Support and guidance around 'study'.

Boys with Level 1, 2 and 3 classes have now received their School Exam Timetable for Weeks 8-9. 10Wt know they have their practice Cambridge exams then too.

So now is the time to start planning to study for these assessments. 

Effective study requires specific attention, regular breaks, regular exercise, good sleep habits and good nutrition.

We will have a Study session for the boys with specifics on how and where to study and to organise a study planner. There are some tools on the school website too.

However, boys could take some advice from parents and caregivers too. Two things now could be to work out where to study and how to get usable study notes.

1. Where your son could study and how that fits with the household is a useful conversation to have. If it is at the kitchen table, then ‘when’ will be a factor to talk over. Having a separate space might be useful if available. Some boys will need a quiet place to make study progress and some will prefer to listen to music while they study. Knowing what works for the individual is important.
2. Turning class notes into useful revision study notes is an ongoing process and something that can already be underway. This is especially so when there is no particular homework assigned. Just reading over class notes will not help memory – the task of turning them into something else is the memory helper. Their subject teachers will help with the information they need to prepare for their exam papers.

The following study notes ideas that might be worth your son considering:

• Summarise main points into short statements
• List Definitions with examples
• Use lots of colour and highlighting
• Use Mind maps and diagrams
• Use Flash Cards or Fortune Tellers to quiz yourself
• Make things stand out by using headings, subheadings, bullet points
• Use Mnemonics eg SEER paragraphs, 4 Ps, etc…
• Create Sayings eg ‘burger’ essay structure; remember spelling rules such as ‘i before e except after c, when the sound is ee’, etc…
• Record your notes – listen to them while exercising or sing them!
• Teach someone else how to ... Record the lesson and watch it.
• Find an App for your device – mind mapping, note-making, quiz apps.