When my son was taking his GCSE exams, I don\u2019t know which of us was more anxious about them. I suspect it may have been me! It can be hard watching from the sidelines, hoping they have done enough all year, hoping they are doing enough revision now. Are they working, on their phones to their friends, playing games? Or actually learning some quotes and terminology? How should you intervene? Should you intervene?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One thing is certain, getting stressed doesn\u2019t help, and your child isn\u2019t going to follow any system imposed on them. They need to find their own way. But sometimes a bit of a nudge can help. These are some approaches you can try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Encourage your child to practise regularly by setting aside dedicated study time. This will help them to focus and get into a routine. Creating a revision timetable can be helpful for this. Make sure they take regular breaks to prevent burnout and encourage them to take some physical activity to help them stay energised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Encourage your child to keep a revision diary where they can keep track of their progress, important dates and upcoming topics they need to revise. This will help them to feel more in control and reduce stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This sounds obvious but you would be surprised how many students I have worked with who are getting close to the exams and can\u2019t tell me what the paper is going to look like. Make sure they know the exam requirements, what form the questions will take and what examiners are looking for. This will help them to focus on the most important aspects of the exam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Working through practice questions will help your child familiarise themselves with the exam format, test out their knowledge of the texts they have studied and apply their analytical skills. Past papers and revision guides are a good source. They can time themselves to help them manage their time in exams, and assess their own work against the mark scheme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Engage in discussions with your child about the texts they are studying. Ask them questions to help them develop their ideas and encourage them to explain their reasoning. This will help them to develop their critical thinking skills and deepen their understanding of the texts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Revision, and the approach of exams, can be a stressful time for students. Providing positive reinforcement can help to boost their confidence and motivation. Encourage them to celebrate their successes, no mater how small, and offer words of encouragement and support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So there you have a few thoughts to work with. Supporting your child\u2019s revision for English GCSE needs a combination of practical and emotional support. Encourage regular practice, help them stay organized, review the exam requirements, practise exam questions, discuss their texts with them and provide positive reinforcement. And remember, this too shall pass. Good luck!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
GCSE can be a stressful time, and it\u2019s hard for parents watching from the sidelines. Is your child actually working? How should you intervene? Should you intervene? In the end, it\u2019s down to them, but sometimes a bit of a nudge can help. These are some approaches you can try.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":300,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/susannahmitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/susannahmitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/susannahmitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/susannahmitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/susannahmitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=298"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/susannahmitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":389,"href":"https:\/\/susannahmitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298\/revisions\/389"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/susannahmitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/susannahmitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/susannahmitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/susannahmitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}