How to support your child studying for their GCSEs
We want our children to do well in their GCSEs and, of course, effective revision plays a crucial role. While you can’t revise for your child, there are many ways you can support them, ranging from checking what they know and helping them remember things, to providing the right home environment so that they can be at their most alert, healthy and resilient.
Taking GCSEs is a big step in a teenager’s development, they are becoming the middle to oldest children in the school, and they’re working toward qualifications that will affect decisions they make later about their future. This is the ideal time for you to help them form good habits, not only in terms of lifestyle (eating the right foods, being active, building resilience) but also in helping them discover which ways of learning suit them most and which environments limit them or help them flourish. Effective revision also requires developing and growing essential life skills, such as good time management; the ability to deal with situations when things go wrong; and finding the right balance between work and play.
Get enough sleep
Sleep is essential for optimum health, so make sure your child is getting enough rest. Teenagers need a lot of sleep thanks to the huge changes taking place in their bodies – somewhere between eight and ten hours each night. Tempting though it may be for them to revise into the small hours, they will be better off putting work aside and having an early night. If they have to get up at 7.00 am, they need to be asleep by 11.00 pm.
Eat the right food
Food is fuel for the body, so making sure they eat at regular intervals with plenty of healthy ingredients is vital. Try to ensure they have a healthy protein-rich breakfast in the morning, and provide a packed lunch and a nutritious supper in the evening.
Drink enough water
The teenage body is made up of around 60% water. Not drinking enough reduces productivity, both mentally and physically, and symptoms can include tiredness, confusion, and reduced energy levels. Health experts recommend adults drink around two litres of water each day.
Create the right environment for study
Help them find a calm space to revise. Things to consider are noise levels, lighting, ability to store their papers tidily, and not being disturbed by other family members. Different people have different needs. For some, background music is helpful to studying, for others it’s a distraction. Different locations can help some children, so rather than always working in their bedroom, they might like to use the dining room, or living area from time to time. Give your child space to work out what works best for them. If there isn’t a good place to revise at home, maybe they could spend time in a local library or a local coffee shop with wifi, to help inspire them.
Establish a routine
Take regular breaks
It’s vital for effective study that your child takes regular breaks. Creating regular activities at regular times of the day will help them take breaks from revising as well as improve their time-management skills by having to organise revision around these times Sit with your child and help them work out a revision timetable, planning months ahead of the exam time. Smaller, regular revision sessions are usually much more productive than cramming or leaving everything to the last minute, so starting revision well in advance is a good strategy. Also, it leaves time to adjust and adapt if what seemed like a good idea in theory doesn’t prove helpful in practice.
Short breaks
When helping them create a revision timetable, ensure they factor in five or ten-minute breaks within 30 or 60-minute study sessions. Short bursts of studying can produce better results than long stretches. Even if they have to study all day or all evening, they should not do more than an hour at a time without having a short rest. Try the Pomodoro technique, when tasks are broken up into 25-minute chunks, with a 5-minute break in between.
Long breaks
During long breaks, they need to take time out and do things they enjoy, such as watching a movie, being part of a sports team, and spending time with friends and family. Not only does this give the brain a chance to switch off, refocus, and assimilate information, but it’s also an important way to find an appropriate work-play balance to ensure a productive and happy life in the long term. Try and help them ensure their breaks include a variety of different activities.
Take a day off
When things get tough, it can sometimes be helpful to step away from the problem and revisit it with a calm mind and renewed outlook. If, on occasion, your child doesn’t stick rigidly to their revision timetable, try not to worry, they are probably doing enough to stay on track. If you don’t think they are, and the school agrees, it might be time to work out different rules to help them refocus.
Contact us if there is anything you would like us to help you with when supporting your child through studying for their GCSEs.