As exam time approaches, many parents wonder how to help their children revise a large amount of work without becoming overwhelmed. Whether it’s content-heavy subjects like Natural Sciences or History, or skill-based ones like Maths and English, it’s all about working smarter—not harder.
Here are some tried-and-tested tips to help your child tackle their revision effectively and with confidence.
1. Break it Down into Manageable Chunks
Trying to learn everything at once can feel impossible. Help your child divide their work into small, manageable sections. Use a study timetable to plan what to revise each day. Focus on one topic at a time rather than trying to do everything in one sitting.
2. Make Use of Visuals
Children often remember things better when they can see the information. Encourage them to use:
- Mind maps
- Diagrams
- Colour-coded notes
- Flashcards
These tools not only make studying more fun, but also help learners make connections between ideas and recall them more easily in exams.
3. Repetition is Key
Revisiting information multiple times helps move it from short-term to long-term memory. Encourage regular review of previously studied topics instead of cramming the night before.
4. Talk It Out
Some children learn best by talking things through. Encourage your child to explain what they’ve learned to you, a sibling, or even a pet! If they can teach it clearly, they probably understand it well.
5. Keep it Active
Sitting still for hours can make anyone lose focus. Try these methods to keep your child actively engaged in their learning:
- Use post-its on the wall
- Match definitions to terms
- Create songs, rhymes or silly acronyms to help remember facts
- Try a “brain break” game every 20–30 minutes
6. Balance Work and Rest
More work doesn’t always mean better results. A tired or stressed child won’t retain information easily. Make sure your child gets:
- Enough sleep
- Regular snacks and meals
- Time for fun and physical activity
- Quiet time to relax
A well-rested brain is a ready-to-learn brain.
7. Use Reliable Resources
Having access to quality, age-appropriate resources can make all the difference. Twinkl offers everything you need for exam revision in one place:
- “How to” pages that simplify tricky topics
- Study notes to reinforce classwork
- Twinkl Exam papers to practise answering exam-style questions
These resources help your child feel prepared, organised, and supported as they work through large sections of content. You can find all Twinkl’s practice assessments, tests and exams here: https://www.twinkl.co.za/l/p0upw
You don’t have to be a teacher to help your child succeed—you just need to be present, patient, and encouraging. Praise the effort, guide the process, and remind them that it’s okay to take breaks and ask for help. With good preparation and your support, they’ll go into their exams feeling confident and capable.
The company provides high quality, online learning materials and services, which are all teacher-created and checked.
Twinkl offers over 1 million resources, with new content added daily. This ranges from schemes of work and assessments to augmented reality games and much more.
Twinkl is used and trusted by schools and educators in over 200 countries and regions, including primary and secondary school teachers, nursery workers and parents.
Twinkl has over 1400 team members based in its two Sheffield offices and remotely around the globe, including a large team in South Africa.
More information can be found at twinkl.co.za
Our story:
The idea for Twinkl came to Jonathan and Susie Seaton when Susie was working as an Early Years teacher and couldn’t find the materials she needed for her lessons online. As a result, Susie was working evenings and weekends to make resources from scratch.
Speaking to colleagues and friends, the couple found that Susie was not alone in her situation. So, to help other teachers, they began creating and publishing educational resources online from their spare bedroom.
The business grew quickly and organically as educators embraced the high-quality materials. The team grew quickly too, with current and former teachers, as well as experts in content and design soon joining Jonathan and Susie in their mission 'to help those who teach.'
Jonathan and Susie are delighted that Twinkl is now taking this mission across the world, returning time and energy to educators that is better spent in the classroom with their pupils or on themselves at home.
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