Making it ‘sink in.’

GCSE Revision. Most pupils struggle with getting their notes to ‘sink in’ before their exams. The keys to this problem are timing, technique and reinforcement. Just reading through their notes will not lead to the information sinking in. Instead pupils need to use a variety of methods and regular revision sessions over a period of time to ensure the information sticks.

Possible Revision Techniques Copying out their class notes. Summarising their notes into revision cards Making quizzes Converting their notes into spider diagrams. Creating charts and tables to organise the information. Writing out answers to past paper questions.

Not all of these will suit everybody and it might be worth trying more than one different technique per topic to reinforce the learning. These will only work if there is enough time left for revision. Therefore it is crucial to start revision early. If it is left too late, students will only have time to simply read back through their notes (which isn’t enough!).

Revision Cards

Quizzes

Spider Diagrams

Other Ideas Colour coding can be an effective method of stimulating the brain and can help with keeping topics or subjects separate. Post-It notes can also be useful. Key facts can be written on them and stuck around the bedroom/mirror/toilet door (anywhere they might look).