Spring means year-end blitz, which means a marathon of revision and study for the many exams to come. We offer some tips to support your child in this stressful time.
Eat one bite at a time
Gulping down a slice of pizza in one bite might make us feel sick. We must rather take our time in order to savor it fully. It's the same with studying. Like the stomach, the brain can assimilate the maximum amount of information in a given time. This is why studying at the last minute the day before an exam is not very productive. Review a little every day a few concepts at a time: this is one of the keys to success.
Plan, plan, plan
Essential, planning is directly related to the previous tip. As soon as your child knows an exam date, invite him to put it in his calendar. Then, look at all of the material to be reviewed and divide the study by topic or chapter. What notions should he learn by heart? What exercises should he perform to master the material andfeel confident? Should he go to recovery periods or meet with a tutor?
Multiply the opportunities to study
You can also encourage your child to maximize their free time. Here are some suggestions:
- Working in the library at lunchtime, when there are no extracurricular activities;
- In the bus or subway, study instead of staring at your smartphone;
- Reduce by 30 minutes a day the time spent in front of a screen (television, video games, tablet…) and use this time to study.
Vary Methods
If a miracle pill to hold everything back existed, we would know! The only way to remember math or physics formulas, grammar rules or historical dates is to repeat. Fortunately, we can avoid sinking into monotony by diversifying our study methods. Here are some ideas.
Revision Tips
- Transcribe your notes in order to complete and structure them;
- Read aloud;
- Asking questions with friends;
- Design a Q&A;
- Write summary sheets;
- Do exercises (if necessary, ask your teachers).
Learning while having fun: what more could you ask for? For once, invite your child to study on the computer to play educational games. Here are some ideas.
Mathematics
- Slice Fractions(fractions –on Apple and Android)
- Pirate Fair and Captain Geo(geometry)
- End Rabbit(multiplication, division, addition and subtraction tables)
- Panic Pizza(fractions)
- Nethmath(exercises of all kinds)
English
- PP the archer (past participles)
- Gommophone (homophones)
- I agree (past participles and homophones, on Apple and Android)
- College center for the development of teaching materials (exercises of all kinds)
- French online (exercises of all kinds)
Geography
- Hello World
Finding a good balance
Working hard matters. But neither should your child become exhausted and stress invade him. That's why he should take breaks from time to time. Take the opportunity to go for a walk, play a family board game, eat a snack…
