I am fairly strict about homework, course work and exams. Both working in local secondary schools does help. I am also a Team Leader for Edexcel G.C.S.E Religious Education which involves going to London for 4 days each year, going through the exam papers and deciding on the mark schemes etc, then over seeing a team of markers, reading and marking their work, as well as my own allocation. The exam marking process is complex but their are so many checks to ensure it is done correctly.
So, and by no means extensive these are some of my tips.
Homework:
- Make sure you check their planners each night before you agree to letting them go out. They may try and blag you they have no homework when in fact they have a stack! If they do not write this down or loose a planner, phone the school. You can pay for a new diary, and you can often contact your child's teacher/ head, deputy of year who will email you the work expected.
- Set aside times for them to complete this. Be open to their own activities and needs. We schedule computer times according to who needs to use it. As most of the children come home after Jono (10) that is his time, equally they all get up late at the weekend so he can have quiet use of it then as well.
- Check they actually understand what they are doing! We often have to go over homework with our children as they have not understood all that is expected of them.
- Make sure there's no excuse not to complete it (ink in the printer, glue sticks, lined and plain paper, pens, pencils, scissors etc)
- Check it's completed correctly and not just scrapped off. This does not teach them anything of the real world and it's expectations of our children if we let them produce rubbish. Also check they have packed it in their bags, as they often just 'dump' it in a rush and then forget all about it.
- Stress there is a point to homework. Equally if some unrealistic homework has been set, write in the child's planner why this has not been completed. We, personally do not agree with huge holiday homework's, or lots of weekend homework.These are times when they children should be able to relax and switch off, not be chained to the kitchen table doing more work. Stand up for yourself! and your kids.
- Wearing the teachers hat now- it is very frustrating when you have a pile of course work to mark and grade and you set aside an evening to do this, and one or two children simply have not done it. They need to, and you need their marks. Eventually they get it done. You then have to find the other work, remind yourself of the marks, mark theres and add all the grades.
- the dog ate it (why did the dog get it?)
- it ended up in the washing machine (how can a large A4 sheet of paper end up there?)
- we had no printing ink (why not go and buy some? or send it to your school email address and print it out at school)
- I forgot to write it down (phone a friend/facebook/blackberry bm)
- I didn't know it had to be handed in TODAY (ask your friends???)
- It was in my bag this morning...(yawn, well it's not now)
- I didn't understand it (I gave you a week why didn't you come and ask)
This has to be completed in school now, but often they can plan at home before hand. Some of our kids have been very good at telling us, asking for help with planning this and work hard.Others have either not told us at all, or the night before meaning we cannot help them much. I personally think school's should send a letter home with all the dates on it!
Tips to help your child:
- When they tell you when there course work is due in or they have a timed piece to plan for write it on the calendar.
- Go through with them what they need to do, and check their books to see if they have enough notes. If they don't raid Waterstones revision books section! If it's English Lit get out the dvd of the book and watch it with them.
- If your child seems to not know what is expected phone the school and ask to speak to the teacher, who 9 times out of ten is very happy to explain things to you.
- Encourage your child to get the highest grades they can. Good grades on coursework means the heat is taken off the final exam!
Having been an examiner for 9 years now, for three separate boards, I have read thousand of candidate papers. My tips are based on these observations, my classes, and my own children's learning styles.
Basically there are three main learning styles: Audio, visual and kinaesthetic. Your child will fit into one of these but may lean into another as well.
When your child is revising get them to try a variety of these ways of learning. Sitting with a open school book chanting will not get them a pass higher than a C!.They need to also practice exam questions. Each exam board has old papers on their websites and most have a mark scheme as well. Your child needs to practice the papers in the timescale allotted as well as understanding the mark scheme and they way their paper is marked.
Basically there are three main learning styles: Audio, visual and kinaesthetic. Your child will fit into one of these but may lean into another as well.
- Kinaesthetic learners learn best by 'doing'. They will find it very hard to sit on a chair all day and revise from notes! Doodling, chewing gum and fiddling with things actually help their brain to retain information , they are not being naughty! If your child fits this, make sure that revision periods are short bursts of half an hour to 45 mins. Then let them walk around, make a drink and have a break. Make sure the next revision period is different (if they were revising from a book, go onto a website or interactive CD). Many children in the past who fitted this learning style were perceived as 'distracting ' kids when really they just found learning from work books and the board wasn't helping them .
- Audio learners learn best by' listening'. They find they absorb information best by hearing it. This can be hard in a rowdy classroom for them to learn. Sometimes because of this they then switch off. Help your child to revise by finding interactive CD'S and Websites. Encourage your child to 'read out' their notes onto a cd or their phone and listen to these on the way to school and at times in the evening. Read the extra workbooks and notes allowed to your child.
- Visual Learners learn best by 'seeing'. This means that again an interactive cd, diagrams and pictures are how your child will learn best. Encourage them to make revision notes with colourful web diagrams and pictures and brain storm ideas (I know I am not meant to use that term any longer!) and make mind maps, get them to use lots of different felt pens for each topic and pictures to stimulate a key word. When they are in an exam they will remember the picture and this will trigger off the rest of the notes.
When your child is revising get them to try a variety of these ways of learning. Sitting with a open school book chanting will not get them a pass higher than a C!.They need to also practice exam questions. Each exam board has old papers on their websites and most have a mark scheme as well. Your child needs to practice the papers in the timescale allotted as well as understanding the mark scheme and they way their paper is marked.
Go through an exam paper with them. Point out the time they have divided by the number of questions. Talk through the fact that they need to answer the questions with the most marks (marks are the little number after the lines on the paper usually). Children will often waste time remembering a one mark question then be too rushed for time to answer the ten mark one! Encourage them to move on from anything they cannot remember and answer everything they can, then if theres time go back to it.
If they feel they are running out of time tell them to make bullet points of the main facts. They may well still pick up marks.
Read the questions with them.Make sure they understand exactly what they question means. Over the years one of the main reasons I have not awarded full marks to students is because they have not applied their knowledge and understanding to the question. Yes, they know the facts, but the higher order skill that gets students the A and A* is their application of this knowledge, use of quotes and reference to theorists/ authors etc.
There are many many websites which also help parents.
Most of all encourage them. Show them that if they want to succeed and get a good job and earn loads of money (as they all seem to want) marrying a footballer or winning the lottery are not options for most of us. A rewarding career comes from hard work and it starts now. There is no easy way to pass exams unless you are super brainy! and I find the super brainy ones actually work very hard too. The media has much to answer for feeding our kids that they will get things from life handed on a plate (My super sweet 16 has to be one of the very WORST examples of this!)
Yes, it is up to our children to take responsibility for their own learning to a point. Some of my children have been very self motivated and some I have had to ground, take the internet connection and phones to work with me and hold a gun to their heads! (metaphorically speaking) At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself what is the priority. You spending time helping your child to succeed or just letting them do their own thing?
We can spend, easily every night of the week helping one, or more of our teenagers with their work. Sometimes this can take all evening or most of the weekend. It is rewarding to spend time with the children and they do appreciate it in the end.
In this age of schools spoon feeding, facebook , twitter and mobiles I would watch what they are actually achieving- it may not be what you think!
Good websites:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/
http://www.s-cool.co.uk/
http://www.topmarks.co.uk/
http://www.s-cool.co.uk/
http://www.topmarks.co.uk/
No comments:
Post a Comment