2. How to revise for English Literature
Home Learning Books
WHY?
Look back at all the work and targets you have been given in these books.
These are full of your revision.
Each task has contributed to your independent understanding of how to approach the exam.
This is your work and you should be proud of it.
Task to do at home:
Check if you have any outstanding targets that you still need to meet. Put in place strategies that will mean you are meeting these targets.

3. How to revise for English Literature
Be Strategic with your revision
WHY?
If you know you have an area that is weaker – target that area.
For example, writing essays comparing the anthology poems or planning how to compare, then move onto your next weak area.
Do revision little and often
Don’t cram the night before
Do go over the question types
Practice selecting the correct information and annotating extracts rather than always writing the full answer for Lit Paper 1 – and create plans for the elsewhere & context that you could use for this

4. How to revise for English Literature
Read: Your set texts again.
WHY?
Reading them again will consolidate your knowledge of the texts.
Skim read and look for areas that you were unsure of initially
Skim for quotes that you think are useful
Read and make notes as you do
Think carefully about which parts of the novel or text you were unsure of and re-read that part

5. How to revise for English Literature
Practise: full papers and planning questions
WHY?
It means you have put in lots of purposeful practise and will be completely confident going into the exam about the expectations of how to revise.
HOW?
Go onto Google sites for past papers or ask your teacher for questions
Summarise & infer the meaning in any Shakespeare extract from the play you have studied – do the same with ACC or TSOF
Plan essay question responses – mind map, bullet point or create a planning poster – any of these will show you can approach that question easily
Get a blank copy of the anthology – Power and Conflict and re-annotate it from memory to consolidate your understanding

6. How to revise for English Literature
Do metacognition activities
WHY?
Metacognition shows that you understand not just what to do but how to do it as well and helps you to embed in your long term memory what you have to focus on for the specific question or section of the exam paper
HOW?
Write the rules for each approach to each essay
Write the strategies for approaching difficult questions
Write a list of reminders for the paper or question
Create your own exam questions thinking about the characters or the themes
Transform the answers into a mark scheme of what to do in that paper or question

7. How to revise for English Literature
Chunk it down
WHY?
It can make larger tasks feel more manageable and reduce cognitive overload
HOW?
Do an essay in chunks
Then self assess against the mark scheme
Check and self edit writing after you have left it for a day to see if ‘fresh eyes’ helps
Create an acronym to help you remember what to do in each question (if it helps you)
Revisit work in your book and essays that you have done previously and summarise what you said

8. How to revise for English Literature
Use the Revision Grids
WHY?
It gives you little tasks that you can achieve daily to help you prepare for your exams.
HOW?
Go onto Google Sites
Click on the Revision Grids page and download these to work on for your set of texts
Or, ask your teacher for a print out.

9. How to revise for English Literature
Use the school Google Site
WHY?
It has all the revision material you might want on it
Practice papers
Revision reminders
Essay tasks
Thinking Hard tasks
Revision grids
Revision guides
Summaries of the text

10. How to revise for English Literature
Use resources
Use your knowledge organisers and self quiz
Use YouTube videos on topics you are unsure of and make notes
Use the revision guides
Ask your teacher about the Flipsco cards – revision flashcards that are excellent
Summarise
Plan
Mind Maps
Create posters/flashcards

11. How to Learn Quotes 5 in 5 quizzes / 5 a day Use Knowledge organisers
Make flashcards and test yourself – each other
Look – cover – check
Repetition
Brain dump – as many quotes as you can in 5 minutes
Dual coding
Blank fill quotes
MCQ quizzes
Pictionary – quotation and image – reduce to quotation only
Mini quote explosion;
Create a quizlet for flashcards
post its on your wall with key quotes
Trigger words/filing cabinet (model how this works)
Memorising
Metacognition tasks to embed quotations – write a letter where you explain ‘London’ to someone who has never read it and use quotation

12. Benefits of revising Increased confidence
Ability to commit to your long term memory the approaches to the text
Purposeful practice
Improved understanding
Improved stamina (needed for writing for 1 hour 45 minutes)
Reduce the likelihood of having to re-do the Language exam at college
Self-satisfaction that you have done everything you can
Pride at your own resilience

13. How to overcome self doubt?
Visualise what it would be like to open your envelope and have a pass
Change your internal dialogue (the self doubts)
Repeat (internally) I can do this, I will do this or whatever motivational words will help you
Imagine you are a success – what does this look like to you?
Breathe carefully
Listen daily to headspace or another app like this that helps you relax
Don’t put extra pressure on yourself. If you are working hard and preparing for the exams you will be fine
Remember to take breaks
Do some exercise
Do something that you enjoy that is not related to revision
Relax the night before an exam and get sleep
Don’t cram – little and often will win the race