Our Top 5-and-a-Half SATs Prep Revision Tips for Primary School Kids
So, probably none of us want to admit it- educators, parents and students alike- exams are creeping up pretty fast. We’re already at the end of January, which gives us around three-and-a-bit months until SATs season- which means that as well as really doubling down on in-class learning, it’s also the right kind of time to start putting revision plans into place.
Although the international vaccine roll-out has done a great job at keeping many more of our children and young people in the classroom than were there last year, it’s still been a disrupted, stressful year to be taking on any kind of learning, and instilling confidence as well as skills in exam-takers has never been more important. That’s where revision comes in: not only does it help a learner to learn something, it also builds up their confidence that they’ll be able to make it stick on the day, too.
So whether you’re getting ready for SATs in May, or even looking longer-term at the 11+ coming over the horizon in Autumn, we’ve put together a handy list of tips and tricks that you and your primary-school learners might want to try out when it comes to revision season, especially if they’ve got literacy differences like dyslexia or they’re coming to English as an additional language.
1. Start Early. Although three and a half months might feel like forever, it isn’t, especially when we factor in half terms, inset days… and sadly perhaps some Covid-19 closures too. Making sure that kids hit the books early means that there’s time enough to identify weaker areas and focus on them to build skills, as well as time to seek expert guidance from teachers, tutors and SENCOs. And revision isn’t easy to sustain for long periods of time, so making a plan that learners can actually stick to is everything. It’s much better to revise for an hour a day for three months than three hours a day for one month.
2. Planning is Everything. It might be tempting to simply focus on problem areas, but a holistic attitude to revision is a great way to make sure there’s a smaller chance of curveballs on exam day. Creating a wall chart or even a dedicated in-app planner is a fab way of making sure that you’re covering everything that might come up on the exam and making sure that the learner knows what’s coming day-to-day and what’s expected of them.
3. Make Sure They’re Supported. Students with literacy differences like dyslexia or those who come to English as an additional language may need extra language support in their exam revision – and dedicated assistive tech solutions like the ReaderPen or ExamReader have been proven to have a positive effect on learning performance. These do have to be sorted out well in advance of exam season though, so it’s important to move quickly if there’s a learner in your life who you believe might benefit from this kind of support. As of this year, as well as the ExamReader, primary SAT-takers can also use a ReaderPen in their exams – chat to your teachers, tutors and SENCOs about making sure young learners are supported.
4. Ditch the Extra-Curricular Pressure. Many kids enjoy extra-curricular activities, such as sports, volunteering, or playing a musical instrument, and these can be a great stress-buster when it comes to revision season. But be careful not to treat these things as non-negotiable when there are exams on the horizon, and learners would rather spend time either revising more, or just kicking back after revision – these extra-curriculars can always be picked up again post-exams, and looking after their mental health during SATs season should be main priority.
5. Gamify, Gamify. Revision isn’t really the fun, attention-grabbing activity we’d like it to be- but there’s nothing to stop you making it a little more exciting with a game! Try matching exercises, quizzes, guessing games, sorting activities- the possibilities are pretty much endless, and breaking things down into smaller chunks can often help younger (and older) learners with retention.
And lastly…
5.5 Past Papers. This one isn’t really a revision tip per se, but it can really make all the difference when it comes to making sure learners are ready for whatever happens in the exam hall. Past papers can be handy because they demystify the exam paper as a concept, and allow them to take a look at the language used and the breakdown of the questions. They can also be handy in running ‘time trials’, and making sure that students who tend to take longer to work though papers are more accustomed to the time limits they’ll be facing. Chat to your educators to make sure you’re accessing the right past papers, though – they might even have a few that they can send to you, and it’s important to make sure that you’re working to the right exam board and their specifications.
Finally: best of luck to everyone taking exams this year, from everyone here at SP. Let’s do this! 💙