Exams are looming – so how can parents help their children through these last few weeks of revision?
I’ve long been a fan of getting our students to sit down with a parent/carer/elder sibling after their tuition sessions and just going over what they have been taught. At our meet and greet sessions I explain I’d like them to be ‘teacher’ for 10 minutes and show their adult how to do the particular task we have been working on. Sometimes all the adults have to do is smile and nod, but when we tackle some tasks like spatial awareness, or algebra often the children become the expert. Teaching someone else a skill that helps consolidate our understanding and expertise.
When my own children were studying for exams, they would often explain tricky concepts to me. Even now my youngest is working on his MA we often talk about his work. Sometimes I understand, sometimes I need a little more explanation but that’s ok because I’m learning new things and he is refining communication skills that he’ll need for his final dissertation.
Below is a link that explains the benefits of listening to your child talk about their study more clearly than I can.
So, for next few weeks – let your child be the teacher; you’ll learn new information and they’ll see the benefit when it comes to writing those essays in May.