St Andrew’s and St Bride’s High School S5/6 Parents’ Revision and Study Support 6TH September 2018

Statistics from National 5 to Higher Study Habits Preparing to Study Managing their Time Revision Techniques Wellbeing Resources Pupil Experiences from last year

Percentage of Learners Gaining Higher 2017 Biology Percentage of Learners Gaining Higher 2017 National 5 2016 Result A B C D No Award Total 53% 27% 16% 2% 100% 4% 20% 36% 17% 22% 0% 19% 59% 13% 15% 72% - Total Learners Progressing 5,691 Mathematics Mathematics* Percentage of Learners Gaining Higher 2017 National 5 2016 Result A B C D No Award Total 49% 26% 15% 4% 6% 100% 17% 28% 34% 2% 8% 20% 14% 57% 5% 18% 10% 65% 3% 72% Total Learners Progressing 15,072 English Percentage of Learners Gaining Higher 2017 National 5 2016 Result A B C D No Award Total 47% 32% 16% 3% 2% 100% 9% 26% 35% 15% 10% 28% 20% 40% 0% 5% 21% 59% 12% 23% 19% 31% Total Learners Progressing 29,331

Study Habits Successful students have good study habits. They apply these habits to all of their classes and not just the ones that they enjoy. Please support your child to develop any study habits they do not yet have.

Study Habits Try not to do too much studying at one time. If they try to do too much studying at one time, they will tire and their studying will not be as effective.  Space the work they have to do over shorter periods of time. Taking short breaks will restore their mental energy. 

Study Habits Plan specific times for studying. Study time is any time they are doing something related to schoolwork. It can be completing assigned reading, working on a paper or project, or studying for a test.  Schedule specific times throughout the week for their study time.

Study Habits Try to study at the same times each day.   Studying at the same times each day establishes a routine that becomes a regular part of their life, just like sleeping and eating. 

Study Habits Set specific goals for their study times. Goals will help them stay focused and monitor their own progress. Simply sitting down to study has little value. They must be very clear about what they want to accomplish during your study times.

Study Habits Start studying when planned. They may delay starting their studying because they don’t like an assignment or think it is too hard. A delay in studying is called “procrastination.”  If they procrastinate for any reason, they will find it difficult to get everything done when they need to. They may rush to make up the time they wasted getting started, resulting in careless work and errors.

Study Habits Work on the assignment they find most difficult first. Their most difficult assignment will require the most effort. Start with their most difficult assignment since this is when they have the most mental energy.

Study Habits Tell their friends not to call them during their study times.  Two study problems can occur if their friends call you during their study times.  First, their work is interrupted.  It is not that easy to get back to what they were doing.  Second, their friends may talk about things that will distract them from what they need to do.  Here’s a simple idea – turn off their mobile phone during your study times.

Study Habits Call another student when they have difficulty with an assignment.  This is a case where “two heads may be better than one.” Review their schoolwork over the weekend.  Yes, weekends should be fun time.  But there is also time to do some review.  This will help them be ready to go on Monday morning when another school week begins.

Preparing to Study Is their Study Place available to them when they need it? Their Study Place does them little good if they cannot use it when they need it. If they are using a Study Place that they must share with others for any reason, work out a schedule so that they know when you can use it.

Preparing to Study Is their Study Place free from interruptions? It is important to have uninterrupted study time. They may have to hang a DO NOT DISTURB sign on the door or take the phone off the hook. Is their Study Place free from distractions? Research shows that most students study best in a quiet environment.

Preparing to Study Does my Study Place contain all the study materials I need? Be sure their Study Place includes reference sources and supplies such as pens and pencils, paper, ruler, calculator, and whatever else they might need. If you use a computer/iPad for your schoolwork, it should be in your Study Place . However…

Preparing to Study Does their Study Space contain a large enough desk or table? While working on an assignment or studying for a test, use a desk or table that is large enough to hold everything they need. Allow enough room for writing and try to avoid clutter.

Preparing to Study Does their Study Place have enough storage space? They need enough room to store their study materials. Be sure they have enough storage space to allow them to keep their desktop or other work surface clear of unnecessary materials that can get in the way.

Preparing to Study Does their Study Place have a comfortable chair? A chair that is not comfortable can cause discomfort or pain that will interfere with their studying. A chair that is too comfortable might make them sleepy. Select a chair in which they can sit for long periods while maintaining their attention.

Preparing to Study Does their Study Place have enough light? The amount of light they need depends on what you are doing. The important thing is that they can clearly see what you need to see without any strain or discomfort.

Having a good Study Place is important for good studying. Preparing to Study Does their Study Place have a comfortable temperature? If their Study Place is too warm, they might become sleepy. If it is too cold, their thinking may slow down and become unclear. Select a temperature at which their mind and body function best. Having a good Study Place is important for good studying.

Managing their Time There are only so many hours in a day, a week, and a term. They cannot change the number of hours, but they can decide how to best use them. To be successful in school, they must carefully manage their study time. Here is a strategy for doing this.

Managing their Time At the beginning of a term, prepare a Term Calendar. Update it as the term goes on. Here is what to do to prepare a Term Calendar. Record their school assignments with their due dates and their scheduled tests. Record their planned school activities. Record their known out-of-school activities.

Managing their Time Each Sunday before a school week, prepare a Weekly Schedule. Update it as the week goes on. Here is what to do to prepare a Weekly Schedule. Record their daily classes. Enter things to be done for the coming week from their Term Calendar. Review their class notes from the previous week to see if they need to add any school activities. Add any out-of-school activities in which they will be involved during the week. Be sure to include times for completing assignments, working on projects, and studying for tests. These times may be during the school day, right after school, evenings, and weekends.

Managing their Time Each evening before a school day, prepare a Daily Organiser for the next day. Place a √ next to each thing to do as they accomplish it. Here is what to do to prepare a Daily Organiser. Enter the things to do for the coming day from their Weekly Schedule. Enter the things that still need to be accomplished from their Daily Organiser from the previous day. Review their class notes for the day just completed to see if they need to add any school activities. Add any out-of-school activities in which they will be involved the next day.

Managing their Time Their Weekly Schedule should have more detail than your Term Calendar. Their Daily Organiser should have more detail than your Weekly Schedule. Using a Term Calendar, a Weekly Schedule, and a Daily Organiser will help them make the best use of your time.

Revision techniques This is not the time for simply reading over notes or copying out notes. Instead, become familiar with exam technique through using Past Papers. Your child should attempt past paper questions as timed exercises, without notes. Pupils should access marking schemes to correct their work and identify the specifics they need to focus on.

Revision techniques Pupils should revise these specific topics by breaking whole units down into smaller, manageable sections for each study session; this is less daunting. Past paper questions can then be attempted again, following the same procedure. They will see an improvement in their performance and become familiar with the range of questions. Pupils should keep a record/ diary/ log of topics they are revising to track that they cover the whole syllabus. Otherwise there is a danger they may miss out on one or two topics.

Revision techniques Once the above strategies have been employed, if there are questions that your child cannot answer or topics with which they are having difficulties, your child can write these down and ask their teachers to help them.

Revision techniques Don’t dwell on what they can’t do – this will be addressed in school. Your child will attempt most past paper questions 3 or 4 times before mastering it. Parents can monitor revision everyday by looking at the answers your child has written, they can do plenty in 3 hours! You will both see their improving performances; such success further motivates pupils.

Revision techniques Focus on what they can do and what they will do next. Help pupils to remain motivated by talking to them about what they are studying, and highlight that good performance in the exams has a very positive impact on their future.

Wellbeing is important! Encourage exercise to release pent up adrenalin and energise their systems. Good sleep patterns are invaluable- make sure that they are in their beds at a reasonable time; there should be no phones, ‘Facebook’ or games to the wee small hours. Remember, if your child is ‘studying’ on the computer for more than 15 minutes, they are doing something else!

Resources Many departments have revision notes and questions that pupils can access on the school website. The SQA website has many supportive aids to study which you can access such as: MyStudyPlan - Mobile study plan app for learners. There are tips for effective study and candidates can build their personalised study timetables onto their phones. Past papers and specimen papers with marking schemes are to be found on the SQA web site.