Image by Unseen Studio, public domain.
At the start of the academic year, often the furthest thing from parents’ minds is preparing their child for exams. New schedules, new uniforms, stationery, backpacks, new teachers, extra-murals – parents have so many things to prepare and juggle, it is no wonder that they struggle to think so far ahead.
Eventually, the newness wears off, learners settle into their new grade and things fall into a new routine. Pretty soon, homework is ramping up, term projects are underway and almost without notice, suddenly exams are looming. It is usually at this time that parents start to panic and reach out to support learning specialists to help prepare for the exams.
However, experience and research have shown us that working consistently from the beginning of the academic year reaps many benefits. This includes a less stressed and anxious learner, less ‘new’ material to memorise, longer retention of learned material, and better scores on tests.
Empowering Learners with Lifelong Soft Skills
Image by Desola Lanre Ologun, public domain.
What’s more, at EduHelp we coach learners in lifelong soft skills like time management, scheduling, summarising and note-taking, working consistently and developing good study habits, which is really just another way of referring to a solid work ethic.
Reducing Anxiety for Better Learning
Let’s start with the benefit of a less stressed and anxious learner. When we are in a heightened state of stress and anxiety, we cannot learn. According to Dr Lisa Jacobsen of the Kennedy Krieger Institute, anxiety interferes with the executive functioning of the brain, meaning it is almost impossible to assimilate new information. Anxiety triggers our fight-or-flight response, which is so deeply embedded that it overrides our ability to take in any new information. Creating a calm, structured, safe, predictable space for learners to study, revise, and prepare for exams, sets them up for success because they are not distracted by stress and anxiety. The next important consideration is giving your learner the time to assimilate new material.
The Importance of Revision
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When learners revise what they have learned in class every day, it fulfills three very important functions.
Firstly, it gives them the opportunity for repetition. Repetition is how we learn. By going over the material learned in class a few hours later, highlighting and creating notes or other summaries, learners have a better chance of remembering it.
If we look at the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve below, we can see that without repetition, learners will forget most of what they have learned very quickly (1, 2 and 3). However, with each repetition (4, 5 and 6) of the new information, learners increase their retention. Simply put, without repetition we forget 90% of what we have learned within a month. With regular repetition, we train our brains to remember the information long-term.
Forgetting Curve by Hermann Ebbinghaus, British Council.
The second important outcome of learners revising every day is that when the time comes to prepare for exams, they have less “new” material to learn. By the time our learners are preparing for exams, they should already be quite familiar with the information they will be tested on. This creates a sense of calm, ease and confidence as they know what to prepare, what to expect in the test and how much they already know. The third outcome is at the core of the EduHelp theory of support learning.
Image by Greg Rosenke, public domain.
At EduHelp, we focus on teaching our learners soft skills that will set them up for life. Creating routines, healthy and sustainable study schedules, time and stress management and the ability to leverage strengths to uplift our challenges are life-skills. Helping them to develop the initiative and self-discipline to maintain a good study routine empowers learners and gives them the confidence to work independently. These skills are absolutely vital to their holistic development and wellbeing during their school years. But even more importantly, learning these skills early equips them for a lifetime of successfully managing their time, work schedules and mental and emotional health. Give your child the gift of lifelong skills today. Navigate to our Focus or Services pages for more info on the EduHelp method, and contact us with any questions you may have and to book slots for your learner. We will create a tailor-made approach based on your child’s unique strengths and needs. Let us help your learner to make the best of their school careers.