The document provides information and advice about developing effective study skills for exam success. It outlines objectives like the importance of revision and handling GCSE course pressures. Tips are provided on self-motivation, responsibility, asking questions, organization, and balancing work and social life. Suggestions are made for creating an effective revision space at home and developing different revision techniques like mind maps, flashcards, teaching others, and testing yourself. Ways to manage stress like exercise, relaxation, and sleep are also discussed.

2. The Parent Café
Study Skills: The tools necessary for
examination success

8. Objectives of the session:
- To outline the importance of revision
- To identify ways to develop revision at home
- How to handle the pressure of the GCSE courses
- An opportunity to learn about the advice that
students are given regarding study skills

9. What we are trying to communicate to our students:
- The need to be more self-motivated
- The need to be more responsible for their
learning
- The importance of asking when you don’t
understand
- Develop their ability to overcome frustrations
- Develop their organisation, both of themselves
and their notes!
Why develop ‘study skills’?

10. - The need to complete more work at home,
independently.
- The need to organise and plan their time
over longer periods.
- To see the importance of each piece of
work, no matter how big or small.
- Develop their ability to revise
- Develop their examination technique

11. - Agree the balance between work and social
life. Flexibility is the key.
What can be done at home:
- If they say they have got no
homework, they are lying!
- Reward structure?! This is
not bribery! Little and often,
or one big reward at the
end?

12. What can be done at home:
- Get the revision space right
- Manage distractions
- Make sure that your child takes breaks and
gets some fresh air
- Make sure that 5 minute breaks doesn’t
become 10,15…
- A revision contract?!
- Make sure that a revision timetable is followed

13. Children respond differently to
support (not always with obvious
enthusiasm) but they do benefit from
it. I suggest that if in doubt intervene.

14. The importance of revision
Good revision will consist of the following:
- An aim for each revision session
- Identifying the topics that more time
needs to be spent on
- A break down of topics into workable chunks
- Producing quality notes, noting key points,
phrases or words
- Testing yourself
- Using a checklist so that progress can be seen

15. - Short, regular revision blocks, as opposed to long,
irregular sessions.
This is essential to allow your brain to learn, make
connections and remember
Particularly important!
- Take some days off!
- Don’t leave the difficult stuff until the end!
- A good diet!
- Good revision techniques require the student to
think and be an active learner

16. How quickly do we
‘forget’ information?

17. Revision technique ideas:
- Drawing Spider Diagrams/ Mind Maps to show
how links can be made between topics. Links =
Making a connection = learning
- Drawing Key Points posters, using colour and
pictures to help memorise.
- Record yourself making 10 key points, and listen
back to it throughout the day
- Quality note taking, highlighting key areas from
the textbook

18. - Watching Revision videos
e.g. GCSE Bitesize. Interact
with the video – don’t just sit
and watch.
- Teaching someone else what you have learnt
- Read a page and shut the book, what do you
remember?
- Using Acronyms, Mnemonics and Poems
- Attempting Exam Style Questions
- Use the Revision Guides effectively
- Games with family / friends

19. What ‘kind’ of learner
are you?

20. · Recopy notes in colours · use of highlighters
· Visually organise or reorganise notes using columns, categories,
outline forms, etc.
· Remember where information was located in visual field
· TV/video supplements important for understanding or
remembering
· Create timelines, models, charts, grids, etc.
· Write/rewrite facts, formulas, notes on walls, poster for visual
review at any time
·Learn facts, formulas, notes on index cards
· Use of visual mnemonics
Mostly as – visual learner

21. · Need to discuss concepts/facts/aspects with friend immediately after new
learning
· Tape records whilst reading notes for re-listening later
· Must say facts/formulas/information over and over to retain
· Set information to rhyme, rhythm, or music to aid retention
· Remember where information was located in auditory field (eg tagged to "who
said that?")
· Use of different voices to study (like creating a script, or acting out a play)
· TV/video/radio supplements useful for obtaining information
· Prefer to listen without taking notes
· Prefer group discussion and/or study groups
· Aural Mnemonics
Mostly bs - auditory

22. · Prefers learning by ‘doing’ rather than thinking – needs to be
encouraged to take notes, draw diagrams etc.
· Copy notes over and over, apparently to make them neat or
organised?
· Use their body to express a thought – short and long term memory
improved by movement.
· Good hand-eye coordination.
· Prefers to take notes during lesson as an aid to concentration
· Alternates sitting still and moving during studying
· Move hands or feet for rhythm emphasis while studying
· Constructs things while studying
· Frequently takes things apart, or "tinkers with things" for
understanding
· Need to take lots of breaks whilst studying
· Easily confused with having a short attention span
Mostly cs – kinaesthetic

23. Some examples of
different revision
techniques…

31. Make your own notes – don’t just
rely on the revision guide. This can
be started straight away!

46. The deep-sea pearl diver

48. Where should revision take place?
Warm
Quiet
Comfortable
Airy – oxygen helps you stay
awake and learn
Music can help if it is relaxing
- 60 – 80 bpm (similar to
resting heartbeat)
- Your revision area must be:

49. When should revision take place?
- Choose a time and try to stick to it
- If you cannot revise in the morning, early
evening after tea is fine.
- Mornings are the best time as you are
well rested and your brain is uncluttered

50. How long should I revise for?
- Exercise before the revision helps you to
concentrate
- Aim for 30 minutes each session, with a break
for 10 minutes to relax, before starting again.
- Break larger topics down into smaller, more
manageably sized topics
- Less than 10 minutes or over
1 hour of revision is of little
value

51. When should I start revising?!

52. When should I start revising?!
- The sooner the better!
- 1 month before the exam you should have
shortened your notes and be looking over them
for a second or third time
- As a general rule, 2 – 3 months before the
exam you should have got started. Make a
revision timetable
- 1 week before the exam you should have
finished learning the work
- No learning should take place in the final week
– you cannot learn 2 years of work in 1 week!

53. If we revise something, how
much can we remember?

54. Revision Timetable – where to start?

55. Be specific

58. Sitting the exam
The night before:
- Get your equipment together
- Only attempt light revision and nothing new
- Get up in plenty of time
- Get a good night’s sleep (if possible)
On the day:
- Make sure you leave home with everything
you need
- Last minute revision by flicking through your
notes

59. Sitting the exam
Compose yourself:
- Don’t worry about classmates scribbling away
- Ease into the exam
- Read the instructions carefully
- Write down anything you are afraid of
forgetting
- Answer questions you feel confident with
first, if you have a choice.
- Work out how long you can spend on each
question, before the exam starts, if you can.

60. Sitting the exam
- Get a sense of how detailed an answer is
necessary – look at the number of marks available
- Read the question twice – pick out key words
- Stick to what the question is asking!
None of this!

61. Coping with stress
- Continue to do things you enjoy to relax you
and take your mind off study
- Clears the mind, relaxes muscles after and
releases tension produced by stress
Take time out to have fun:
Do some exercise:
- Asking is not a sign of
weakness – friends or family
Talk about it:

62. Coping with stress
- Reduces stress and provides energy
- Take yourself away to
another place by creating a
relaxing daydream!
Eat well:
Use mental imagery:
- Take as many deep breaths
as needed. Hold your breath
for 10 seconds and then
slowly release
Calm yourself:

63. Coping with stress
- Students must set realistic goals in the first
place. The goals can change as the student
becomes more confident
- Main cause of stress – a student not feeling in
control of their circumstances
- Complete tasks rather than leaving them
unfinished
- Develop a sense of satisfaction and enjoyment
in the whole process of preparing for an exam
(rather than focussing on the result alone)

65. -Listening is more important than
knowing all the answers
-Always encourage not to give up; be
positive
-Try to make time to talk about
homework and classwork. It will help
make you a source of encouragement and
support
-Talk about your own experiences of school
How can I help?

66. Overworking yourself
Some students work so hard that they could
potentially harm their chances

68. Overworking yourself
There are clear signs of being overworked
to look out for:
- Lose contact with friends and family
- Tiredness, due to late nights finishing off work,
probably to an unnecessarily high standard
- Irritable
- Deteriorating health
- Loss of focus