Exams are stressful – not only for kids but also for parents. Almost all students around the globe have to endure the pressure of exams, which can start as early as a few weeks to one month before the actual exam date.
The primary objective of each child is to outperform others or at least exceed their previous record. Parents must ensure their children complete their education and use their time effectively to prepare for their exams.
That said, kids need their parent’s help to study properly, stick to a study plan, and get their hands on the best resources and materials. Suppose your child is preparing for the 11 Plus exam; in this case, you will want to help them get their hands on the 11 Plus Practice Papers, essentially sample papers prepared by educational specialists.
This way, your child will get a better understanding of what to expect from the exams, and they will also be able to do better as they will feel less stressed about what is yet to come,
Nonetheless, as parents, you can do much more than you can imagine. Read on to learn more about how you can keep your children committed to preparing for their exams without making them feel exhausted.
Here is what you can do:
Start an Early Preparation
Instead of waiting for the last week before the exam to arrive, you will want to help your kids with early preparation. The best way to do so is to assist your child in managing their time effectively so they don’t leave anything for the last moment.
Pulling an all-nighter is out of the question, as it negatively impacts the mind and health. The last thing you would want for your child is to pull an all-nighter, which has no benefits. On the contrary, you will want to assess the number of subjects that your child has to cover, and then you will want to set up a study schedule accordingly.
You will want to divide the subjects and topics into time slots and days. While setting the timetable, you will want to ensure that your child gets breaks between the study periods and that they go out to play and have fun.
Set up an Ideal Study Space
One’s surroundings matter a lot when it comes to studying efficiently. As a parent, you want to create the perfect study ambiance for your child. Studying can be boring, and if there are many distractions around, it can be tough for your child to focus on the important task.
Similarly, you will want to ensure that your child has the direction to where they are in their study plans and what they should do next.
You will want to set up the perfect study space to make things easier for your child. Firstly, focus on minimizing distractions. Encourage your child to avoid studying in their bed – instead – you will want to encourage them to study sitting at their desk.
If possible – set up the study space near the window so your child can benefit from the natural light coming in. Also, you will want to ensure that the chair and table are comfy. You will want to ensure plenty of light in the room to help your child focus on their study.
Encourage your kids to take notes so that they can refer to the notes as last-minute referrals.
Understand Your Child’s Learning Style
Each child has a different learning style. Different kids’ learning styles are different, so you will want to understand your child’s learning style before you establish their study goals. Ideally, you will also want to assess your child’s learning style before creating the perfect study pace.
For instance, your child might be a better auditory learner than sitting down and reviewing the notes. In this case, you will want to encourage your child to record their notes and listen to them while on the go.
On the other hand, if your child prefers visual learning materials, you will want to include them in their study sessions. You can easily benefit from different learning platforms that offer educational content,
The underlying reason for understanding and assessing your child’s learning style is to make their study sessions easier. You will want to make things as easy and comfortable for your child so that they can study and learn better and ace their exam.
Establish Study Goals
Of course, your child won’t be able to cram entire chapters and sections. You will want to break the bigger goals into smaller goals and add one goal to their study session. This way, you can also give your child a roadmap to what needs to be studied and when.
Before establishing study goals, you will want to sit down with your child and go through their syllabus to determine the study goals. You can also do this before each study session to establish daily goals instead of weekly ones.
Get Friends and Peers Involved
You will want to organize their study sessions with their peers to motivate your child. By organizing the study sessions with their peers, you will help them stay motivated. The underlying idea behind organizing study sessions with friends is that kids can share their answers, which will help them boost their knowledge.
This way, kids will stay motivated to keep moving toward their goals. However, it is important to mention here that you will want to ensure that your child is studying when they are with their peers.
The last thing you want to witness is for your child to be distracted and play with their peers instead of studying. So, you might want to have a parental figure supervising the study sessions with friends.