Let ‘Operation Exam Season’ commence! Thursday 11 April 2024 Dr Kathy Weston is the founder of www.tooledupeducation.com and the parent of two teens. The Grammar School at Leeds partners with Tooled Up Education to give parents and colleagues access to hundreds of resources on all aspects of parenting, family life and education. Supporting children and young people through what can feel like a small academic marathon requires stamina, not just on the part of the young people facing the exams, but also on the part of their family! It requires us to think more holistically in terms of family support. How can we help them feel organised and in control of the volume of work they need to get through? How we ensure that they are revising effectively and not just sitting in their bedrooms gaming? How can we motivate them without nagging them? How we ensure they are nourishing their bodies and minds whilst they revise? Know, you are not alone Currently, you might feel like the only parent in the world facing the challenge of supporting a child or even multiple children through the preparation for high stakes exams, but you aren’t alone. Thousands of other parents are going through the same thing, at the same time. We know that it can feel daunting and maybe even anxiety-inducing when you consider what lies ahead for your child. We know what it feels like to want to do your best for your child, so they can give every paper their best. We know you might be losing sleep wondering how the next few weeks might pan out. We hope our tips and the resources embedded within them, help you feel empowered and confident. Organisation is key Before getting into the nitty-gritty with your teen about revision plans for each subject and what they feel worried or confident about, let’s get our ducks lined up. Let’s think about ensuring our teen has everything they could possibly need ahead of the revision period starting. Start with the basics. Do they know when their exams are? (some teens can’t bear to think about this, some will already have schedules printed out and highlighted on the bedroom wall). Either way, make sure all dates are in family diaries and double-checked. Try not to get too annoyed if your child isn’t sure (easier said than done!) and instead ask them to jot down things they don’t know and need to know. Consider together how they can find answers to these questions or omissions. Do they need to ask a friend, a teacher or form tutor? Have they done that? Stay calm and positive, modelling the fact that you are a team. Praise them for working through these organisational points. Does your child have all the tools they need to revise? For example, a working calculator, mathematical equipment, squared paper, colourful post-it notes? Is their computer or laptop working optimally? Do they have a favourite pen for exams, and can they get used to using that now? Are their notes organised per subject? Do they need to go through a pile of notes on the bedroom floor and work out what goes where? Can you support them by listening as they make piles and start to feel better as they feel more organised? Tools vary across subjects, but it is helpful to do a small audit now rather than later! It is also a good juncture once they feel a bit more organised to ask them how they feel about each subject sitting in front of them. Discuss Expectations, Managing Stress and Finding Balance Just at the time revision is required and exams are upon them, teenagers also have a perfectly normal drive to socialise and engage with one another. Some won’t want to miss their friend’s big party at any cost. Some of them will be dating and worry about when they will see their boy or girlfriend if school is out. Others will be working or have sport and other commitments. Yes, they have lots of their plates, and we want to map all that out, so we are avoiding arguments the night before a big exam! Ask them: how can I help you find balance over this time? Let’s sit down and think about what you want to accomplish and how you are going to take care of yourself too over the weeks ahead. This conversation involves mapping out realistic revision schedules (even for a week at a time) coupled with a realistic discussion about small treats and things to look forward to at the end of each week. Some teens may not care about these incentives, other rely on them. You are the judge. Planning to partake in a football match (for example) or to see a friend in town after an effective revision session at home can work brilliantly, bolster mental health and reduce anxiety. However, attending parties and sleepovers during exam season can obviously inhibit sleep, academic performance and have an unwanted knock-on effect on concentration and learning. Talking to your teen and agreeing on potential plans of action that feel good and doable is advisable ahead of time. You will know intuitively that sport and exercise are terrific activities to pepper any revision schedule with (even a walk around the block after 30 minutes revision can enhance learning and wellbeing). You will know what works for your child in terms of ‘feel good’ factors and the more we can amplify those in family life at this time, all the better. Nutrition, energy drinks and allergies How will your teen fuel themselves over the revision and exam period, so that those brilliant brains are working optimally? A good supply of nutritious revision snacks and avoidance of things like energy drinks is optimal. It won’t surprise parents to learn that these drinks are not something that will enhance your teen’s mood or performance (quite the contrary). Other concerns: It is around this time of year (spring) that allergy parents can feel concerned about the impact of things like hay-fever on their child’s exam preparation and performance. You are right to consider this issue early. Get advice now from your doctor or pharmacist regarding proactive and preventative measures to ensure your child feels as good as possible for the period ahead. Revision is underway, but is it effective? You might see your teen sitting down to get some work done, but what are they doing? and is it working well for them? Setting small achievable revision goals per subject, per day, can work well as teen have a sense of accomplishment at the end of each day. During these days, we can support them in multiple ways. Firstly, we can try and ensure home is as quiet as possible. We can potentially adjust working patterns to ensure an adult present during key revision periods (or that grandparent or family friend can pop into see them with lunch!). During break times, we can ask them to teach us something (which can feel undemanding as a task, and yet is a powerful mechanism for helping them recall knowledge). We can offer to test them on something, notice when they are making progress and comment on their tenacity and perseverance. Ahead of the revision period, ensure they have read available guidance that is subject-specific, that they know where to get past papers from. Do they need a login, for example, to a particular site? Ask them what works for them, and does it vary per subject? As revision begins, some teens might start to feel overwhelmed and anxious. They might realise they don’t understand something or know less about a topic than they thought. Reassure them that revision is about just that; working out what we know, don’t know and going over it again and again until we feel like we have grip or mastery of it. They can test themselves in different contexts and with past papers until they begin to develop confidence. Praise them for having the courage to get stuck in. Examiners are people too The thought of examiners marking papers can be enough to give us all excessive butterflies in tummies, but it is worth reminding our offspring that examiners are just people after all (typically teachers and parents themselves) and that they absolutely want the best for them! Sometimes it can be helpful for students to visualise an examiner as someone kind, compassionate and supportive, perhaps sitting in a deckchair over the summer happily marking our teen’s paper. Knowing we are writing for someone, who has our best interests at heart, can help reduce those pesky nerves and steady that pen in hand! Registered GSAL parents can access the full version of this article along with other resources here.
