off things and make sure I got a good night's sleep. I'll encourage DD to do the same when she reaches exam age.

At the moment her junior school doesn't tell the children or parents when the tests are to avoid anyone getting stressed about them!

With my DD we set up a revision plan a month before the exams start. She does 1 subject per night in two 45 minute segments. On the weekend I test her knowledge.
Night before the exam she reads through everything, on the day she has a good breakfast and takes a bottle of water into the exam with her.

A good study space free where they won't have any interruptions, lots of breaks and healthy snacks and a treat after an exam such as a meal out.

During exam time I help my son to make a revision plan, including the time he has to revise and the topics he needs to cover and time away from it too. I ensure he has regular breaks, and time to relax, some light hearted social time too when he can completely switch off. Adequate sleep and healthy meals and snacks are important too, plenty of fruit and veg and good sources of protein. Also making sure he drinks enough. Quiet space and time, with everything to hand so he can completely focus on the tasks. We encourage him to use lots of different resources so it isn't boring and uses the different senses, such as little quizzes, watching programs, work books etc. I think most importantly is to be their to listen and support, ask him what I can do to help and keeping things in perspective because it is important to help him manage any stress and realise he can only try his best. I also think lots of encouragement for his efforts, hugs, love and praise are always important.

DD and DS are both going through the final stages before exams just now. We pander to them, slightly. So, dinner is on the table and they clear up a bit but are excused without doing washing up. DD has started walking every day and this is part of a plan to help her to empty her mind a bit to stop her getting too pressure. I should just note, it is HER plan and we are particularly proud of her for coming up with it. DS is a a bit of an old pro at exams and just needs to be left alone, mostly. We do try to engage him about his work but also have to know when to leave well alone when he doesn't want to talk, or share.

I work in the school they both attend so we try to get all school related stuff out of the way after the end of the day - what happened to them, deadlines etc. That leaves the evenings free for them to do their homework. We also try to do one or two things as a family - they are more engaged in a film or conversation if we are all doing it together and that also helps to keep their minds free for an hour or two.

I think another thing is helping them to manage friendships at a time of stress. DD, in particular, needs to be with people who are organised and sorted and not her friends who are panicking and want her support all the time. She does support them, but needs to learn to do so as long as it is not at the expense of her own (precious) time or health.

Good food. Exercise. Support. A cuddle. Spending money on revision materials as well - that means that they have what they need and can relax as they can find the information somewhere in the house!

Make sure that they go to bed at a proper time and don't get to stressed.

My eldest sat his GCSEs last year and although it was a stressful time, he made it through by striking the right balance between work and rest. Together we made a timetable for revision with no more than a 2-hour stretch at a time; after each session he'd have a half hour break and come downstairs for a drink / snack / chat. Although you obviously want to encourage your child to work hard, it's important not to put too much pressure on. One of his peers was apparently shut in his bedroom for 6 hours on school nights and 11 hours at weekends / holidays, not even allowed to come out for meals. That smacks of utter cruelty to me, and the poor lad didn't even do well enough to stay on for sixth form. I think the pressure got to him. The best thing you can do is give gentle encouragement but let them know that as long as they try hard and do their best, you will be proud of them no matter what results they get.

Make revision something that is more than just reading notes alone in a bedroom. My mum took me to historical and geographical places on the weekends relevant to my GCSEs so I could get a real understanding, I had a colour coordinated timetable, with regular breaks and rewards for sticking to it. Book learning doesn't work for everyone, so make it come off the page.

try not to make too big a deal about it but advise them that as long as they try their best then that's all they can hope for

Oldest daughter needs to be told to take a break, and to feel comfortable that she has studied hard all year round... :)

Make sure you know your child's exam schedule & work out a revision timetable for each subject. Break up revision times into hour long sessions with a break at the end of each one. Make sure home life is kept as calm as possible, exams are stressful enough without the kids having to cope with other stressful situations

I tend to print off practise papers online to ensure they practise at home as well as at school. I also think sleep is very important and relaxing so therefore try to encourage them to relax before bedtime.

My eldest is 16 and has GCSEs coming up, my second is nearly 15 and is taking English GCSEs this summer. They are very different personalities. My eldest is a panicker who goes to pieces in exams so for her we have to play it down and explain how her results only matter in so far as it will help her decide on the next step of her life- ie exam success isn't everything. We have to do this as she isn't sleeping she is so worried. Her brother is academically very able and will sail through. For both I ensure they are aware that it is okay to fail at things, that success can come at all stages of life and that if it doesn't work out the first time, they can just keep trying. The key is to have faith in yourself.

Supporting through being calm, lots of patience and little treats

Make sure that they are getting plenty of sleep, (I also change my internet settings to make sure it cannot be used after 9.30 and before 6 for the period of revision). I want my child to do his best, but would not put any pressure on being a 'grade a student' as long as I know he is doing his best, then I cannot ask for more. I will pop up to his room after an hour with a drink of milk, or a fruit smoothie to keep him healthy and hydrated.

Having worked in classrooms in Secondary schools, my top tips are-

1. Every child is different and don't take the same blanket approach for all of them.
2. Your brain likes your handwriting, and will remember things you write, so make handwritten notes.
3. You only need about 20% of any given page, so don't simply copy or highlight everything.
4. Still make time for fresh air, friends and fun. You'll go crazy otherwise!
5. Encourage your children to attend any booster groups, extra lessons, revision classes etc. Teachers are there to help and want your children to do well!
6. Use revision guides and / or videos, such as those on YouTube.
7. Make sure you understand what you have to do in the actual exam. The amount of students who kill themselves trying to answer all 17 questions on a one hour paper, when they only had to choose three is more common than you think!

Most of all, be kind to yourself! You are only human!

Try to steer them away from only revising subjects they enjoy and are good at. Encourage them to interleave revision of subjects they are not so good at.

Also, no pressure, no shouting, no nagging, no threats. (well less anyhow - we are in the real world with teenagers...)