Nobody said parenting was going to be easy. The closure of schools, colleges and universities across the UK due to the latest surge in Coronavirus cases has thrown parents up and down the country into a flux. It’s going to be a hard few weeks and you all have my sympathies!
With no exams this Summer, your kids’ GCSEs, A Levels and Degrees will come down to their essays, assignments and coursework marks. So they have never been more important! You can help them achieve the best possible marks by following these five tips:
One – Talk through their essay or assignment plan with your child before they get into the main bulk of work. Essay plans are really useful in setting out what is to be covered. Of course, you as a parent may not understand the subject very well, if at all! But your input can still add value. For example, you can check that each aspect of the question is adequately accounted for. You can challenge them on whether they are sourcing the best references and examples.
Even if you don’t feel confident that your input is adding any value, going through the exercise will help form the essay structure in your child’s mind – making the writing much easier and leading to a better mark!
Two – Encourage your kids to ask their teachers, tutors or lecturers for help if they are struggling with anything. Or even just to review an essay plan. I’m sure they will be happy to assist! Reaching out in this way will not only help with their work – it will also reinforce the assessor’s impression of your child as hard-working and conscientious. And hard-working and conscientious students tend to get the best marks!
Three – Review the essay – do you understand it? Ok, we don’t expect you to be an expert in your child’s subject. But if it is a good essay or assignment that is going to score top marks, you should be able to follow what is written. Any bits that you are struggling with – ask your child to explain what they are trying to say. Just like when talking through the essay plan, it should become clearer….and then ask your child whether there is a better and simpler way of writing it?
Four – Don’t overlook presentation. Content is king, but the way the document is presented is also important. First impressions count – assessors will begin marking an essay from the first second they look at it!
Check that they have followed any style or formatting guides given. Are headings and sub-headings consistent? If they have used indexing numbers, do they make sense? Is the text evenly spaced and aligned? Have they used a spellchecker? These are simple things that can easily be overlooked during the stressful latter stages of producing work. But they are important!
See my Presentation Tips post for more detail.
Five – it’s ok to have a drink at the end of the day! Let’s not punish ourselves any more. Is this really the year to go through a Dry January? I’m not so sure……. So pour yourself a glass of wine or a cold beer when the kids have retreated to their bedroom – you deserve it!
Exam and Essay Tips 