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(collaborative post) In our lives, we’ll have to sit numerous school exams.  The thought alone is enough to make many a grown adult cringe so it’s only to be expected for our children to be stressed at the prospect of yearly exams.  I studied up to and including degree level so am well versed in taking and preparing for exams.  It’s not fun, but, you can make it far more manageable by being prepared. This post looks at how you can help your child prepare for school exams.

 Effect of Exams and Peers on Children

The run-up to important exams can be an extremely stressful time in a child’s life.  This can also have an effect on parents and other family members. Whether it’s the Eleven-plus, GCSE’s, A-Levels or other exams, your child will most certainly be feeling pressure way before the exams begin.

Children will often discuss exams with their peers.  We all recall that one child that revels in the fact that they did better than everyone else.  This sort of thing can negatively impact a child’s confidence. Whether we realise or not the judgement of their peers can affect a child’s self-esteem.

How Can We Help Our Children Prepare for Exams?

Learning

The approach will depend on us.  Do we have the time and ability to help our children, can we pay for a tutor, private school, group learning etc.  I have explored various options myself and well all find which works best for our children and our situations.

State schools tend to be on average around 3 months behind private schools.  The main difference between the two is the type of child your child will be in a class with and in some cases how pushy parents will be.  Tutoring your child yourself can help as can bringing in an experienced tutor for regular lessons to support where required.  A cheaper option can be to use an after school tutoring centre where maths and English lessons are tailored to each individual’s requirements.

As children get older the work becomes harder.  We’re not all equipped to work at the higher levels and those of us that are may prefer to leave the work to someone else.  Let’s face it, many of us will have discovered by now how hard it is when you are attempting to teach your own child.  Children sitting A Levels may benefit from private tuition like that provided by this private college in London.

Exam Preparation

 Sometimes children are simply in need of a confidence boost.  Lack of confidence can affect children’s willingness and ability to learn.  It is important to begin preparations in advance.  Let’s take the Eleven plus preparation as an example.  You can’t leave this to the last minute, there is far too much to learn, understand, and remember.  In my experience learning and teaching, the best way to teach is to provide visual options and also repetition.  These can help reinforce the subjects in the child’s mind and also identify areas that will need revisiting.  It’s advisable to start preparations for this in year 4 and there are plenty of tutors that will teach children on an individual and group basis.

When a child approaches the GCSE level it is time to give them more responsibility.  Support them by all means but at this stage they should be preparing their homework in advance, doing research unassisted, etc.

Developing Confidence

Having instilled a good work ethic when it comes to studying it then becomes apparent that confidence will impact achievements.  It’s not all about academics we also need to look at ways to boost confidence and what better way to do this than via fun activities.  Encouraging a child to be competitive can be a good thing as long as you’re not excessive.  Overdoing it can take out the fun and affect friendships.

Competitive Sports

Allow them to create a sense of achievement by enrolling them in a local afterschool sports club.  A child who has already learned about putting in hard work through sports or other activities will have an advantage academically. Ensure your child has plenty of opportunities to thrive in a competitive environment. Sports such as football, netball, tennis, gymnastics and martial arts are great examples.

Other Options

Not all children are sporty.  There are however other ways to encourage children to develop confidence.  Such activities include learning to play an instrument, choir, drama etc.

Exam Revision

Revision is obviously important for exam preparation. The key is to prepare notes that are clear, concise and portable well in advance.  Flashcards are exceptionally useful in some subjects such as piano theory, languages, science, history and geography.  As a child flicks through their notes or cards repeatedly they’ll pick up parts and eventually will have learnt everything they’ve noted down.  These notes can be looked at in a quiet room and when they’re confident enough they can be tested by a sibling or parent.  The beauty of flashcards is that they can test themselves and as they get questions correct their confidence will grow.

Breaks are a necessary part of learning. Overdoing the revision sessions can cause burnout.  There is no reason for them to have to deal with any unnecessary self-imposed stress.  It can help to organise breaks around extracurricular activities that they enjoy.

Even if they don’t achieve the results they want the first time for important exams then in most cases these can be retaken.  It may not be ideal but at least the option is available.  If nothing else they’ll know what to expect so will be able to prepare earlier and more efficiently.

What would you suggest for anyone preparing for exams?

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Written by Melanie Edjourian.

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