Six ways to help your teen revise THIS half term

With GCSE and A-level mock exams coming up in November, you might be feeling the tension in your household this half term as we enter another revision period. Though the urge to help your child get stuck in to their studies might be tempting, it is important that they themselves take the time to find the answers and be resourceful. There is also the unnerving risk that you yourself might not know the answer – which is okay!

MyTutor – the UK’s most trusted tutoring platform – have compiled their top 5 tips on how to support your teen with their studies to help dilute the anxiety around revision season, and offer guidance on what to do if you’re unsure.

Let them have a go first
It is normal for your child to ask for help when they hit a wall with their work, however, this does not mean you should come to the rescue and find the answers for them. Esteemed education expert Professor Guy Claxton is firmly of the belief that the best way for an individual to grow intellectually is to face the challenge at hand with curiosity and creativity. This in turn will strengthen problem solving skills and embed useful learning habits for real exam settings.

Know the quality learning resources
It’s all good and well to put in the hours into rewriting notes, but often it is the quality of the study time over quantity. We are privileged to have thousands of great resources at our fingertips. For example:

1. Past GCSE exam papers for practice
2. Helpful step-by-step videos like our explainer videos on the MyTutor Tik-Tok account
3. Exam prep tips on Youtube channels
4. Revision apps like Mindmeizer and ExamBlue flashcards to help teens consolidate and remember
5. Timetable planner apps and goal setting templates that help your teen get organised
6. Blogs, apps and social media accounts focused on teen wellbeing– because revision can be stressful and have a knock on effect on mental health

7. MyTutor Squads: Free online Tutorials
MyTutor is launching their ‘MyTutor Squads’ for students looking for free interactive learning resources on the subjects that students are struggling the most with. Offering free online tutoring sessions in Maths, Coding, and Smart Study Habits, MyTutor is proof that a well-rounded education that sets your child up for success, doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg. ‘MyTutor Squads’ start 10 October and run until 16th December, for all students seeking extra support free online tutoring classes throughout the autumn term.

About MyTutor’s Free Online Tutoring Sessions
Launched to make it easier for teens to get the study support they need, MyTutor’s group tutoring sessions will be held weekly and hosted on their YouTube channel, all of which are completely free of charge and will run from 10 October to 16 December – the entire autumn term. Led by an array of MyTutor’s most experienced tutors, sessions will cover core topics such as Maths and Coding – relevant to GCSE Computer Science, and to teens who want to give it a go.

Further to this, the free online tutoring classes will also include access to ‘Study Squad’ – sessions to teach teens a series of techniques to help them learn, remember and revise, so they can achieve their best in every subject.

Parents can sign their teens up, and teens can sign themselves up here.

Encourage them to ask for help
Not knowing the answer instantly is both common and advantageous to support growth. We learn best by asking questions, and who better to ask than someone who knows what they’re talking about. If your teens feels apprehensive about asking their teacher, you can always help them find homework clubs or a tutor as a less intimidating alternative. It’s also good to stack up as many questions prior to asking them to save going back and forth.

Find someone to help them
Exam season can certainly take its toll. The emotional strain can have rippled effects, especially if your child experiences low self-esteem associated with poor grades. Therefore, investing in regular 1:1 support goes a long way. MyTutor found that 78% of parents feel that tutoring has positively impacted their child’s mental health which is why they recommend their online tutors. One of the main benefits with this is the tutors are only a few years ahead of the student, so they double as role models, putting their students at ease and making them feel comfortable asking for help. Apart from the obvious benefits of achieving better grades, tutoring often helps boost teen self-confidence, and can even raise future aspirations since your teen is spending time with academic role-models.

Help them set up a positive work space
As the saying goes, tidy workspace, tidy mind. This definitely rings true when revising. Creating a study-friendly work space increases productivity and concentration. By ensuring they are readily equipped with the correct tools, and revision must-haves means the chances of distraction are significantly reduced as opposed to having the TV on in the background and a cluttered desk.

Other ways to support your teen as they revise is to have healthy snacks ready, since studying uses up a lot of energy. And you can encourage breaks too, since their brain will sometimes need to look away from a problem to actually then solve it.

Bertie Hubbard, co-founder of MyTutor, comments on the benefits of online learning alongside parental support:

“Teens are in more need than ever for some support and reassurance with their studies, and that’s exactly what our tutors offer. Our tutors are all from UK universities, and because they’re just a few years older they can easily relate to what teens are going through. With their dedicated one-to-one support, teens get some much-needed reassurance and come out with a stronger self-belief – 88% say that lessons made them feel more confident.

“Rather than replacing teachers with robots, the biggest power of EdTech lies in enhancing person-to-person learning. At MyTutor, we provide online tuition that raises kids’ grades, boosts confidence and helps them fulfil their potential in life. Because it’s online, kids get access to amazing tutors from across the country, rather than whoever’s nearby. As there’s no travel for the student or the tutors, it also saves time and money travelling – reducing the cost and stress involved for parents.”