How to tell if they’re really taking it in

WHILE your child may look studious with a textbook in one hand and a highlighter pen in the other, it’s unlikely they are taking much in unless they are ‘actively’ learning.

Youngsters need to be engaged either by actively analysing material or being tested on it. So websites like Quizlet.com, in which pupils can devise their own tests, can help.

Academic coach Lucy Parsons, author of The Ten Step Guide To Acing Every Exam You Ever Take also suggests a ‘power hour’ of revision. This involves finding a past paper question and spending 20 minutes revising what they need to answer the question, the next 20 minutes answering it and the last 20 minutes marking their work. Another tactic is a revision ‘buddy.’ Help them choose a partner — you or a friend. They should tell their ‘buddy’ what they plan to revise at the start of the day, then report at the end of the day on how it went.