Helping our children with exams
As we approach summer, many of our children will face exams, whether they’re GCSEs, A Levels or vocational qualifications. This can be a stressful time for our young people so Suzanne has put together some handy tips to help with revision, exam stress and organisation.
If like me, you have a foster son or foster daughter approaching exams and are concerned about the best way to support them over the coming months, here are some hints and tips to help encourage a positive and supportive environment.
Revision
Many find that the best way to revise is little and often – breaking up work into manageable chunks and taking breaks between each topic. This is especially important for neurodiverse people, and those who have suffered trauma, which can impact on their ability to focus and retain information.
Help your child find what revision methods work for them. This could be having flashcards on the fridge, asking other people in the house to test them, or taking past papers.
Encourage them to make a revision timetable and put it on their wall. This will make sure they stay on track and don’t have any last minute panic!
Organisation
Children who have suffered trauma may need extra help with organisation. You can help your child by making sure they have everything they need for their revision and exams. Make sure they have plenty of notebooks and stationery, all the textbooks they need for each subject, and plenty of snacks!
It can help to create an exam prep checklist to make sure they’re taking everything they need into school, and put their exam timetable somewhere everyone can see it.
Help from school
If you have any concerns, either academic or pastoral, you can speak to your child’s school about what support they can offer. They may be able to suggest new revision techniques, offer after-school tutoring or subject drop in sessions, or they may be able to arrange study groups for students who prefer not to revise alone.
Exam stress
Exam time can be stressful, but sometimes that stress can spill over into more worrying behaviour. Some common things you may notice as signs of struggling are –
- Angry or emotional outbursts
- Difficulty sleeping
- Changes in eating habits
- Feeling more tired than usual
- Not wanting to talk about things or becoming more closed off than usual
It’s essential you keep an eye on your young person and check in with them regularly.
What can you do to help your child?
Always give perspective – exam results are not the be all and end all. Many people’s strengths lie outside the classroom. All you ask is that they try their best.
Always be positive – a calm but positive environment can help children with their own emotional regulation, reducing anxiety and stress.
Always give praise – boosting the confidence of our young people can motivate them in their studies and help them tackle self-doubt.
External support
There are lots of websites and apps offering exam support. We recommend BBC Bitesize for all things exam related, and YoungMinds and Kooth for mental health support.
I hope that you find this useful and that your young people have as stress-free exams as possible!
