'Tis the season to be revising...

Revision season is starting. We know, of course, that revision should not really be a season, it should be ongoing, spaced and repeated throughout the school year if learning is to be embedded - but let's be realists, not every student is going to do that.

I really like this blog by Alex Quigley on the subject of good revision and how skimming through revision guides isn't it.

Three things I want to draw particular attention to as vital to the revision process:

1. Writing! Pick up a pen or a pencil and make notes as you revise. Summarise. Draw diagrams. Mind-maps. I can't stress this enough: writing is essential for revision.

2. "Spacing" your revision - which means practising or learning a topic and then returning to it at intervals. Successful revision is not a "once and it's done" event.

3. Self-testing and/or enlisting a helpful member of the family to quiz you. We know from research that testing is an essential part of the memorising process, particularly for the longer term.

To read Alex Quigley's full blog, follow https://www.theconfidentteacher.com/2023/03/10-tips-for-using-revision-guides/

Note for parents:

I know from the many children, of varying abilities, who come to me for tutoring, that most of them don’t instinctively realise that writing is an important part of their revision process. So if your child tells you (as my teenage daughters have done) that the work is on Quizlet and they don’t need to write anything down, follow your instinct and get them writing! Providing funky coloured pens and paper/record cards often softens the blow. Apps such as Quizlet are a useful tool but do not replace the process of writing as you revise for successful learning. Offer to quiz them and don’t take no for an answer.

They’ll thank you later, probably internally and without saying the actual words, but they'll thank you.

If you enjoyed this you may like to read: https://www.tutortaylor.com/post/practice-and-why-it-s-so-important

www.tutortaylor.com

Cate is a qualified teacher with more than 20 years of experience teaching in schools and she has most recently dedicated her time to tutoring both online and face to face. Current and past students come from the New Forest, across the UK, Spain, Switzerland, France, Spain and Hong Kong. Cate has a waiting list for all hours outside of the UK school day but can often find space for those in other time zones (such as Hong Kong and Singapore, UAE, Malaysia) or adults who are able to have a lesson during the day.