It can be a daunting task for parents to guide their children through the process of preparing for public examinations. As the summer exams approach, I offer this advice to help parents navigate the complexities surrounding getting adolescents properly prepared for their exams:
The important stuff
Keep things in perspective. Yes examinations are important, but they are a long way from being the be-all and end-all. Make sure your child knows you love them for who they are whether or not they go on to get stellar results.
Create a happy and secure home. Somewhere they feel safe. Eat together as a family if you can, restrict screen time, and model respect and humility. It's far more important to be kind than clever.
The practicalities
Give your child a space where they can work independently and quietly. This is easier for some families than others, but do all you can to make it work. Serious study cannot be achieved with younger siblings running around, or with the TV on, or scrunched up on the sofa. A desk, a lamp and a comfortable chair in a private room is the ideal as a minimum.
Encourage your child to draw up a revision timetable and stick to it. Work back from the dates of the exams and make sure that there's time for everything. During the holidays children need time off, but they also need to study. I recommend four hours/day at GCSE and six hours/day at Sixth Form level. This may seem like a lot, but this is their one chance and it's competitive out there.
Show them how to break down these long periods of study into manageable chunks. The Pomodoro Technique is an excellent aid here. A Sixth Former might therefore do four Pomodoros and then have an hour off. Another four then have lunch and finish off with four in the afternoon or evening as fits in with their other commitments.
Encourage them to build in breaks for exercise (vital) and socialising. In the case of the latter, though, these holidays will be a little different. They can't expect to succeed if they are spending too much time with their friends. Focused study needs isolation. It will end soon...!
Make sure that they have what they need for their particular examination specification. Their school should be able to provide you with a list of specifications if you ask. Better schools should also provide revision materials and advice; they will have also drilled students on what they need to do over the holidays.
Emergency provision
I sometimes hear from parents whose children return home for the Spring Break completely lost as to what they need to do. Perhaps circumstance has meant they've missed a lot of school - illness, war, political uncertainty and economic misfortune have all affected children to a greater or lesser degree in the part of the world where I currently teach. Often pupils in this situation have very little in the way of written notes, they have no idea what will be in the exam, and they don't know what they need to learn.
In these situations, I often point parents to the CGP Guides. These are specification-specific and tell students exactly what they need to know in a clear and easily readable format. They are also available as digital versions for those who cannot get access to the printed version. Here for example is the link to the Edexcel Maths IGCSE Digital Revision Book. They exist for all other mainstream subjects too.