Exam Care Package – How to Help Your Child Ace Their English Examinations?
It is never too early for examination tips! We know that examination papers are the bane of most, if not all, students. The entire process is even more painful for you as parents, as you try to ensure that your child can ace their examination papers. While we are still in February, the past few months have flown by in a flash! In the same manner, we understand that you will not want to find yourself rushing at the last moment for the best preparation tips for your child.
Among the many different subjects your child will take, the English Language examination papers form one of the key subjects your child needs to ace. We know that this is easier said than done. The English Language examination format is multi-faceted, drawing upon your child’s various skills. In fact, your child has to be formidable in terms of content, versatile in terms of delivery and credible in terms of the answer quality. Balancing these three aspects is no easy task, especially if you want to ensure that your child comes out top for his/her papers.
Today, we will extract and consolidate three examination tips that we have picked out from our experience and our students in our classes. We present to you – your child’s examination Care Package!
Tip #1: Understanding the Syllabus and Requirements
Just like playing a game, beating an examination paper requires you to know all the rules at the outset. For an examination, this would mean reading, understanding and knowing the syllabus of the English Language subject. It is important to pick out the objectives that your child must meet to secure the top grade for his/her examinations. Knowing these objectives will also help your child to create an effective study plan and ensure the revision is thorough.
One oft-neglected aspect of the examination papers, especially for your child, is understanding the examination format for the English Language papers. By going through the format with your child, he/she will be able to map out the broad structure of the examination papers and tailor their study plan accordingly. For example, your child may appreciate that a large component of the examination paper will involve writing skills and language aspects such as grammar and vocabulary. This understanding, especially for your child, will ensure that he/she is in tune with the nuances of the examination papers.
Whilst taking the English exam papers, be sure to instil the habit of reading and understanding the instructions of each component, especially situational & continuous writing. Indeed, the instructions for paper 2 components will be as per the practice papers that your child has done. For instance, instructions for the comprehension open-ended will always be the same. However, that can’t be said for situational writing. Upon seeing the storyboard or image shown in the instructions refer to a particular incident, your child might instinctively think that the task is to write a report about the incident. However, the instructions might indicate the writing of a proposal instead. Moral of the story? Read and understand the instructions & requirements!
After getting back the exam paper and realising the careless mistake…
Tip #2: Cover all Bases!
After your child is comfortable with the format of the English Language examination papers, the next step is to design a study plan that best fits his/her learning goals. The first aspect that your child’s study plan should aspire to be is to be complete. Ensure that your child covers the various parts of the English Language syllabus in his/her revision. Your child should be able to cover all bases – from general writing skills to linguistic abilities, such as grammar or comprehension.
The second aspect of your child’s study plan to master is to ensure that the plan is versatile. This goes beyond simply covering all the topics under the English Language syllabus. Instead, try to build your child’s flexibility to transit between the different components of the examination papers. For example, instead of dedicating different full weeks for various components (e.g. one week on writing, and another for comprehension), try incorporating various components within a revision day (e.g. 15 minutes of grammar exercise, followed by 1 – 2 hours of writing). This will help your child get comfortable with the multi-faceted nature of the English Language examination papers.
Tip #3: Let the Mind Rest!
The final tool in the Care Package is unorthodox – remember to give your child time to relax! It goes without saying that your child’s study plan should include a break between study blocks. These breaks should be more than simply taking a 15-minute breather. Instead, allow them to completely disengage from the ‘study mode’ by allocating a longer period for them to wind down and engage in other fruitful behaviours (such as running, taking a nap or even playing a quick game).
Beyond simply a time-out, a break, to us, is also a fantastic opportunity for your child to digest the theory behind the lessons taught or revised. Gift your child time to understand and internalise the various techniques for the examination, before putting them into practice. You may even facilitate this process by testing their recall ability or encouraging them to ask clarifying questions after they had their break.
All the Best for the Paper!
Everyone knows the uncontroversial tips to prepare for examinations – a well-structured study plan, ample rest and consistent practice. The three points in our Care Package above go beyond that to provide you and your child precise tips and techniques they can apply immediately in their routine. We hope that the Care Package we shared above will help you and your child achieve success in their next examination!