Year 11 GCSE Revision Strategies for selfregulated success

Year 11 GCSE Revision Strategies for self-regulated success This simple booklet contains all the strategies you need to help you revise efficiently, effectively and in a focussed way Don’t thank us…

What works? Examinations are tests of memory and retrieval You need to retrieve the right knowledge for the right circumstance, apply it to the right situation and answer the question or complete the task in the right way – simple, right? You learn by thinking; memory is the residue of your thought, and learning is a change in your long-term memory Maximise your ability to retrieve key information at the right time by revising in the right way! DON’T… • Cram everything the night before • Just re-read and highlight your notes • Listen to music whilst revising • Attempt to multi-task • These just DON’T work; they aren’t efficient

Effective revision looks like… Retrieval Practice Create a quiz; Try to sketch everything about a topic; Do lots of small tests; Create flashcards! Go back and check! Spread your revision out over time; smaller chunks, more often – spread revisiting topics over the week, the month or the term Spaced practice Interleaving Leaving gaps between study is very effective; when studying multiple topics for one test, mix up the material Ask yourself questions about material – how does it work? Why? Make connections to other ideas and explain them Elaboration Concrete Examples Dual Coding Help concepts come alive by finding examples of them at work; link the examples to the ideas! Find more examples! Pictures are as memorable as words, so try drawing out visuals to go with key ideas; use the visuals to help your memory!

Do… • Go for plenty of walks and exercise • Get plenty of sleep • Eat breakfast • Picture the process of the exam the night before • Make yourself a revision timetable… Time/ day 0800 0830 1600 – 1630 – 1700 1730 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun