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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I would help Ds with his timetable and give gentle reminders. I would also make sure that he has some relaxing time. He just came home from an after school study class and I asked him about homework- bad mum. He did remind me that he needs to relax too!

I make sure the kids eat and drink properly, that they are allowed a quiet revision time and that it's properly spaced not crammed in. That they go to sleep at a proper time the night before after having a relaxing bath and they have breakfast properly. All in all try to make it as stress free routine as you can. I might not be there to take the exam for them but can relieve them from any other stresses

My daughter has a great hard work ethic and needs no reminding to do her homework or revise, and as A levels are approaching, she is already working flat out. I believe a night off in front of the tv every now and again helps, and a family meal or cinema trip or even a massage is always looked forward to. Plus she visits the gym, which really helps with the stress levels. I am a lot more tolerant of her moods at this time, and help her with tidying her room and picking clothes up and washing them. After all in another six months she will be gone 😢

Study slots and reward slots. I try to help with revision where time permits.

Enough sleep, enough (decent) food, enough water, enough fresh air & exercise, enough breaks...

Plenty of encouragement & the odd treat for motivation.

Reminders that as long as they do their best, no one can ask for more.

Structure a revision timetable with them but don't forget to include lots of down time for them too!
Healthy snacks and plenty to drink to keep the brain healthy!

We are only at sats stage for year two but going down the laissez faire approach for now.

DS is just doing exams this year but we have put no pressure on him. Found teenagers to only study properly if they are motivated and want to study. We have offered encouragement and assistance and hope he does well. Fingers crossed.

Make revision timetables with the day in 4 blocks and ensure at least one is something they want to do. Each morning near the exams write a to do list for the day to stay organised but include thibgs like breakfast and brush teeth do they start the day by ticking things off and feel like they are achieving

I encourage my son to revise in short bursts, take regular breaks and get plenty of sleep each night. Limiting tech time is good too and reassurance

I am pretty hands on with revision and support as I quite like learning stuff alongside the dcs, especially with A levels as they have mostly done subjects which I never studied. I've tended to read their set texts and other textbooks so I have enough knowledge to discuss the subject with them, and help sort out their revision timetables. We often sit down together and write up revision notes. I also let them support them by reducing their chores and allowing them to just focus on the study and breaks.

I guess it's partly about the long game - lots of positive encouragement and instilling a 'can do' attitude from the outset. Starting gently with the revision early on to secure their knowledge enough to prevent panic/timewasting come the event. Encouraging them to recognise the potential gains in doing well (we offer a good reward for good results as well as more immediate smaller ones for working hard/doing their best). Upping the game with as much 1-1 as we can fit in approaching a test, with mini-tests to check areas for improvement with a big emphasis on fun regular breaks, relaxing evenings to promote good, restorative sleep and frequent treats and praise throughout to incentivise. And bribery for times when they're really struggling to get going with it. Also trying to maximise good nutrition and yes, I'm guilty of upping the 'brain' foods in the lead-up, mainly to feel we've done all we could to support them to do their best. And trying to relax & bite my tongue/cut them a bit more slack than usual with imminent exams to minimise any potential extra stressors - they've got enough on their plate & they're (hopefully!) working hard, so figure they deserve a bit of a break.

There are some great tips here and with a DS just having finished mock GCSE's (seems a lot later than other schools?) I would also echo good food, regular nutritious snacks and water, plenty of sleep but also not putting too much pressure on. My DS is pretty good and will organize himself to revise but just sometimes feel overwhelmed by the amount of work - all you can really do is support, help put things in perspective and help to organize their work if they are struggling.

I always remember my teachers telling us to work for 20mins and then take a break. I also really like one poster's suggestion of looking at the day as 3 x 8-hour chunks - revision, leisure time/sleep.

pomodoro app, study timetable broken into specific subjects, past papers practice questions, varying types of study so, doing mind maps, answering questions, doing bbc bitesize etc. providing a quiet place away from their bedroom for study. using encouragement and putting up a poster of their goals and motivation e.g. getting a Uni place, Cash reward, giving themselves options and choices in life, being available.

We also have a tiered reward system based on grades achieved, it encourages that bit extra effort required between doing just enough and getting a good grade.

Exam technique such as timing, re-reading the questions to make sure you answer what is asked not what you think is asked, looking at number of points available and making sure you mention that number of things in the answer.

making sure they know you love them and want them to do their best for themselves and not for you. Getting them to visualise success to encourage a positive state of mind.

Good breakfast/lunch on the day of the exam. Try to keep to a normal routine during exam leave so that suddenly having to get up early isn't a shock to the system.

I buy them all the revision guides, nag them to go to school revision sessions, and offer to help them revise.
Then I try and back off but the overall impression is a bit mixed, they tell me off for being too interested, but they also tell me off for not being interested enough. I clearly don't get it exactly right.

My son is not doing THE exams yet (in 2nd year at High School) but in preparation for the tests he has I buy postcards and let him bullet point key words in the hope that his brain will think oh yes and will remember what it is all about. He knows I will always help him (sometimes thanks to the internet) and, more importantly, I tell him just to do his best. Oh, and he doesn't revise for hours at a time, he must still have time to go out with his friends.

My tip is not to much pressure , what will be will be. My DD found her mind to go completely blank under pressure and therefore got a lot of simple questions wrong when both myself and tutors knew she was more than capable. I assured her that no matter what her grade will be, I will always be super proud. We made like a exam table at home and a timer where I could put her under some kind of pressure to finish an essay this was quite easy as not as strict at home compared to an exam in school. But with time to relax and not studying 24/7 my DD passed with flying colours, my motto reward your DC no matter what the outcome is and you will find that alone has less pressure on our DC :)

complicated but really really worth it. I bought a present for each exam ( approx value £1 ), wrapped each one, and put them on display the day before the first exam.. When DC came home from school they were allowed to open one gift per exam. It was anything from a comic, sweets, toiletries, a plant etc ( loads from Poundland etc ). This meant that as the pile reduced then the exams got less, and something to look forward to each time. I did this for the GCSEs and A levels for both of mine ( one boy , one girl ), and both thought it was amazing and really helped

It is important to give them space. But also if they are stressing then take them out for a meal or a takeaway just to distract them

Lots of good food - salmon, mackerel and greens. Hydration, fresh air, time to relax and moral support.
Can't go wrong

With SATs anxiety, we have told them that the tests are to assess their teacher's skill at teaching them to pass the tests and have little bearing on their eventual achievement.
GCSE are different as they NEED the basic qualifications as they enter the world of work, so lots of encouragement, quiet place to study, quality sleep and diet will all play a part.

ensure good sleep each night
allocate revision to each night and then test against it.
Internal prioritise to ensure done in correct order, so if looking tired the less pressing items get dropped

Plenty of early nights, a quiet area to revise and plenty of healthy snacks. I also make sure she has regular breaks and lots of encouragement and praise.

i order lot of flash cards so my son can practice he loves them and they helps so much we have regular quizzes. i also make snacks throughout revising times to keep him motivated lol