Revision Strategies A parents guide to supporting students

Revision Strategies A parent’s guide to supporting students through their preparations for exams.

Why are you here? ¡ Because you or your son or daughter are panicking about exams getting closer and closer.

So what is revision? ¡ What does the word revise mean? ¡ How do you do it?

My Aims for tonight To cover two main areas: ¡ How can students revise? The Strategies ¡ How can we support them and help them avoid stress?

The brain’s behind it!

Don’t panic! Don’t Panic! The brain hates it!

The Brain and Learning Less than 1% used It is the size of 2 fists Left Logic Numbers Language Letters Analysis Symbols Linearity Right Imagination Visualisation Rhythm Spatial Awareness Colour Music Art Patterns/Charts

The Brain and Learning Left Right Not creativity True learning takes place when links are made across Left & Right Linear learning is limited to the LEFT so find ways to make links

Different ways of revising Reviewing and recalling your work

Get Comfortable • Doesn’t have to be at a desk • You can have music but not your favourites • The best kind of music has no lyrics and is 60 -70 B. P. M - a good bit of Bach! • Build in breaks, don’t revise for hours • Ask your family and friends not to disturb you

Review to Music • Music at 60 -70 BPM gives the alpha brainwave state - good for long term memory • Summary information is read aloud just below the music - could tape it and play it back to yourself • Or, for new information - higher number of BPM. Voice alters with music

Mindmapping ¡ Mind mapping on mind mapping

Summarise notes Do not JUST read them Headings and points ¡ Use tables ¡ Use spider diagrams ¡ Put onto postcards ¡ l list the main points 7 points + or - 2 Chunk it down Use flow charts ¡ Use diagrams ¡

Venn Diagram Arteries Veins Thick walls Thin walls no valves tubular pocket valves can constrict transport blood take blood back to heart take blood away from heart high blood pressure can’t constrict low blood pressure

Chart or table

Flow Chart Global Warming Fossil fuels burned CO 2 emissions Blanket of CO 2 around earth Global warming

Sensory ¡ To learn anything fast you need to: ¡ SEE ¡ IT ¡ HEAR IT ¡ FEEL IT POST ITS - around the room

Colourful and visual ¡ Our memory is better for Images than for WORDS Use highlighter pens ¡ Make review posters ¡

Posters Summary information onto Dramatic colourful posters Place at eye level or above in your room

Visual memory Remember Pictures and diagrams in your upper left visual field. The images must be ¡ BIG! BIG

Outrageous ¡ The brain remembers more easily things that are DIFFERENT and DISRUPT an expected pattern l outrageous voices l teach a Martian

Ridiculous Applications ¡ ¡ The unusual and outrageous are immediately memorable Take it out of context Imagine a PILLOW FIGHT with one person hitting the other each SHOUTING OUT advantages or disadvantages with each hit!!!!

Thematic or Topical ¡ ¡ You need something to relate your understanding to E. g. T. Rex was 4. 1 m high - the height of a ceiling

Sequenced ¡ Index cards ¡ Flow charts ¡ Clock face diagrams ¡ Templates for structured response

Chunked The maximum units of information an adult can recall without chunking is 7 + or - 2 01434610300 = 01 -434 -610 -300 ¡ ¡ magic numbers 1, 3, 5, 7

Example of 1, 3, 5, 7 Muscular Contraction 1 - Significant learning part ð Muscles shorten when they contract 3 - Essential pieces of information ð TWO types of filament thick myosin thin Action ð nerve impulse initiates action and calcium is released ð This causes active sites to be shown on ACTIN and myosin binds to it by forming CROSS BRIDGES ………………. . .

1, 3, 5 Questions that need to be answered 7 5 Questions that need to be answered ð ð ð Can you draw a diagram of the action? What is the structure of muscle filaments? How are the bands arranged? What happens when the nerve impulse arrives? What is the role of ATP (energy)? ? ………………. . .

1, 3, 5, 7 key points 7 Key points 1. initiated by nerve impulse 2. causes release by calcium from T vesicles 3. which causes ACTIN filaments to change shape and expose active sites 4. myosin heads attach to active sites forming cross bridges 5. this requires nergy ATP ADP + nergy 6. cross bridges immediately detach, reattach, causing shortening - RATCHET mechanism 7. Z lines move closer together, T band is narrower and stays the same, H band disappears.

Located ¡ ¡ Learn key information in different places in the house key facts brought to life by characters [e. g. Royle family] and locate them in a place

Numbered ¡ Use WORDS to represent numbers or dates 186, 282 = A DAZZLING SUNRAY IS FLASHING BY ¡ Number key points e. g. 5 causes of …. .

Mnemonics - Word Games Best invented by YOU! ¡ Initial letters of key points e. g. functions of a skeleton SLAPRS ¡ Seven characteristics of living things - MRS GREN ¡ Meiosis in ovaries mitosis in toes ¡ Stalactites - tights come down ¡ Stalagmites - mites go up ¡ R O Y G B I V

Alliteration Rhyme and Rhythm Information carried by rhythm or tune or learned as words to a song are easily remembered ¡ WHOLE BRAIN LEARNING ¡ Make up rhymes/ sing them to tunes you know ¡ Tape it and play it back to yourself ¡

Personalised ¡ ¡ ¡ Try to make personal connections to the information you’re learning. How would you teach this to your younger brother or sister? Think about personal projects.

Shared You need to test understanding WITHOUT FEAR ¡ Regular informal tests ¡ Do it at home! ¡ Explain your notes to someone else ¡ Make questions up and ask someone to test you on your understanding ¡

Plan your revision ¡ Use a planner ¡ Divide the day up into hours ¡ Allow yourself some relaxation and build it into your timetable.

Revision Support at Home

Reasons Symptoms STRESS Strategies to avoid it.

Useful Websites ¡ Revision Moodle at http: //w 1. qehs. net/moodle QEHS ¡ BBC Bitesize http: //www. bbc. co. uk/schools/gcsebitesize/ ¡ s-cool. co. uk http: //www. s-cool. co. uk