When your child enters their teenage years there will be a lot more expected of them with the huge build up to exams and important choices they will have to make. It’s integral that your child is able to focus and handle the pressure that they’re going to face, which can be taught and guided through from their parents and teachers.
Signs that your child will need a helping hand can include poor sleeping patterns, lack of appetite and a strong willingness to study each hour of the day from stress. Their behaviour tends to change, and it can be worrisome for you and the family to think about. However, there are ways to guide your child through these difficult periods, as this independent school in the UK will show how to implement methods that will help your teenager succeed.
Understand how your child learns
A part of advising your child is part of knowing how well they learn and what methods work best with them. If they’re more of a visual learner, provide them with more visual cues and aids to help them along the way, use TV or interactive exercises that can be found online. If they prefer to learn by reading and writing then plenty of books will come in handy. Give them the tools they need to perform at their best in a way that suits them.
Provide them a separate area for study
Having a place that lets your child learn, revise and study away from distractions is the best way to get them to practice for exams. A dedicated room or a space in the home that can give them peace and quiet surrounded by what focuses them the most will reassure them that they can do well in their studies. It also gets your child into a routine where they can continually practice through using mock exam papers, looking into difficult subjects and giving them time away from distractions.
Encourage your child to take breaks often
What comes with hours of hard study does mean that you should be taking a break regularly. Hourly breaks allow you to refocus what you’ve learnt and how you can apply it to the next hour or work you do. For teenagers they should be having long breaks between revising so that they’re not overloading themselves with too much information. Children should also avoid studying way into the late hours of the night – give them a chance to wind down before they head to sleep. A good way of studying is to do an hour of revision before dinner and then another hour or so before heading to sleep.
Plan an activity to do together when the exam period is over
After all that hard work your child’s going to want to unwind and relax. They deserve a break from hard work after all those long hours spent studying and learning! When the exams are over your child has a few weeks break before they can go back to school and look to begin the next cycle of study, they should make it count when they’re done. Have a series of rewards and activities to do once the exams are over so that they can look forward to something with their family. You should also encourage them to bring their friends over so that they can properly celebrate together; after all you’ve all done a lot of hard work together that should be adequately rewarded for!
Give your child the peace of mind they deserve when going through one of the toughest periods for teenagers. Make sure you’re continuously on watch and offer support wherever they might need it, they’ll thank you in the future for the work you’ve put in.