Revision Strategies – beyond the realm of Mind Maps. Making Revision Time interesting and varied is the key to not getting bored. Revision needs to be interactive and purposeful in order to make it work. Good revision will involve an element of repetition - but that doesn’t mean to say a session should be repetitive. One hour is enough time to really delve into a topic. Below are a range of techniques you can use to spice up your revision. Time to learn? One hour is enough time to really delve into a topic. Using a clock sheet as a guideline, you can focus on getting the key ideas down. Choose the main ideas beforehand and carefully consider how long you will spend on each part of the session. This encourages you to write for a specific amount of time which is useful in preparation for the exam, and also allows you to see any gaps in your knowledge. Alternatively, try a takeover sheet a couple of days after a revision session. It’s a structured way of assessing what you can remember.
Two-pronged attack. Reindeer diagrams are a way of developing ideas. Many subjects require a development, and elaboration of ideas. By having a positive and negative antler, it is easy to see a balanced approach to the topic. The more elaborate the branches, the better the elaboration. This is a quick and easy way of consolidating a topic, whilst considering a wide range of factors.
Testing times. By verbalising what you have learnt you are more likely to remember it. Discussing ideas works in a similar way to writing a rough draft of an answer. If the topic comes up in the examination you are more likely to remember it – and recall it in greater detail. Parents and carers are really helpful here. Asking questions as well encourages a response rather than just recall. This can really boost confidence.
Honey I shrunk the text. Read a paragraph of text and condense it into one sentence. Or alternatively, read a paragraph of text and identify the six most important words. Highlight them. Now find a question from a past paper. Using just your condensed information, try to answer the question. Check your answer with a mark scheme - have you focused on the main ideas? JLGA 200318