Writing a great revision plan
How do I make sure they’ve covered it all?
There are lots of ways to use the specifications. They can:
- Tick when they’ve learned a skill / topic in class, and then tick when they’ve revised it.
- Add every overall topic / area to their revision plan to make sure it’ll all get covered in time.
- Use it to structure their revision ‘filing system’ (see more on that shortly)
- RAG-rate skills (Red = ‘Not a clue’, Amber = ‘I kinda get this’, Green = ‘I’m confident I know this’) Don’t let them highlight the writing though – it makes it trickier to change colours later when they’ve learned it! I’d suggest a block of colour next to each point instead, and then when it’s green, that’s when they can highlight it all (it’s quite satisfying…!)
They can use whichever system they feel suits them best – it’s just about helping them get organised. It takes the mystery out of ‘I have to do some maths revision, where do I start?’, since they just grab the specification and find the next skill to tick off.
Odds are, it will seem like a massive amount to cover at this point, so spreading it out on a revision plan can be quite helpful there.
Speaking of which…
Writing a revision plan
What I’m hearing from lots of you is that this whole ‘create a revision plan’ thing is really more confusing than you’d like it to be.
Our revision planner (use the link in the menu along the top) requires you to put in your subjects, priorities and dates, and then pops out a ready-made plan for you.
Also see below about how to add topic-level detail to the plan…
2. The big picture…
It’s best to map out everything up to the end of exams, all in one go.
Why? So that you can see it’s actually managable to cover everything. Oh, and make sure you actually do cover everything!
3. Let’s get detailed
Once you’ve mapped out your subject blocks, it’s time to figure out what topics are going to be covered when.
You can either do this in advance (good for those that need structure or are likely to pick ‘easy’ topics if left to decide), or you can use a specification checklist to find the next thing to check off when you sit down to revise.
It’s really up to your child & you to decide which is the best method for them, so we’ll talk about both
You can use our weekly planner to add detail each week if you’re going to do it as you go along, or you can use the printable specs we’re sending out in your emails to do a whole subject in one go on your overall planner.
Sticking to the plan:
The key is to make it a habit. If they can revise at the same time each day, it might really help them stick to it.
A great habit to start is this: “When I get home from school each day, I’ll spend 10 minutes adding anything new I’ve learned today to my notes.”
That way, they’re making notes while it’s all fresh in their minds. They’ll build a link between arriving home and doing a ‘brain dump’, and they’ll keep on top of their notes throughout the year.