September is just around the corner and some children will have to face make-up exams very soon.
In summer it is difficult to focus on studying but we are going to give you some tips so you can help your child optimize his time and resources during these last days.
Ideally, make a study plan at the beginning of the holidays and follow the calendar and schedules established throughout the summer. If not, do not despair, there is still time for a final "spring".
Keys to prepare for a make-up exam
Planning
The most important thing is that you help your child adequately plan the time you have left before the exam. The ideal is to do it jointly, in writing and hang it in a place that is visible. Older children can sign it as a contract. This reinforces the degree of commitment they acquire when it comes to fulfilling it.
Find a quiet, cool and distraction-free space. The best times for study are in the morning, after breakfast. Don't pose it as a punishment but as a task that you have to accomplish to obtain your final goal, which is to pass.
The study plan has to be realistic. For primary school children the most advisable are sessions of approximately 45 minutes. Secondary students will need to divide their time between homework (30-45 minutes) and time spent studying (45-60 minutes). The time will vary depending on the subjects that the child has to make up.
The study routine has to include small breaks that will be established according to age and the capacity for attention and concentration. Ideally, start with activities of medium difficulty. Then go to the most difficult and leave the easiest for last, which is when the child is more tired and scattered.
Positive reinforcement and support
Your support and trust are important to your son, feeling that you value his effort. Try to provide you with the help you need and help him trust his own possibilities. Emphasize what he does well and do not constantly repeat what he does wrong.
The motivation
It is another key factor when preparing for make-up exams. Make sure your child makes sense of what he is studying. Relate the contents with practical examples whenever possible. It is useless to memorize something that is not understood. A little reflection on the advantages of passing can boost your motivation. Avoid promises and gifts, they are usually not effective.
Study strategies
Each child is different, there are more visual, others more discursive, etc. Search study techniques that best suit the characteristics of your child; diagrams, underlining, summaries, mental maps ... At this point you have to learn the most important and put aside the secondary. Do not forget to review every day what has already been studied.
Make-up exams the day before
- Remind your child to prepare all the material you will need to introduce yourself and take the exam: homework, ruler, calculator, pencil case, etc.
- It is important that your child is as rested and calm as possible. The day before recovery is a good time to do an activity that you enjoy and distract you. You can do a general review but it is too late to assimilate what has not yet been learned.
- You can help him to practice some relaxation and breathing control exercises. Certainly controlling the nerves generated by a test can be of great help, especially for insecure and / or very anxious children.
- Help him visualize, with eyes closed, time to do the exam. How you feel, what you have to do first, how you will control the time, etc. This will help you to face the actual test in a much more positive and confident way.
Good luck!