Exam Stress - Some tips for parents
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good tips!
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graciousbear:
good tips!
Thank you! ^_^ -
Tuition Info page: http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum ... 85&t=74167
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I guess a good and effective time table is best planned together with your child. I have copied my article to tackle exam stress here for your leisure reading
Design a time-table together with your child, yes together!
Coming out with a time-table together will allow your child to experience and take responsibility of his/her own learning. Your child will also be more willing to accept and follow the schedules and activities planned as he/she was part of the decision making.
Sit on a couch and talk daily before sleep!
You may not sit on a couch but I meant somewhere both of you feel comfortable enough. When I say talk, it is not just hearing one another’s voice. It is a ‘debrief’ session of the day with your child for them to feel good for the things they had done well and reflect on things they can do even better. Parents have to take note of their tone of voice especially as a negative tone will simply put your child off and this session can backfire!
Work together with your child!
Your child’s best teacher is not the school teachers, me but you! Since birth, your child looks upon you and models after your actions whether you know it or not. Hard to believe, but parents, you are your child’s best teacher! Of course in reality, parents spent most of their time working to earn money for the benefits of your family. Hence, parents usually do not have much time left for learning and working together to take place. Cliche as it may sound, ‘if there’s a will, there’s a way’, I am not asking you to take a whole day’s leave to work together with your child but 15 to 30 minutes on one concept a day, is all it takes for the best quality of learning! Try it out to believe it! By doing so, your child will be able to experience the best learning process.
Work together with your child’s teachers and tutors!
Do not think of spending tons of money and throwing all responsibilities of your child’s learning to the outsiders! Yes, a trained personnel can teach better but as mentioned in the previous point, your child looks up to you! They learn fast and better with you than with an outsider since there’s already great bond and rapport built up since birth. Teachers, tutors and all other enrichment stakeholders are important for your child to unleash their potentials but if parents do not come in as the last piece of puzzle, face the fact that you are just throwing your hard-earned money to the sea because you are not there to recap and reflect with your child what was taught.
Play!
Tough as it may sound, ‘play? the author is crazy!’ – the first thought that probably come through your mind. Time is so tight and precious, how can I still allow my child to play? Yes you can, I am not saying computer games but outdoor! This is best done on a weekend and all it takes is 30 minutes to an hour. By moving about, your child’s information-heavily-loaded-mind can take a short break and during this period, your child’s mind is able to collate and organize the information and it will be a bonus when a teachable moment occur!
Open your mind and try these 5 simple tips. If you have other tips that you would like to share, do leave a comment below. I am a full-time tutor (trained in MOE) with more than 7 years experiences working in private and public education sector. Can check out my portfolio by clicking on my profile to see my wordpress link -
Hi, new mummy user here! Chanced upon this website, http://www.pslerevision.com/blog-study-articles, which has a few study articles. Below is the article which resonates with me the best, and maybe for you too
3 Ways To Motivate Your Child To Study
Are you tired of nagging, threatening, or bribing your child to study before the examinations? If so, this study article is just for you. We have listed down 3 ways which will help your child to stay focused and motivated before the school examinations!
1) Be Positive and Provide Positive Feedback
It is important to replace external and monetary rewards with positive encouraging verbal responses. Do not get into the habit of rewarding your child for good grades. That is merely a short term gain and does not encourage your child to study in the long run. Moreover, there is plenty of scientific research to show that reward systems are ineffective in the long run. When you stop rewarding your child with monetary rewards (ie: toys, gadgets, candies etc), your child will lose the extrinsic motivation to study and may even not want to study anymore.
As such, the motivation to study should always be intrinsic. Give positive verbal feedback that focus on the behavior which you want to promote or encourage. Some positive comments include:
\"You have followed your revision timetable closely and have completed your revision for today. I’m proud of you for being such a diligent and responsible child.”
\"Your handwriting is neat and tidy. All your letters are right between the lines and they’re big enough for your teacher to read. I’m happy that you have put in effort to write well.”
“It’s great that you have completed your homework all by yourself! I know some questions were not easy to solve, but I noticed that you tried your best to solve them. You are a hardworking and determined child. Most importantly, you stayed focused and did not give up.”
Therefore, it is important to get into the habit of encouraging your child with kind positive words.
2) Establish A Study Routine
Your child needs to plan a study timetable and once the study timetable has been set, stick to it. It may take a few days, or even weeks, for your child to get used to it and your child may even protest, but as a parent, you will need to be firm and encourage your child to stick to it. A study schedule is useless if it is not carried out; a study routine is crucial. In order for your child to excel well in his/her studies, a regular study or revision routine is necessary.
As the saying goes, “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” (Our article on how to plan an effective study schedule can be viewed here.)
3) Provide A Study Environment
If your house lacks a study area, you have to plan on what you can do to make your house study-friendly. You must create a study space that is away from the noise of other family members such as younger siblings, and the television. You can also set a rule that everyone have to do their homework or revision at the same time to minimize the noise level of your house. If you or a family member engages in fun or noisy activities during study time, your child will be distracted and it is unfair for your child to study in an environment that is not quiet or conducive at all. Use your child’s study time to do some quiet household chores, such as folding the laundry, sweeping or mopping of floors etc. You may even do some of your office work during your child’s study time too.
As a parent, you can’t study for your child, but you can assist him/her in doing so. For example, you can give a five minute warning that the revision time is approaching, thus easing your child into his/her revision, instead of abruptly ending your child’s current activity. You can then help to clear the study table, place your child’s assessment books and stationery onto the table neatly, and even offer some drinks or snacks for him/her.
We hope that these 3 tips will help your child to stay motivated, focused and well-prepared for the upcoming school examinations. Most importantly, parents need to be encouraging and not critical. Create a \"can do\" study attitude and your child will be motivated to study!