GCSE exam preparation
With the 2017 GCSE exams only a matter of months away, preparation is vital.
The key to preparation is being organised and realistic with the time you set aside for studying, allowing plenty of time to go over the topics you find the most difficult.
At StudyBox, our students have been working hard practicing past exam papers with the aim of making small improvements each time.
GCSE Teaching And Learning Techniques
Every student learns in different ways so it is important for our tutors to spend time getting to know each student and finding out how they learn at their best. Some like quiet, some may prefer music to be on in the background. Some may be more visual with their learning, needing to see how things work to understand them. And others need to count or make things with their hands to get it more fully. When you understand how your child best learns, then you can help create the right environment for them at home to reinforce the work they do at our tuition centre.
Revision Timetable
To get started on your GCSE exam preparation you need to create a revision timetable. It is best to work back from the exam dates so you know how long they have got before they sit the paper. Once you have the schedule from the school, you can plot all the exams on the home calendar and in your diaries/phones and then everyone knows where to go and when.
Set Aside Revision Time
Setting aside time to go over your notes and doing timed test papers helps to take the nerves away from the exams. Our preparations help to give each child a much-needed boost to their understanding, to help them gain a more secure grade if they need some extra help with the subject.
There are 3 papers for Maths and 2 for English and the GCSE Exam Schedule usually splits them up a bit so you can prepare for each individual paper in turn, rather than the whole subject in one.
We still have some places available in Wallington and Sutton if you would like your teen to come along for an assessment. Book them in today for some targeted tutorials to help them get the grades they need.
Boost Your Child’s Confidence
Boost Skills In English And Maths And Improve Your Childs Confidence
Student Self-Esteem
The early school years play a major role in shaping a child’s self esteem and confidence. Children with high self esteem typically tackle new challenges more effectively and achieve more success in school. Improving your child’s skills in Maths or English will of course help their progress but the gain in self confidence will be a surprising additional benefit.
Children need a positive, fun and rewarding environment to learn in, especially if they want to gain self confidence. Tuition from StudyBox in our warm and encouraging learning spaces can provide a great balance between teaching children well and building their confidence quickly.
We will be using structured lesson plans and reward systems for goals achieved with every child that studies with us. Whether it’s to help them through their exams, work on particular skills they might be lacking or to give them some new challenges, students may need a tutor in Wallington or Sutton to teach them concepts, methods and strategies to help their understanding and boost their confidence.
Tuition Assessment
Whether you decide to start tuition now or later, getting your child assessed will provide you with valuable information for the future. You’ll find out: your child’s strengths and weaknesses, gaps in their learning as well as suggested strategies for progress and where to go from here.
If your son or daughter has lowered confidence because of difficulties with their English or Maths, then it can be really satisfying to see the change in them after just a few short weeks of tutoring, as they begin to understand more of their school work, and start to get more pleasing results for themselves. A confident child becomes a happy child once again.
For a free no-obligation free trial just click here or fill in our contact form for more information.
Why Learn Our Times Tables?
One of the hardest maths tasks for young children (and some older ones!) is learning their times tables. A recent poll found that, even among adults, less than half were able to give a quick, confident answer to the sum: 8 x 7 = ?
As parents, you readily identify the need for your children to master their times tables because learning this is a foundation skill. It’s essential to future learning and should be mastered at an early age.
Why is it Important?
From about 7 years of age, right up to Secondary School, the times tables are the benchmark against which children often measure their maths ability.
Knowing your times tables enables you to estimate answers, to check calculator results for reasonableness, and to find short cuts.
For instance a Secondary School student who knows their times tables will “see” 24 as a number with many factors (1 x 24, 2 x 12, 3 x 8, 4 x 6). They will choose to use it over a number like 25 (that has only 1, 5 and 25 as factors) or 23 (a prime) if they’re investigating an Algebra pattern or looking for a short cut.
Breaking it down
Knowing basic facts gives an advantage, even if a calculator is used for the arithmetic. This is why the Times Tables are invaluable for teaching children multiplication and division facts.
For example, if you know that four 2’s make 8, you also know that 8 divided by 4 is 2. Your child will begin to learn their 2 and their 10 times tables in Year 2, progressing to the 3, 4 and 5 times tables in Year 3, and by Year 6 they will need to know all the times tables up to 10, sometimes 12, including the division facts.
How you can help
If you are helping your child learn their tables at home remember each new table only has a few new facts. If you know the 3 times table, you know 6 x 3 and 7 x 3, for example. Also, you can find the 8 times table by doubling the answers to the 4 times table.
Why not call or fill in our contact form for a free trial to see if we can help if your child is struggling with maths.
Image courtesy of Juanmacuevas (Processing) [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
