There is no denying that GCSEs are tricky for all students. It doesn’t matter how natural academics is to them or not, exam situations and intense coursework can get to any child. However, it doesn’t feel as easy to help a child of 15-16 as it does to help younger children through other assessments exams like SATs, for example.
With primary school-aged kids you can encourage them to learn, sit down and help them with things like phonics and maths, and overall guide them through it the best you can. GCSEs are a whole different ball game. After all, some of the things they learn about you likely might not even remember from your time at school.
Education has changed. However, while you may feel a little helpless there are things that you can do to help your child through their GCSEs without looking like you are interfering. Interested? Here are some of the things that you could do.
Before they start revising
There is a big lead up to GCSEs that starts when they hit year 10 but gains momentum in year 11. So before they get into the nitty gritty of revising, you may want to ask them a few questions and help where possible. Here are some of the things that you could do.
Ask them how they are feeling about it
One of the first things you might want to do is have a conversation about it. Talk to your child about the upcoming exams, ask them their thoughts and see how they are feeling about it. They may shrug you off but it might also help to understand if they are worried or apprehensive, as this can then highlight things you could do to help with that ahead of time. Before it becomes a big deal.
Do they need some extra help from tutors?
You may want to find out if they need some extra help from tutors or extra support from the school. It could be when you start to talk to them about the exams that they express worry about particular subjects. They may have lost confidence or are unsure of some of the topics covered. This is when you could enlist the help of a tutor or speak to the school for some extra support. It will help your child to understand the topics they are struggling with and give them a big confidence boost ahead of their exams.
Despite being a teacher myself I have used tutors at key points with all my children. Having a tutor helped with their confidence aswell as filling any academic gaps.
Offer to help plan a revision schedule
You could offer to help by coming up with an achievable and realistic revision plan. Sometimes revising to your teen can appear to be overwhelming, with a lot of topics and subjects to cover. So help with breaking it down and putting revision into manageable time slots may help to put them at ease. Plus you will know when they want to revise so you can plan accordingly.
We used study buddy effectively with our son as this gave him a visual plan that suited him.
What about when they are revising for GCSE’s?
Once they get to the stage of revising, you may be wondering what you can do to support your child. After all, if you could do it for them, you would. So here are some suggestions.
Give plenty of snacks and drinks
When they begin their revision timetable you may want to ensure that they are fed and stay hydrated. So bring them plenty of snacks and water could help to keep them going, especially when they feel their energy and concentration levels are dwindling. I have a super post full of healthy snack ideas for teenagers.
Encourage regular breaks
It is important that they take regular breaks from revision as too much can have a negative effect rather than a positive impact. So make sure that you encourage regular breaks. If you feel they have been sat at their desk or locked in their room for too long, ask them to come and help you with something or encourage them to rest for a little while.
Advise a change of scenery
Sometimes a change of scenery can help to make things a little easier. So you might want to advise them to revise outside, go for a walk and take their books with them, or simply change rooms in which they revise. Keeping things fresh and having regular changes of scenery will help their mind to stay focused.
Organise things to do on the weekends
Finally, make sure they have time away and things to look forward to. So organise things to do on the weekend or in the evenings. A meal out as a family, a movie night with some snacks, or simply a nice walk outside of the home for an hour. This gives your child something to look forward to and also encourages the break away from revision for a chance of having some family time and fun. A good mix of work and play will help them to feel energised and focus for revision and when the exams finally begin.
Hopefully, these suggestions will help you to help your child with their GCSE’s without looking like you are interfering too much.
