Now Christmas is behind us, thoughts begin to turn to the wonders of the New year stretching out before us. Whilst you’re still bound to have relatives to visit, mountains of leftovers to wade through and half a tub of chocolates calling your name it’s worth remembering in a little over a week, students will be back to school or college and real life will intrude once more.
If your child is in the final year of school, college or sixth form then January represents a very quick slide into exam season in May. Whilst it’s difficult to imagine warmer weather and sunnier days as the skies darken by 4pm at the moment, they will be here sooner than we can imagine and it’s vitally important no one is caught off-guard when it comes to GCSE or A Level exam preparation.
As a parent, what can you do to support your child, so that their return to education in January is not only a smooth one, but a positive and ultimately focused one? Here at Tutorspot we specialise in providing A Level online tuition and GCSE online tuition to help your child achieve their academic goals. We’re there to support them every step of the way, so read on to find out how you can best help them.
If your child is getting ready to sit their GCSE exams in a few months, then this is going to be their first real experience of high-pressure exam situations. Whilst they may have completed KS2 SAT papers before, perhaps even sitting the 11+ entrance exam, nothing they’ve experienced before will have had quite such an immediately tangible impact on their future learning path.
Grabbing a cup of tea and that tub of chocolates is a great icebreaker when asking your teen how they’re feeling about impending exams. Even those getting ready for A Levels, who have previously experienced the joy of GCSE month, may have their own fears and anxieties. Talking through their concerns with them is a great way to unburden them and let them know you really are on their side.
It’s also a fantastic opportunity for you to share your own experiences of this process from your youth. We appreciate the shock that you might have been a teen yourself, way back when, may confuse them for a while – but realising that you did do it, and survived, can be all the reassurance some students need.
Every student is different, and what worries one may not worry another. It could be that your child is worried about the actual exam process – the thought of running out of time before they get halfway through their paper may be keeping them awake at night. Alternatively, they could be lacking confidence in their science knowledge and therefore unsure that they’re going to get the pass mark needed to get them onto their chosen college courses.
Once you know what their biggest fears are when it comes to studying, revising or the exams themselves you can start to help them formulate a plan. Do they need support with organising their notes? Do they want you to quiz them? Can you help them create a workable timetable they can stick to when it comes to their revision over the remaining Christmas break?
Whilst the idea of being independent thinkers and learners is of course the ideal at this stage, it’s also important to remember this process can be very daunting. If a little bit of support, guidance and perhaps even hand holding gets them through the door so they can focus on the revision, something only they can do, then it’s entirely worth it.
No matter how much support you’re prepared to give your child in the run up to their exams, there is going to be a limit. Unless you’re a teacher yourself, in the subject they’re struggling with or want to excel at, then your options are limited.
Thankfully there are alternatives, which is where hiring online biology tutors, an online maths tutor, physics tutor or other subject specific tutor you might need, can be a great source of help. These virtual tutors can provide your child with all the support they need to achieve higher grades, raise their confidence, and generally prepare for their upcoming exams.
For example, online physics tutors, a maths tutor or biology tutor will work with your child to identify any gaps in their knowledge. This won’t just relate to the course framework they’re currently studying but will look back at any other topics they may be a little hazy with. If some foundational knowledge is missing, then your child is going to struggle to access the higher levels of a topic – a personal tutor can go back, cover this old ground, increase their confidence, and then allow them to move on through the work at the pace that suits them.
Knowing they have the support of specialist chemistry tutors; maths tutors or English tutors can create an almost palpable sense of relief in students who are concerned about their exam performance. A tutor can work with them to organise their notes, provide them with revision study tips from writing flashcards to creating topic specific mind maps.
Tutors will also have a strong understanding of how the exam system works and can work with your child on practice papers. This will not only help them identify any remaining areas that need some work but will also help your child practice their timed answer writing. For those concerned about running out of time and therefore losing marks, this can be a hugely beneficia process and something they will be unable to practice much within the school setting.
If you want to find out more about how a personal online tutor can benefit your child as they prepare to go back to school in January, get in touch with us at Tutorspot today.
