Crack Open the Christmas… Revision Cards

With the festive season upon us, your child is likely to be in the midst of academic throws: there are exams to revise for; prelims to prepare, and homework galore!
Whilst your teenager may not feel fully in the festive spirit, you can be sure that the Christmas holidays are a good time for a bit of balance. As a revision provider ourselves, our intensive courses are fast—approaching! We offer the perfect opportunity for your child to secure 3 days of the holidays to devote to our revision classes (giving them a bit more freedom for festivities during the rest of the holidays.)

Prelims are ahead!

When your teenager turns back to school in January, many Scottish educators will be putting your child into prelim exams. These mock papers are really important- they can’t be underestimated for how well they help your child grow in confidence, knowledge and revision skill. Once completed, prelims are also a good indicator of predicted grades, and how your teenager may fair come the final exams in the summer. For those applying to university, predicted grades may secure an early offer, so preliminary tests are a priority!

Revision Cards

Therefore, it’s imperative your teen does some revision over the Christmas holidays to stay on track. Flashcards, mind maps and quizzes are great for revision in general, but particularly for this time of year, they’re excellent for knowledge recall (and getting family members involved, too!) As a parent or guardian, offering to run through revision flashcards or suggesting you quiz them on topics can be a great way of supporting your teenager at this time. Whether it’s National 5s, Higher or Advanced Higher that your child is working towards, we provide a range of core subjects to fuel and feed your child’s revision process.

Over the holidays, your child is likely to want encouragement, motivation (and probably ‘a prod!’) to crack open their revision cards. Our courses are the ideal solution. Working with peers can sometimes be more effective than working alone, and our environment gives a highly-focused working environment.

All of our teachers are experienced school teachers many are also markers for the SQA, so offer a wealth of experience and knowledge of exam technique to our students.

Test a Peer

Also, there’s no reason why your teenager can’t use the holidays to study with a friend and test each other! Putting in the hard work- whilst they’ve got some time away from school- is what makes the difference in grades. Students who are willing to go that extra mile typically find themselves more confident in their road to success. Revision Cards Boost Confidence

Confidence is so important in tackling exams. As adults, we can empathise. We know that going into something you feel good about, makes for better outcomes. So why not sign your child up to our courses today; plan ahead, and make sure they have revision resources to hand over the two-week break? Getting effectively equipped and creating those revision cards over the Christmas break is an excellent use of study time. To achieve top grades, your child needs to act on some revision during the Christmas break. January will be a rough ride without it!

Find out more about our Prelim course here.

See More Here: Crack Open the Christmas… Revision Cards

Santa, Socials and Studying

The festive season presents your child with the perfect concoction of wanting to join in with all the fun; at the same time as studying for prelims and beyond! More than any other time, your teen needs to juggle the Christmas holidays, finding the perfect balance between festivities and hours to revise.

Joining our revision classes is the ideal remedy to strike a balance over the Christmas holidays.
There will be an expectation for your child (taking National 5s, Highers or Advanced Highers,) to revise over the break, but what better way to do this than in a motivated environment of like-minded peers? Christmas is a time where many of us feel social: it’s a lovely time to see family and friends. It’s healthy for your child to feel included and not ‘out on a limb,’ just because they need to study for exams.

Also, our courses span a 3-day period, so they don’t have to miss out on festivities the rest of the time. Balance is best.

Our courses are led by SQA teaching specialists, so the expertise and input we offer will be impactful towards your child’s success. The school holidays are an excellent time for securing knowledge, as well as taking a ‘breather.’

For many Scottish students, preliminary exams will be the first hurdle to face when they return back to school in January. Prelims are a vital part of the exam process. Not only are they there to ‘practise’ taking tests, but prelims give your child a great insight into where they’re working at, and what sort of grades they are to expect.

The results of prelims may also give your child guidance: which areas do they need to devote more study to next? Which subjects do they feel most confident in?
In terms of the academic year, Christmas is usually the ‘midway’ point. Remembering this is helpful. Not only can it be encouraging to think that half the hard work is already done, but it may be the ‘push’ that your child needs to re-focus and work hard after Christmas (knowing that there’s not much to go until the final exams!)

After Christmas, the next big ‘break’ your child will have is likely to be Easter. This is the next time when Scottish teenagers have a two-week window to really get on top of their organisation and revision at home. Easter is the next period that we offer our highly-recommended revision courses, too. It’s advised to book these in advance and secure your child’s place as soon as possible.

Lastly, being prepared and planning for the year ahead will help your child in the months ahead. Knowing timescales, and breaking revision down into clear chunks, will certainly make the process of ‘studying’ much more manageable!

Revision courses are ideal because, not only are they led by subject specialists, but all material covered is relevant and directly delivered to the SQA exams your teen will be taking. In addition to this, we find that students really excel at a revision when they do this in a purposeful, guided atmosphere.

In the mean-time, allow your teen to enjoy the festive season, but do set aside time for studying- and prepare for what’s ahead!

Source Here: Santa, Socials and Studying

Should Apps be used for Revision?

Screen time is so different for each family. Often, you’ll want to encourage your teen away from their screens as much as you can catch the chance, but sometimes you can use their devices to your advantage!

When Apps Work

There’s a wealth of excellent apps out there (do your research first, though) that are designed with teenagers in mind. Whatever the subject, there’s no doubt there’ll be apps your child can utilise to do some revision with. The main thing that apps can be helpful for is for boosting knowledge and revising factual information. Many apps work through online quizzing or ‘flashcards.’ Also, there are often lots of helpful videos and tutorials to be discovered, too.

When Apps Can’t Compete

However, it’s imperative that your child doesn’t rely on apps alone to revise. One of the most powerful, proven techniques for revision is to work on practice papers- and this type of activity can’t be competed against! As a revision provider ourselves, we know how important it is for your child to have opportunities to practise exam questions and techniques. By doing this, your child gets the incomparable experience of not only putting their knowledge to the test but honing their timing, skill and ability to work under pressure!

Also, our revision classes guarantee your child will be guided by a subject specialist for their SQA exams. Having access to an expert, and attending our specialised revision courses, is the best way to cater to for child’s revision needs. No app or online activity is likely to compare to real-life opportunities to talk through questions and absorb an expert’s knowledge!

App Aspects to Avoid

It is wise for your child to avoid apps that offer ‘chatroom’ style elements- even if they are linked to studying and revision! You never really know who your child might end up talking to, which can leave them vulnerable and exposed.
Instead, if your child wants to revise with others, it’s best this is done in the flesh! One of the best ways to work with like-minded peers is to join one of our excellent revision courses: we provide a focussed environment where our small groups allow your child to flourish! Our 3-day Christmas holiday courses are almost fully booked, so we advise you secure your child’s place as soon as possible.

Independently, students can quiz themselves by creating flashcards or utilising online tools or apps.

Apps Aren’t for the Future… Yet

As a final thought, there’s pros and cons to using apps for revision, but a big factor to consider is what is useful for your teen’s future. Whilst at National 5s Level, you’ll likely find an abundance of apps geared towards this age range, but apps just won’t cut it into Highers, Advanced Highers, and on to university (yet!)

The level at which your teenager needs to work at will be deep and detailed. Your child must be able to adapt later on and step up to advanced academics- which only reading, writing and research skills can effectively prepare them for.
Therefore, when it comes to apps verses conventional forms of revision, the majority of revision still needs to be traditional!

Read Full Article Here: Should Apps be used for Revision?

Tackling Tough Longer Written Questions

Longer written questions: they’re a bit like marmite! Some teenagers thrive off them; others want to run for the hills!

The thing is, long written questions can certainly be one of the most intimidating and tough aspects to face when it comes to exams. Not only do these typically hold a large portion of marks, but long written questions demand many skills from your child.

Plan and Structure

Firstly, your child needs to be able to plan and structure their writing effectively. Answers that are well organised and show clear direction are far more likely to gain marks.

Be Succinct

Secondly, written questions require your child to be focussed and respond relatively succinctly to a question. Students often find this confusing, but what they’re really being asked to produce is a quality piece- and not waffle.
Your teenager needs to provide depth, and often analysis, which is a very challenging thing! In order to do this, your child needs to have an excellent and detailed understanding. This is why it is so important that they revise! Additionally, by attending our revision courses, you can be assured that your child will be exposed to excellent subject knowledge from our expert teachers, who lead our SQA classes. We offer these for students taking National 5s, Highers and Advanced Highers.

Practise

Our next set of intensive courses span a 3-day period just after Christmas. This is the perfect time for your child to truly start practising longer written questions, as their prelims are ahead. Looking to the long term, by rehearsing this type of question, your child has a much better chance of mastering these in the coming months- ready to smash it in the final exams!

You want your child to feel confident about examinations- so do we! Our brilliant revision classes walk your child through top techniques and past papers, providing opportunities to see ‘how it’s done.’

To improve, keep practising and keep preparing to make progress! Every mark won will be a factor towards your child’s overall success. See every single mark as important.

Learn Key Vocabulary

Lastly, with longer writing tasks, your child needs clarity in using key terminology from their subjects. This is where revision is vital: flashcards, drill tasks or quizzes can help for keyword recall. Preparation like this will help to familiarise and boost confidence for written exams.

Lots of youngsters get used to being on laptops, phones or tablets, but it’s a given that your teenager must be prepared to write at length for exams (unless access arrangements are in place.) Subjects which demand essay-style pieces are often some of the longest tests in terms of time: exams can last between 2-3 hours! The only way to get good at this is to keep working at it and trying practice papers realistically your child needs to rehearse this type of activity at home if they hope to succeed.

Ultimately, the last bit of advice is to: write, write and write!

Article Source Here: Tackling Tough Longer Written Questions

Homework’s Role in an Exam Year

Homework is designed to consolidate and build on what your child is learning at school: it can help to improve their grades and knowledge. Especially when it comes to exam years, homework is vital to secure the best marks possible: your child will need to put in the hours at home to ensure they’ve fully familiarised themselves with the syllabus.

Younger students at secondary school can expect 1-2 hours per evening, whilst exam-taking students can expect homework tasks to take them 2-3 hours per evening. This may sound like a lot, but do remember this is for a short burst of an academic year or two.

And homework tasks come in different forms, too, so your child doesn’t need to be doing the same thing over and over- depending on the subject. As a revision provider, we know that variation aids revision study, too.

Homework Helps Secure Knowledge

Homework really helps when it comes to preparing students for examinations. In the first part of the academic year, it is likely your child’s teacher will be setting tasks to extend or secure your child’s knowledge. As the year progresses, many teachers start to set revision-style activities for your child. As a revision provider ourselves, we know how imperative it is for your child to revise! By studying outside of school, your child has the best chances of success. We offer external revision courses that provide your child with the chance to work with like-minded individuals, guided by a subject specialist.

Homework Helps with Strategy

Sometimes students can feel a bit unsure when it comes to their homework, and this can stem from a lack of confidence in strategy or application. However, by attending revision sessions- such as ours- your child will gain a surge in confidence, as well as be equipped with effective knowledge and applied revision.

Sometimes class teachers will set essay questions or practice exams for homework. This might be because there simply is not enough time in lessons to complete this type of activity in the full time. Therefore, your child must do some of this preparation outside the classroom, and our intensive courses set your child up to answer questions effectively!

Even though many parents struggle for time or you might not be around when your child is completing their homework, aim to set aside a bit of time each week to help. This year, homework is really vital.

Homework Helps the Next Step

Finally, work completed at home is an expectation. As your child progresses academically, the expectation increases. If your child intends on taking academic pathways, then National 5s act as a stepping stone towards Highers, and then this springboards into Advanced Highers. These levels then prepare for University- and so forth.

Even if your child isn’t planning on an ‘academic’ pathway, then future jobs, apprenticeships and courses will often require young adults to show willing. There’ll be times in your teenager’s life where they need to work without someone ‘watching over them,’ and homework is a great way to embed this. Additionally, taking the initiative to join one of our revision courses will expand your child’s knowledge, which they can apply to their future homework tasks!

Originally Published Here: Homework’s Role in an Exam Year

Where’s the Best Place to Revise?

‘A coffee shop, a friend’s house or in my bedroom…where do I want to revise today?’ your teenager may wonder!

Whilst you want your teenager to be comfortable in their studying environment, it is important for them to consider where is the BEST place for them to revise? Where will they study most successfully?

This can vary from student to student, but it is certainly something that you and your teenager should consider. The thing is, one of the biggest problems when it comes to revision is… avoiding distraction! Therefore, your best bet is to consider the places that are ‘least distracting’ for your teenager.

Study Places

Firstly, an external revision course is an ideal environment for teenagers to study. We offer provision for SQA National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher subjects- outside of school. Our revision courses are highly regarded because of our small-group, intensive approach, with subject specialists leading each class. These are experts in preparing young people for these exams, and it’s the perfect setting for your child to revise successfully.

In addition to this, libraries with ‘study rooms’ are obviously ideal places for your child to revise (and your child’s school may well have its own devoted library or study space!) The peace and quiet of these types of areas will encourage your child to focus and concentrate on their work. Teenagers should not underestimate the need for quiet working… their exams will be in strict silence, after all!

At Home

At home, it may not always seem so easy to find a space for your youngster to study. Whilst they may ‘set up camp’ in their bedroom or across the dining table, there may well be other things going on in the household such as siblings, TV and the general chaos of family life! That said, your child should still do revision at home (it’s not an excuse to avoid it!)

However, as a parent or guardian, you may wish to consider your teenager’s working environment and think about creating them a space in the house (your teenager will probably have a lot of books and folders start to accumulate over the year!) Perhaps getting the rest of the family involved, too, by having dedicated ‘downtime’ to do homework or paperwork may mean your teenager gets a bit more peace and time to work.

Revision courses are ideal because, not only are they led by subject specialists, but all material covered is relevant and directly delivered to the SQA exams your teen will be taking. In addition to this, we find that students really excel at a revision when they do this in a purposeful, guided atmosphere.

Out of the House

Your teen may wish to work with a peer. Whilst a ‘study buddy’ is often encouraged, your teen will need to choose a peer wisely. Perhaps getting in contact with someone who your child has been on a revision course with might be a good idea: a benefit to external provision, such as ours, is that your child makes acquaintances on an educational level. They meet like-minded individuals who they can work with and you could consider a safe and mutual place for them to continue as ‘study peers.’ (Maybe the coffee shop isn’t out of the question completely?)

See Full Article Here: Where’s the Best Place to Revise?

What’s the Point in Prelims?

Firstly, as a parent, it’s vital you grasp a hold of how relevant prelims are. If your child is at Highers or Advanced Highers Level, you might find prelim results are used as predicated grades on UCAS forms, too! Therefore, the outcomes of your prelims can make the difference in where your child is offered a place at university.
In addition to this, prelims are a really important part of plotting where your teenager is at- and what they still have yet to do, whether at National 5s or beyond!

Prelims Indicate

By the time the prelims come, your child has typically completed a great deal of their academic learning for the year. Whilst there will still be some more to come, your teenager will find that a lot of classes turn to revision and consolidation lessons as early as Easter. Therefore, prelim results are typically a very good indicator of how your child will fair in their final exams.

With this in mind, your teenager should take their prelims seriously. This is why, as an external revision provider, we offer courses during the Christmas holidays- which run intensively over 3 days. Our reason for doing this is that we found students want to be guided through their revision, especially so close to these practise exams. Additionally, our excellent SQA courses are led by subject specialists, so at a time when your child may be distracted by the ‘festive spirit’ (and they should have time to enjoy this, too!) you can be guaranteed that there’ll be time for ‘proper’ revision!

A Practice Run

Some students find that prelims make them feel a bit wobbly: it can shake some students’ confidence. It’s the first shot at what the ‘real thing’ will feel like, and therefore the process of preliminary exams can make some teenagers feel worried and unsure. But that’s exactly why prelims can be great for your teenager! It offers your child the chance to ‘practise run’ the whole process to ensure they are feeling much more confident by the final exams.
Our revision courses are a great way of boosting your child’s confidence for this. We work in a highly-motivated environment, led by knowledgeable experts. By signing up to our courses, your child has an excellent chance at feeling a boost of confidence as they walk into their prelims!

We encourage working on sample papers as it’s an excellent way of preparing for what the questions will actually be like- and how your teen will be marked. It’s the closest form of rehearsal that your child can get!

SQA-Prelim-Revision-Courses

A Real-Time Rehearsal

‘Mock’ papers- if nothing else- are also a great way of rehearsing timings. No doubt, the first few times your child completes a practice paper, they’ll find the timing is a shock to the system! Depending on your child’s style, they may find they completely run out of time… or that their answer is too limited. Prelims are the perfect time to suss this out and make a plan to ‘crack timings’ in the coming months.

Finally, prelims are the most realistic run-through your child’s going to get. It’s a bit like preparing for a driving test: you’d likely perform all the manoeuvres during the lesson before your test. Prelims are these manoeuvres: they are your child’s chance to have a go before they do it for real.

See Full Article Here: What’s the Point in Prelims?

Taking the horror out of homework 🧟🧛‍♀️🎃

🧟🧟

Monday everyone is too tired, Tuesday you have something on after school, Wednesday it’s all forgotten, Thursday is almost Friday, and now half the weekend will be taken up with fighting through a mountain of homework three quarters of which the information has been forgotten.

Firstly, don’t panic, with a few tweaks you can make sure that your child can keep on top of things.

Do they need homework?

There’s substantial evidence that homework, in secondary school, leads to greater academic achievement. The amount of time secondary school children spend on homework varies hugely around the world, depending on the pressures and expectations of each country.

In the UK our 15-year olds spend on average 4 and a half hours on homework, whilst in China, an average student spends almost 14 hours a week on homework. In the UK some students spend twice as long, with many reporting at least an hour a day throughout the week.

Homework is set for many reasons. Often teachers want students to do the reading about an upcoming topic, preferring to spend the class time working on practical examples when students are more likely to need teacher support. Practise does make perfect, or at least a lot closer, so homework is an opportunity to refine and cement their skills, and lastly, often students don’t complete their work in lesson time. Rather than putting them at a disadvantage by moving on to another topic before they’ve had the chance to complete the work, most teachers will ask them to complete the work at home, giving them the extra time they need.

Let them teach you

Ask them what they did that day and have a chat about the topics they went through. Try and get them to explain to you what they did, what they understood and what they didn’t understand. Even if you’ve never heard about the topic before you can listen and try and work through it together.

Study Time

Give them a set time to get things done without distraction. CGP has some great study tips and sample timetables here.

This time should be as important as school, it’s not time that can be eaten by TV or games, but should be just for revising what they did that day and doing their homework.

Golden Time

Some students work hard in lessons and during homework time, others are a little less dedicated and may waste time. But it’s still important that all their homework is completed. Set aside homework time and a golden time session of an hour or two on either Friday or Saturday. This is time to finish everything that wasn’t completed during the week or treat time. If they need to use the time to complete work that’s what it’s there for. If they complete everything to the right standard in their normal study time, this can be used for watching a movie as a family, or a trip somewhere nice. It’s important than rather being a punishment for not completing the homework normally, that it’s a reward for completing everything.

It’s also a great way to encourage students that might be perfectionists to draw a line under the work and move on.

Be encouraging

Yes, there is nothing better than getting home from work and putting your feet up. But homework is shown to improve student outcomes. Your children are looking to you for the way to approach homework. So, whip up that enthusiasm.

I wanted more advice on my prelim/exam and wanted to check I was answering questions properly. I really, really enjoyed it and learned a lot in such a short period of time. I’m very glad I went.

Nicola – Higher Biology – Prelim Revision 2018

Ask for help

Yes, this sounds like a plug for tutors, but we know how hard it is to help a struggling student, and for you as a struggling parent. Identify which subjects they’re struggling with and book a tutor once a week, or book onto one of our revision courses  Not to help with the homework, but the help them understand the topics the homework is about. Most students report not doing homework because they didn’t understand the topic. Let’s not handicap them further when they’re already struggling to complete an important part of their education.

Original Post Here: Taking the horror out of homework 🧟🧛‍♀️🎃

When is the right time to start revision, the answer might surprise you?

We tend to think revision is what comes at the end of the term. That there is a set time to start revision, and for most that are months away. Many students regard revision as something they do in the last week or two before their exams. Revision of that kind is simply cramming

But revising the days learning each evening can start a great habit that will pay off.

It’s too easy to take a lesson and then put your notes away till next time. This is why teachers spend the first part of the lesson recapping previous lessons learning. But what if there was something you didn’t understand from a previous week. How can you learn more if you haven’t learned the starting point?

Plan to revise starting now.

CGP have some great tips, including some sample timetables for revising. Follow the link and download from the first tip.

Treat revision as a part of homework. Rereading their notes before starting homework, and maybe checking some definitions online, before practising their new skills can make the world of difference for the following lesson.

Plug gaps now.

It’s too easy to assume that something they don’t understand now will be filled in before the exams. But the reality is that in a fast-paced classroom students can fall behind. Once they’ve lost their academic footing it can be hard to catch up as the rest charge on ahead.

Get them into revision sessions.

Revision sessions are a proven way to improve grades, starting soon and getting more sessions in before the exams can be a great boost if they have important exams in the next year or two.

I thought I’d get some help to better understand the topics I’m most anxious about. The course couldn’t have been any better, it was hugely helpful and I feel great about my revision.
Alex – National 5 Maths – Christmas Revision Course

When is too soon.

Are they only just starting high school? It may seem ridiculous to try and start revising years before their important exams, but this is a crucial habit that can make a huge difference at every stage of their learning.

Don’t forge the basics of revision

This infographic from Inner Drive gives a great outline of ways to revise.

See More Here: When is the right time to start revision, the answer might surprise you?

Active Listening: Learning to Listen Well

Listening. That’s easy, right? Sit still and listen: that’s all your teenager has to do…
Unfortunately, it’s not as straightforward as that. Listening and ‘active’ listening are quite different: it’s the latter that will help maximise your teenager’s learning. So, what is active listening?

This type of listening means: remaining engaged and understanding the speaker’s delivery and intent; avoiding distractions, as well as making eye contact/watching body language that accompanies the speaking. It’s tricky because- as we all know- it is much easier to do these things when we find the subject content interesting, and your teenager is unlikely to find every single lesson interesting!

Even when they do, it doesn’t mean that they won’t zone out or start to ‘drift off’ once their teacher starts talking. Active listening is focussed and purposeful.

Keep Involved

As a revision provider, we know the importance of keeping teenagers engaged and involved in their study. Our revision courses are intensive and impactful. They are led by a subject specialist who will guide your teenager through all they need to know for their SQA exams. Therefore, when it comes to actively listening, your teen can be assured that everything being delivered to them will potentially have an impact on their exam results. Our experts are experienced and knowledgeable, providing your teenager with top quality revision support.

Squash Distractions

Another way of getting your child to listen well is to squash those distractions! In a classroom context, this may be anything from having a chatty friend right through to a general classroom murmur that can ‘take away’ from the ability to truly listen to one voice. It’s not always easy, in a big, busy classroom, to fully hear and retain everything the teacher says. Smaller revision sessions, therefore, are an excellent way of giving your child the chance to zone in on what an experienced teacher has to say. Our revision courses are run in small groups, giving students the perfect chance to succeed and truly focus.

Ask Questions

Another tactic to improve listening is to encourage your teenager to ask questions. In order to ask questions, they must be zoned in to what they are learning. Even if your child doesn’t feel they want to ask questions out loud, perhaps suggesting they write questions down- even if they think they know the answer- is a good way to practise ‘active listening’ (and may make great prompts for revision later!)

Lewis is very thankful to all the teachers who delivered his higher subjects course over the Spring break.
He found all the teachers extremely helpful and he is much happier to take the exams now.
He is looking forward to the all day revision courses held the weekend before the exam.
Parent – Easter School – 2019

Summarise

Finally, note-taking can be good when listening to a speaker… but at the same time, if your teenager doesn’t know the meaning of what’s being said then there might not be much point writing it (unless they actually intend to find the meaning later.) Instead, your teenager might benefit from writing themselves a ‘summary’ after they have listened to a speaker. This encourages them to solely listen to all of the content before doing anything with it.

There are many ways your child can learn to get better at listening- and there are many ways that they can maximise their revision techniques, too.

For more ways to support your teenager, we recommend signing up to our excellent revision courses.

Article Source Here: Active Listening: Learning to Listen Well