Our first post is the "Top 8 Tips to Help Your Child Prepare for Exams:"
- Help your child create a good study environment. Clear off the desk or table and make sure there is plenty of light and space. Free the area from distractions (television, cell phone, computer), and they should not listen to music with lyrics. It can be very helpful to study in an environment that mimics the testing environment as much as possible.
- Make sure your child gets a good breakfast in the morning on each exam day. Even if your child "never eats breakfast," make sure they do on exam days.
- Make sure they get enough sleep the night before exam days. Staying up late "cramming" for exams is counterproductive because of the lost sleep.
- Provide positive encouragement throughout the exam preparation process. A few positive words or a well-timed snack can help keep your child from becoming stressed out.
- Help your child with organizing their study materials. Check with your child to make sure that he/she has all of the books, notes, tests, and study guides that they need to study for each exam. Make sure that those materials are organized in a way that they will be able to study efficiently instead of spending too much time shuffling through papers. Also, help them with this step far in advance of exams (over Thanksgiving break, perhaps, or the first week in December).
- Make sure your child takes short breaks while studying. A good rule of thumb is for them to take a short, 10-minute break for every 45 minutes or so of studying. This will help keep them refreshed and focused.
- Keep in mind that your child's study methods may differ from your own. Help your child find the way to study and prepare for exams that is best for their learning style.
- Do not "hover" over your child while they are studying. Provide a supportive environment for your child to prepare for exams using the tips above, but in the end, they have to take responsibility for learning the material and making sure that they are prepared.
