If your child has left studying too late, focus first on the biggest exam sections and those the teacher emphasised. Write down keywords or use mind maps and flashcards instead of only highlighting, study one subject per session in focused 30 minute blocks with 10 to 15 minute breaks, eat nutritious food and get enough sleep.
To create the ultimate study space, choose a clean, clutter-free spot away from noise and not on the bed, with good lighting such as an LED lamp and a supportive chair that is not so comfortable it causes drowsiness. Agree on household quiet time during study sessions, because 30 focused minutes beat 2 distracted hours.
Preparing a child for exams involves a balanced study plan that avoids cramming, a quiet study space, study methods that suit the child’s learning style, a balanced diet with enough water, short study sessions with breaks, 8 to 10 hours of sleep, regular exercise and the right stationery. Practice worksheets and practice exams with answers support revision.
To help a child who is failing Afrikaans as a First Additional Language, teach them the Afrikaans instruction words used in tests, buy a good bilingual dictionary for homework and keep an A5 notebook of new Afrikaans words with English translations throughout the year. The same approach works for any First Additional Language, including English, isiXhosa and isiZulu.
Early preparation, rather than procrastination, helped one family turn failing exam results into passes within a single school term. The steps included reviewing the school calendar and incomplete notes, building a study timetable backwards from exam dates, organising revision summaries by subject, separating note-making from studying, using practice worksheets and exams, and giving daily encouragement.
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