dysTalk Helping Your Child At Home Organisation Revision And Exams - Talks - dysTalk

About the speaker: Dr Helen Likierman is a consultant clinical psychologist working with families and children where there are emotional, social, behavioural or learning concerns. Visit Helen's website at www.psykidz.co.uk.

Further information about this Talk

Further Reading:

Visit Helen's website at www.psykidz.co.uk.

To get hold of Valerie Muter's and Helen Likierman's latest book on how parents can help with dyslexia, dyspraxia and related learning difficulties please click here.

Key Points Covered in This Talk:

Organisation:

• Encourage routines and timetabling: The day needs be organised into a routine: bedtime, mealtimes, waking up time, getting out of the door in time to get to school on time. This can be hugely problematic for many chidren who struggle with learning difficulties such as dyspraxia. If a routine is not established in the earlier years it will become much harder when children are older. Rewards that are systematic, consistent (ie never take away a reward once it's been earned) and at the right level will help to establish routines. Timetabling is about time organisation of all kinds. Some level of compromise is required so that times suit the child (e.g. at weekends try to avoid clashes between work and playing with friends or a favorite television programme) to prevent friction. Understanding units of time is important.
• Subject filing: Set up a subject filing system and weekly session for sorting and organising. Parents might have to do this for quite some time with their child. Using a reward system will encourage children to have the mindset to do it on their own. But it is better for parents to do it with their child than for it not to be done at all as this will serve to further undermine organisation.
• Equipment: Ensure homework and equipment for next day is ready packed before bed - and reward for doing it.
• List making: Encourage use of list making and ticking off tasks when complete. It can be hard to get children who have difficulty with writing to do this. Again linking this into rewards can be effective.

Revise and Pass Exams:

• Backgound: This refers primarily to older children. It is important for younger children not to be too anxious about their exams.
• List syllabus / topics: Get your child to make a list of the topics that will be examined. Just seing the list can help children revise in itself. If they have this list on their bedroom walls they can be encouraged to rehearse whilst doing other things.
  
• Missed work: It is useful to catch up on any work that has been missed.
• Revision Chart: This will ensure that you will know if there is any missed work which otherwise might be forgotton. A chart should be created for each subject where the topics to be learned are written down along with dates to the exam. It should be broken into fifteen minute chunks as that is probably the most efficient amount of time spent on one subject. Charts give the child the ability to know exactly how much they have done.
• Helpful tricks: Post-its, rhymes and dictating machines to aid memory can make a large difference. Dictating machines are particularly good for children who struggle with writing.
• Relax and de-stress