Top tips for your child’s successful revision

When our children have exams coming up, we all want to help them in any way we can, but teenagers can be notoriously difficult when it comes to revision. 

Here are our tips from Noël Janis-Norton, author of ‘Calmer, Easier, Happier Homework’ (Hodder & Stoughton, £14.99), for helping your son or daughter:

• Make sure your child has a revision timetable, and ensure that the rest of the family know what the timetable is. This way, everyone can give them space, and peace and quiet, while they’re studying.
• Short, sharp revision sessions are more efficient than marathon stints. The maximum time that should be spent revising in one sitting is 40 to 50 minutes. Between sessions, encourage your child to take an active break so their brain is re-energised.
• Help them to make flashcards – they’re useful for learning vocabulary in languages, formulae and definitions in maths and science, and key dates in history.
• Get them to make a list of key words they need for each subject, and write definitions for them. This is a great way to start the revision process, and gives them an overview of what needs to be revised for that subject.
• Suggest that they make a table of contents at the front of their revision folder, so they can easily find the topic they need to revise.