• How to support your child with revision
• Coping with Exam Stress Booklet

Managing Stress

Exams are stressful. So is revision. There is a constant fear of being found out, of not being good enough, of opening an exam paper and finding you can't answer any of the questions. The fear of having to face your parents, your grandparents and your friends when your results are lower than you expected.

Some things parents can do to reduce stress:

• Encourage them. Point out what they're good at. Tell them daily what they do well. Make mention of past success, current success with revision, success in previous exams.
• If you look at their work, do not point out their errors, point out what they've done well.
• Get them to invite their friends round. Shared revision makes it easier, makes it more fun.
• Every now and then, do something together you've never done before, or haven't done together for a few years, like baking or going for a walk.
• Don't join in the general anxiety; be calm and reassuring.

Environment and diet

A healthy diet, important always, becomes vital at times of pressure. Fresh vegetables, fruit and water are the most important. It is best to reduce sugar and fat. Fish is supposed to be good for the brain.

Students need a place to revise which is quiet, calm and comfortable; the most important is quiet.

The following downloadable documents were shown at the Parents' Evening and are designed to help your child's revision.

• Blank Revision Timetable
• Mind Mapping
• Revision Advice for parents
• Revision resources and sessions
• Terminology Testing- Using Flash Cards

• Writing to Discuss
• Writing to Explain
• Writing to inform
• Writing to Persuade
• Writing to Recount

Children whose parents take an interest in their homework do better in examinations.

But what can you do? How can you actually help? We hope that these notes might offer some suggestions.

Some things you can do

• Talk to them about their homework; about what they're doing, what they find interesting in it, how long it takes them. They don't always want to talk about it, especially as they get older, but it is the way of discovering what they are doing at school.
• Check ClassCharts with them to make sure they have not missed anything.
• Find ways of making homework more enjoyable. It is possible, for instance, to use the Internet for additional resource material. You can come across games that can make both homework and revision much more fun than just reading from a textbook.
• Set times and the place where homework should be done. Once students have established the habit of homework they find it much easier to settle.
• Do make the homework environment quiet and comfortable. Make sure there are no distractions like TV sets / games consoles etc. on in the background.
• Do encourage and praise your child when they are doing their homework. Point out what they have done well, build on their successes. Success and the feeling of success is the great motivator.
• Approaching exam time especially, everyone is apprehensive and nervous about doing as well as they can and worried about making fools of themselves. As a parent, you can encourage your child to learn new things and develop their skills.
• Do help them with homework but don't do it for them. Help them find answers but don't simply tell them. You might think you are helping them but you are actually putting them at a disadvantage. They will become dependent on you to a large extent. It also doesn't help teachers gauge what areas the child needs to develop.
• Don't criticise your child if they make mistakes with their homework – everyone makes mistakes and it is important for their teacher to see these to identify misconceptions.
• Don't underestimate the importance of homework as for students in years 9 to 13 homework is a key part of their learning; studies show that for this age group it makes a significant improvement to their progress.