The importance of catching up
GCSEs are the first truly important exams your child will sit. Whilst exam results aren't everything, they can affect your child's future, having an impact on further education and potentially even job prospects.
Years 10 and 11 are often stressful for children. Not only are they dealing with the pressure of exams, but they're experiencing puberty and starting to figure out their identities. This is a potent mix, and sometimes learning can suffer.
Children heading into their GCSE years now have to deal with the usual pressures alongside the fact that they've been missing school for several months.
That's why it's vital that you help your child to catch up ahead of school returning in September, and then provide extra support until they're back on track.
There are a number of things you can do to achieve this. From setting routines to encouraging social learning, you have a large part to play in your child's education.
So let's get started...
Setting routines
Without a routine, it can be hard to concentrate on learning. By now, your child has probably abandoned any form of routine. They'll get out of bed when they feel like it, maybe have a mid-morning snack, and then sit in front of the TV for a few hours. This is hardly productive.
Of course, the odd day of doing nothing but watching Netflix is fine. We could all benefit from that once in a while. But the key is to establish a routine for most days.
Your child's routine should be based around both you and them. In other words, don't impose your own routine on your child. Let them help you design it. According to Samantha Feinman from New Frontiers Coaching, a schedule is far more effective when your child is accountable for it.
The routine should include things like waking-up time, mealtimes, and then factor in both time slots for learning activities and free time. This way, your child knows what their days will look like.
To mix things up, you could have slightly different routines for each day of the week, only keeping waking, meals, and sleep constant.
Here's a rough outline of what a routine might look like:
08:00 ---- Wake up.
08:30 ---- Breakfast.
09:00 ---- Revision.
10:00 ---- Free time.
11:00 ---- Exercise.
12:00 ---- Lunch.
13:00 ---- Online tutoring.
14:00 ---- Free time.
15:00 ---- Free time.
16:00 ---- Reading.
17:00 ---- Free time.
18:00 ---- Dinner.
19:00 ---- Free time.
21:00 ---- Bed.
Having a schedule is useful for two reasons...
Firstly, it means your child is used to having things to do at a set time. This is what they'll have to get used to when school starts again. By establishing a routine now, they'll be able to easily transition to the school routine in September.
Secondly, it motivates them. It's easy to fall into the trap of sitting in front of the TV and then before you know it several hours have passed. A routine forces your child to complete certain tasks, and it helps them focus on the day ahead.
Extra reading
School's out until September, but it doesn't mean your child can't start learning the topics they'll be covering.
Extra reading is a fantastic way of introducing your child to the concepts they'll be exploring for their GCSEs. In fact, it might even give them a head start.
The best approach is to find out what topics your child will be covering when they return to school. You can do this by checking the syllabus. Most teachers or schools will be more than happy to provide this for you. Alternatively, looking at past papers can give you an idea of topics.
As for the actual books, your child may already have the textbooks they need. For some subjects, such as English Literature, they may have been given a reading list and you can source the books on there. There are also plenty of great revision guides, such as the popular CGP guides, that will help you child get ahead of the curve.
Of course, books aren't the only resource available to your child. Extra reading could be done with online resources, like BBC Bitesize or on sites like National Geographic.
If your child has an online tutor, they'll also be able to provide extra reading.
Online tutoring
One of the best ways to counter the lack of formal education is to find an online tutor to help your child get back on track and provide the academic help your child may need. There are many benefits to this.
Firstly, they’re extremely knowledgeable about the subjects they teach and will be able to fill in any gaps that have arisen as a result of the disruption.
Not only that, but your child will be taught in a one-to-one dynamic, where the sole focus is on them. Unlike traditional classrooms, where your child may end up getting left behind, the online tutor can work at your child's pace and use their preferred learning style (see "Learning styles" below).
At Tutorful, we've seen a large number of parents turning to online tutoring for their children during the pandemic. It's done completely remotely (so it's Covid-19 friendly) in our state-of-the-art online classroom. It has a virtual whiteboard, video calling, and the ability to share files if needed.
With the government's recent announcement that they'll be helping parents with the costs of online tutoring, it's definitely an option you should bear in mind.
Be sure to read our guide on how to make the most from tutoring to make your child’s lessons as effective as possible.
