KEY STAGE 4 STUDY SKILLS INFORMATION EVENING Thursday 13th September 2018 Welcome to Year 10 Parents

Study Skills and Revision The Campaign for Learning found that parental involvement in a child’s education can mean the difference between an A* and an ‘also ran’ at GCSE. But….don’t turn study into a battle of wills!

KNOW YOUR BRAIN

KEY STAGE 4 STUDY SKILLS INFORMATION EVENING What is needed to succeed at GCSE? Encourage your child to push themselves..no coasting along. Additional study over and above homework each week be self motivated and well organised Have a growth mind-set – you can do it. It can help to have a goal – visit colleges early to see what is needed.

KEY STAGE 4 STUDY SKILLS INFORMATION EVENING Study Skills at Home It is important to establish a routine. Think about Where? When? How? As well as completing homework tasks, encourage your child to spend 15-30 minutes each evening to recap on the day’s lessons by:

KEY STAGE 4 STUDY SKILLS INFORMATION EVENING Doing something with the classwork that will help them remember what they have done in class. They need regular review and learning using a variety of learning techniques - not just reading notes Mind Maps Highlighting Mnemonics Storyboards Make podcasts Timelines Use Post-It notes

Study Skills Sessions - 6 weeks 6 week structured course. Choice of lunchtime or after-school sessions. Tuesdays. Strategies for revision and exam technique Individual guidance independent study. Putting strategies into practice Exam technique – Command words

Command Words determine the type of response needed.

Study Skills/Homework Drop in sessions In JP 14 and JP13 Monday – Tuesday – Thursday 3.35 - 4.35 p.m. Morning Session 8.30 – 8.50 a.m

Some Study/Revision Idea But there are plenty of others that might work. Try them out to see what works best.

Post-it Notes Get a pack of post-it Notes and write the key Words and concepts from a subject on the individual post-it notes. Stick them all around the house/room on various items (fridge, mirrors, doors, etc.) Different coloured post-it stickers for different subjects or topics. Move them around and check you remember what they mean regularly

Mind Maps/Spider diagrams/Notes Rather than simply reading class notes re-write them in the form of a mind map – some websites offer free mind map templates (https://elearningindustry.com/6-best-mind-mapping-tools-creative-students). Add pictures as visual aids and use many different colours for different themes You may decide to re-write your notes. Keep re-writing them so that you eventually get them down to one side of A4. This will be easier to do last minute revision from. THIS WORKS!!!

KEY STAGE 4 STUDY SKILLS INFORMATION EVENING

Be Creative Produce a board game along the lines of trivial pursuit. This can then be played with family members for a fun revision activity. Snap and Dominoes can be made to help with key words and definitions. Charades – act out a key part of the course Write out a cartoon strip.

Mobile Technology .Make the most of a Smartphone or Tablet: Apps Note-taking and reminders Voice Recording – make your own Podcasts Download audio books Produce a mini film Use 365 Account One Drive – revision materials.

Traditional Methods Look out for details of subject specific revision classes in year 11 Practise past papers or GCSE style questions. Check individual subject specific revision materials such as: English – FB - https://www.facebook.com/EnglishatOCS/ Instagram - @oaklandsenglishdept Science - 'GCSE Science' group on Onedrive RE - Kerboodle texts that they can access at home: Geography – school website - KS4 section. Resources including case studies are saved as pdf booklets - easy for browsing or printing. Languages - Active learn accounts to access resources All Show my Homework will have revision lists/topics prior to any assessment point.

6. Revise with a friend Revision can be boring. Find a study buddy. Make sure that you do revise and not spend all of your time gossiping/playing games! Test each other and take turns being the teacher. If you are trying to explain a topic to a friend or family member you will need to understand it first before you can explain it.

Use Acronyms and Mnemonics Use the first letter of a word to make a new word to prompt your memory. Make up a silly sentence to help you remember the order of something TIP: The funnier it is, the easier it is to remember

. Use revision website Just Google GCSE Revision. The internet is much easier to update than books and these websites get revised every year and have the most up to date information. Use these alongside the revision booklets you are asked to purchase by individual subjects. Quizlet is great for making flashcards and you can get an App for phone too. Try Free Apps for making revision notes/audio files - for pc and smartphones so you can study on the go.

Revision posters on bedroom walls Make your revision notes on a giant piece of paper (strips of wallpaper are ideal). Place them around your bedroom. Add to these as you learn more about a topic. Produce a banner or bunting and hang across the window or wall

Flash Cards/Postcards Write 5 key points you have covered in each lesson. Put these on a postcard each evening. This will force you to condense your notes so you only include the most vital information. You then have some portable notes that you can take with you to revise when you have a few moments. You could also write 10 questions on one side and 10 answers on the reverse.

As a Parent Agree a suitable place where study can be done and notes kept safe • Provide all the equipment needed for successful study and encourage your child to be organised from the beginning : pens, paper, folders, dividers • Download all the information that your child needs from the internet yourself. This will prevent them wasting time gathering resources.

The 80/20 rule Follow the 80/20 rule. If your child can stick to what they are supposed to be doing for 80% of the time, they will be doing alright. It is unrealistic to expect everything to go 100%.

And finally! You are the expert on your own child and have always been his/her most important teacher. Your support, encouragement and interest can make a spectacular difference to your child’s motivation and ability to cope with the academic and organisational demands of the exams.