Top Revision Tips

What revision tips can we share with students?

As we move beyond half way through the school year, here are some top tips for getting the most out of your review and revision sessions.

It’s All About Revision

• Invest some time in creating a schedule which maps out all key skills or knowledge you wish your pupils to revise. Having a schedule will mean that no stone is left unturned (‘Fail to prepare’ and all that). Try to cycle back to covered topics to ensure ample practice.
• Teach breathing techniques to your class. A brief mindful moment to clear the brain before revision begins will help to focus your class. Repeating this before any exams or tests will ground your pupils.
• Explain to pupils the exact skill or information they need to retain for the future and keep it as simple as possible. Reiterate its importance.
• Try using mnemonics to aid remembering or tell little anecdotes to help retention.
• Provide a set of questions on flash cards to each partnership and allow time for them to quiz one another in a mastermind style.
• If preparing for a test or exam, research has shown that replicating test environments during revision sessions will lead to better retention, so if you revise in a silent room with a vanilla scented candle, use this on the day of the test too for improved results. Interesting stuff.

Why is it a good strategy?

Revision is key for retention. Practice makes permanent, and once pupils have mastered one skill, they can move onto the next!

Tip

Keep a record of pupils who are absent from revision sessions and plan opportunities for them to access the content to avoid gaps in learning.