All Years 7 – 9 will be undertaking exams in just two weeks. Preparing for a Semester’s worth of work can be a daunting task. Below are some simple tips and tricks that you can use to support your child in preparing for the end of year exams.
Brain Dump:
A brain dump can be a fast and effective way to seeing what they know vs. what they don’t know. Each student will be given a list of topics to revise prior to their exam. Set a timer for 5mins and ask you son and/or daughter to write everything they can remember from that topic onto a piece of paper. These could be key words, diagrams, flow charts, dot points, sentences, anything that they can remember. At the end of the timer, they can then use their books to fill in what was missing by reading their notes and adding to their brain dump list. This helps them to focus on what they don’t know or don’t remember rather than focusing on what they do know.
Glossary Words:
All subjects have their own language. Whether it be Year 7 Geometry in Maths or Year 9 Biology in Science. Glossary words or cue cards are a great way for practicing and revising words. Cue cards are small pieces of paper about the size of your palm with the word on one side and a description of that word on the other. Students are then encouraged to read them every single night to learn the “language”. You can help support your son and/or daughter by quizzing them on the language. Read the word and ask them to give the description, any words that they don’t know are the ones that they need to revise.
Revision should be done in short bursts no more than 30 minutes at a time with a 10 minute break in between unless they are completing a practice exam. Setting a timer and providing a space where students can be supervised by older siblings, parents and/or guardians will ensure that they do complete the work. Remove all devices and turn off notifications. Exams are completed by most students at the end of Year 12 and requires as much practice as possible to improve on exam taking skills. At Antonine we provide these opportunities for students in all year levels to complete as many practice exams as possible to build these skills and support their learning. Thank you for all that you do in supporting us to help support your child. If you would like any extra advice or specific study skill recommendations for your son and/or daughter, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s Year Level Coordinator who will be able to assist you.
- Ms Laura Adamson