Pakuranga College How can we support our children to study?

Aims for this evening To consider what are the issues relating to teenagers and study To consider how we can support our children to study To learn some study techniques To learn where we can access study material To learn different subject specific study strategies

Students and study…The issues The students tell us: “I’m not organised in my study” “I’m not sure what to study” “I’m not sure how to study” “Nobody has taught me how to study” “I find it hard to get motivated”

Organising study: Plan ahead “I’m not sure when my exams are” “I’m not sure the difference between the September and the November exams” “I’m not sure which subjects I have exams in” “I’m not sure how many exams I have in each subject” “What is the difference between the exams in September and the ones in November?”

Organising study: How can parents help? As a starting point, discuss with your child how many credits they currently have in each subject and are they at achieved, merit or excellence level? How many credits do they still need to pass NCEA this year? How many credits do they still need to gain merit or excellence endorsements? In which subjects are they aiming to gain subject endorsements? With your child set goals for each subject in the exams

Organising study: How can parents help? Take home tonight/download the prelim and NCEA exam timetables Ask your child in which subjects do they have exams and how many papers are they sitting in each exam If they are unsure, ask your child to check with their teachers, check Moodle with them or teachers directly Help your child to design a study plan with specific goals for each session – don’t forget to add the exams

A study plan Count how many days your child has until each prelim/NCEA exam Taking into account their other commitments between now and the prelims, work out how many 1 hour blocks of study time they have Divide the 1 hour blocks between the papers that they will be sitting and identify how many study hours that they will have for each paper or subject Sketch out a plan on a calendar with a clear goal for each session or day

Exemplar study goals In this hour, I will aim to: Complete a practice exam paper for the English visual text exam Learn 30 chem. cluster questions by repeating them and covering them up until I know them Read a German newspaper and underline words I do not know

Study plan exemplar My exam plan – stuff I need to do for exams SunMonTuesWedsThursFriSat English 7-8pm Practice film essay 7-8 Note summary on film Maths 5-6 Complete online trig quiz 9am Exam!! Science 9-12 Work 12-1 Learn elements Health 7-8 practice essay Music Listen to 3 x music OtherGo bed early Eat healthy

Organising study: Study space Help your child create a study routine. It takes 3 weeks to form good habits Help your child organise a place to study Help them to avoid distractions – other children occupied or asleep? Turn off the TV, internet and phone? Music? Offer to help

How to study What the students tell us when we ask HOW do you study: “I study…I go back through my books” “I don’t know”

How to study Practice answering questions from previous exams Make summary notes + explain the ideas to someone else Rote learn vocabulary, equations or other information Read articles or books related to the topic

Practice exam papers & exemplars Go to the website: nzqa.govt.nz Click on the: Search tab Choose: Search NCEA standards Choose: The subject you require Choose: Exams and exemplars Choose: The NCEA level that you require

Practice exam papers & exemplars Students will also be provided with past exam papers by their teachers. It is only worthwhile students completing practice papers if they get clear feedback, either from their teacher or by comparing their answer with previously marked exemplars.

Make summary notes Students should use their notes from the year to create summary notes. Students should aim to get the notes for one exam paper onto one page of A3 paper.  Use colour for each section of the notes  Use shapes to identify different topics  Stick the summary sheets up high on the wall  Aim to redraw the summary sheets from memory Parents could test their children how much of each set of notes they can remember.

Summary notes: The Blindside Main character: Big Mike Homeless Low IQ but high compassion Key messages: If we help each other we can achieve great goals Friendship Visual techniques Sc 1. Close up + up beat music Sc2. Long shot + dialogue Key quotations: “Smile at them, then they will want to be your friend” “What is in it for me” “Can SJ come too?” Key scenes: At the park Training NFL scouts Car crash

Rote learning The students have told us that they learn things in different ways: “I just repeat it over and over again” “I write it out 1 line at a time and keep repeating it” “I record myself on my phone and listen to it over and over” “I down loaded a flip card app on my phone” “I get my brothers to test me” Parents can discuss with their child the different methods above and which one they find the best. Offer to help test them at the end of a 30 minute study session.

Read texts related to the topic Excellence grades in many subjects are about being able to relate the topic studied to society, student’s own experiences and other similar texts or topics Students should aim to read ‘around’ their topic – Use Google Scholar; TED; academic journals or YouTube Parents can support their children by discussing topics with them or by asking them which topics could they help find articles about

Subject specific study tips All subject heads of faculties (HOFs) suggest that completing past exam papers and writing summary notes are the best preparation for exams. Beyond these two activities HOFs also suggested: Music: Listen repeatedly to the significant music works Sciences : Rote learn key information and use websites such as ‘hyperphysics’ and ‘studyit’ Languages: Talk to friends in your target language, read in your target language and use the ‘Language Perfect’ or ‘Quizlet’ websites Mathematics: Make use of vodcasts and quizzes available on Pakuranga Moodle Detailed subject specific study tips and web links are available on Pakuranga Moodle under the academic tab and study tipshttp://moodle.pakuranga.school.nz/

What motivates us? What the students told us: “High grades” “Not failing” “Praise, not hassling us” “My parents telling me to do it” “Asking us if we have studied, but not having a go” “Achieving my goals” “Money” “Food”

What motivates you Think back to the last time that you attempted to change a habit. What was it that motivated you? Past success? Praise? Support of others? Achieving a goal? Celebration? Rewards? Or was it someone nagging you? Everyone has different things that motivate them Discuss with your child what motivates them to study and how can you help them

How can we support our children to study? Help them identify a goal for each subject + NCEA level Help them work out how many exams they have in each subject Help them design a study plan with clear goals for each session

How can we support our children to study Set up a study space for them and help keep study time quiet and free of distractions Print resources for them such as practice exam papers Find out what motivates them? Praise…praise…praise!