Top Tips for Revision and Exam Success Year 7 Exams 13th – 23rd June 2016

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

- Benjamin Franklin

“Preparation is the key to success.”

- Alexander Graham Bell

“Never, never, never give up.” -

Winston Churchill

“There is no secret to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure.” Colin Powell

YEAR 7 School Exams 13th – 23rd June 2016 English – 11.20am, 20th June Maths – 9.00am 21st June Students will take their English and maths examinations in either the Lady Mabel Hall or the Sports Hall. Examinations in all other subjects will take place in normal classroom lesson time during the exam period.

Preparing to Revise HAVE I GOT ALL THE INFORMATION I NEED? Check with your teacher if you’re unsure what you need to revise for the exam, they will be able to point you in the right direction.

DO I UNDERSTAND THE WORK I NEED TO REVISE? Read through the notes in your books and make some notes or revision cards. If you’re unsure about anything, you can speak to a friend or ask your teacher.

WHERE AND WHEN DO I REVISE? Somewhere warm and quiet where you can concentrate.

REVISION PLANNING

Revise for 30 minutes at a time and then give yourself a short break. Use the planning sheets in this booklet to help you plan your time. to go over it a few times to commit it to memory.

The perfect revision session

Have an aim for the session, e.g. ‘By the end of this 30 minute revision session I will understand and be able to answer questions on photosynthesis’. Think about what you know already and identify the bits you need to spend more time on. Break down each topic into ‘do-able’ chunks. Revise each section – not just reading the information but doing something active with it. Make notes or revision cards, jot down the key points, words and phrases. Test yourself to see what you have learnt. Tick off the subject on your ‘overall list’ so that you can see progress. Revisit your notes briefly after one day, one week and one month, as well as just before the exam – THIS REALLY WORKS!

Useful techniques Use a checklist to make sure you cover all the topics you need to revise for the exam.

Record yourself Read a paragraph and then look away; what can you remember? making 10 key points What can you write down? about a particular Make your own revision cards topic, then play it back Write a question on one side of the when you are card. travelling, running etc. Write the question on the other side of the card. Read a paragraph Ask someone to test you by asking and then look away; the questions and checking your what can you answers. You can always test remember? What can yourself using your cards as well. you write down? Revise on-line for your KS3 exams. Put post-it notes up around the house, especially for learning chemical or mathematical formulae or key vocabulary. Read them when sitting on the loo, brushing your teeth or eating your breakfast!

You can find some useful revision materials and activities at -

www.bbc.co.uk/education/subjects.

Remember to select KS3 and then the subject you want to revise.

Tell someone about what you have learned; if you can explain something to someone else, you know it.

TOP TIP! Is your revision ACTIVE? It’s important that you make your revision as ACTIVE as possible. Don’t just read through your notes – do something with them.  ACTIVE REVISION

 Passive Revision

 Make revision cards

 Reading your notes

 Do past exam papers

 Copying out your notes

 Condense your notes into bullet points

 Typing up your notes

 Create a mind map

 Watching TV whilst reading your notes

 Record info onto an mp3 player  Write formulae and key points onto post-it notes  Use body tagging or mnemonics to memorise You are all under my control. Revise actively if you want to succeed!

Post It Notes

Write down key points and post the notes around the house. This is great for remembering the names of shapes or formulae in Maths.

Record your revision or download a revision app and then listen to it. This way, you can play it back while you are on the bus, walking the dog etc. This works best if you have something that needs to be learnt by heart. Don’t waste time by putting entire books onto tape – it would be faster to read them! But if you have vocabulary to learn for example, for a foreign language, it can be really useful to be able to play it over and over, until you have it fixed firmly in your head.

Revision Cards

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Every subject can be summarised on revision cards. Cards could be used to learn the key features of the different types of text for the English exam e.g., writing to persuade, argue, analyse, describe. Be creative! Write a question on one side and the answer on the other and ask your family to test you. MATHS: shapes

5- pentagon 6 –hexagon 7 -heptagon Spider Diagrams are good for summarising KEY POINTS… American Dream Prejudice Escape

Of Mice and Men THEMES

Class

Justic e Racism

Friendship

If you can teach someone else, you know it! Mind Map They’re not everyone’s cup of tea but mind maps can help you to remember the key points and then some of the details related to those key points. They become more memorable if you make them colourful and use pictures.

Brain Boosting Tips Revision isn’t just about sitting down at a desk and working hard, you need to prepare your body and mind! Here are some top tips from The Times Newspaper. Get Sweaty One of the best ways to revise effectively is to stay active. Our brains need lots of oxygen and physical exercise such as walking and jogging improve circulation to the brain. Studies have also shown that exercise can help sustain cells in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that is vital for memory and learning. Feed Your Brain Omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish such as sardines and tuna are thought to improve cognitive abilities and mood. B vitamins may also have brain boosting properties and one good source is Marmite. Take a Break Don’t revise for longer than 30-40 minutes at a time, take a short break to give your brain a break. Relax Your Body Use some basic relaxation techniques before your exam and your brain will work much better than if you’re stressed and worrying. Sleep on it You need at least 7-8 hours of sleep! Drink Plenty of Water Dehydration is bad news for your brain. You need to drink between 1.5l and 2.5l of fluids a day. Ignore your gadgets! Apparently, regularly tapping away on text messages and emails and constantly checking whether you have any new messages can lower your IQ! The constant distractions and temptation to contact your friends won’t help with your revision and exam success either. Make your revision a no ‘phone zone.

Work on your Technical Accuracy Don’t forget, your exam success doesn’t just depend on what you know, it’s also about how you communicate it. You need to remember your proofreading strategies to check that what you’ve written in the exam makes complete sense and is technically accurate. Remember to check your SPaG! In particular, remember to check the following: Spelling

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Spelling Tips Sound out the word Think about how it looks Think about a similar word Is there a memory sentence for this word? (e.g. big elephants cannot always use small exits) Find the word in a list – Key words list Frequently used words list Your own word bank Look it up in a dictionary/ use spell check Ask a friend or teacher To learn it: look, say, cover, write, check Once you’ve solved it, add the correct spelling to your own word bank.

Paragraphs – Have I used the TiP ToP rules? Start a new paragraph when you change

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TiP

ToP

Change of TIME

Change of PLACE

Start with a topic sentence which tells the reader what the paragraph is about. Now develop your ideas and add detail.

Punctuation Have you used it accurately?

Have you used a range of connectives to link your ideas? Have you remembered the basics? E.g. When to use capital letters?

Exam Information Ecclesfield School Examination Expectations  Arrive 10 minutes before the start time of your examination. Please be quiet on the corridors outside the exam halls.  Make sure you have all the correct equipment. Pens should be black ink only. (You should be prepared to bring a calculator to Maths exams) You must either use a transparent pencil case or clear plastic bag.  Do not attempt to communicate with any other students in the exam hall.  Examination regulations are very strict regarding items that may be taken into the exam rooms. If you break these rules you will be disqualified from the exam.  Mobile phones must not be brought into the exam hall, please leave your phones in your bags or coats (switched off) and leave in the designated areas.  No food is allowed in the exam halls but you may bring a bottle of water, please remove the label.  Put your hand up to ask - don’t start worrying – just ask.  Absolute silence must be maintained in the exam hall.  Listen to all instructions carefully and follow them.  Keep trying. Every bit of revision you do, every effort you make will make a difference.

Before the exam-Top Tips  Know where you are supposed to be in advance of the exam, plan to get there early.  Allow time for your brain to wake up. Make sure you have had something to eat than morning.  Make sure you have everything you need.  Take a pen you feel comfortable writing with.  Keep to your normal routine and make sure you get plenty of sleep.  Go to the toilet before the exam begins.

It’s vital that you prepare for the Year 7 exams. The more you learn now, the better prepared you will be in the future.

Feel like you’ve got plenty of time to put off your revision? You haven’t!

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Make sure you have all the materials you need so you’re ready to revise! Revision week 1 Revision week 2 Revision week 3

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EXAMS BEGIN

REVISION ADVICE - Tips for Parents You might not feel like there’s very much you can do to help your child revise, but your involvement during any revision period can make an enormous difference. Your support, encouragement and interest can make a huge difference to your child’s motivation and ability to cope with the demands of school exams. Your role may include some or all of the following:  Making sure your child understands the importance of making the most of lesson times.  Providing the tools for homework and revision: a quiet space to work and a “workbox” of pens, paper and other necessities.  Showing a positive interest in your son / daughter’s school work and helping with homework (but not doing it for them), testing them when they ask you to etc.  Advising your child on how they can break tasks down so that they are manageable, keeping a subtle eye on progress and celebrating achievements, and seeing a positive way forward when things go badly!  Agree the rules for homework and revision.  Helping to make a realistic timetable, balancing work against the “fun stuff” and revising the plans as necessary.  Acting as a go-between for your child and the school when necessary. Make sure problems are nipped in the bud and ask the questions that your child can not or will not.

EXAM ADVICE - Tips for Parents Studying and preparing for exams can prove a real challenge for parents. Your most important role, as always, is to encourage and praise and show an interest by talking to your child about their school work. Here are some other things you can do to help:  Put key dates and deadlines in your own diary so that you can support before the “panic stage.”  Take the opportunity to discuss how revision is going, and if there are any difficulties you can help with.  Talk about whether or not music or TV will help or hinder them. If necessary, agree a trial period on their terms and review how they are getting on.  Keep a balance between their social life, work commitments and studying. Agree a homework / revision schedule and encourage your son / daughter to stick to it.  If they tell you that they do not have any homework or revision this is not true. Use the school website and make contact with the relevant teacher at school if in any doubt.

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Example Example 4pm-4:30pm 4pm-4:30pm 4.45pm-5:15pm 4.45pm-5:15pm