Get ready for Mid-year Exams

Preparing for exams is a skill that young children have to learn to ultimately succeed at school.

Children in Primary school will need help from parents or tutors to manage the workload and to plan ahead. It is important to take into consideration your child’s age and to assign work accordingly. The most important part a parent can play, is to minimise the anxiety by not setting unrealistic goals. 

Here are a few tips to help your child prepare for the exams:

• Go through the textbook and notes with your child and check if there are any areas of concern. Address these with the teacher well in advance.

• Create a study schedule that is manageable and will not discourage your child. Most importantly, stick to the schedule.  By ticking off a section that has been completed, your child will get a feeling of accomplishment which in turn builds confidence.

• Using flashcards is an interactive study method that works very well with younger children. Make simple flashcards for learning times tables in maths, or terminology and definitions in study subjects.   

• Try interactive learning methods. Young children generally do not like to sit still, especially for extended periods. Involving as many senses as possible when learning has been proven to maximise retention of information. Your child can, for example, sit on a gym ball, which provides movement and stimulation, while calling out the answers to questions on flashcards. 

• Take study breaks often. Your young child can probably only focus for 20 to 40 minutes at a time. But, be careful of taking too long breaks. Breaks should not exceed fifteen minutes.

• Get enough rest. Make sure that normal bedtime hours are kept. Your young child should ideally not study later than 19:00 in the evening.

• Take StudyChamp practice tests. Practising before a test or an exam builds confidence and reduces anxiety.