I’m sure you have often heard your child talking about their revision. “I need to revise for my exams ” is misheard across the globe. The word ‘ revision’ is used a lot in schools, especially as students move towards high school and university, but do we really know what it means or what it should look like?

Many students talk about revising, but in practice, they don’t actually know what it entails. Subsequently, the result is poor examination grades simply because they have forgotten information they learned as soon as they leave their lessons.

Let’s take a deep dive into why revision is essential if our children are to succeed in school and what the process of revision looks like in reality.

What is revision?

Revision helps recall the details of the topics studied. Revising topics helps students gain more confidence to attempt any related question in exams or assessments.

Why do children need to revise?

The importance of revision is twofold. Firstly, it helps them remember facts, figures, topics and methodologies they covered some time ago. Secondly, If done correctly, it will help increase their confidence and reduce anxiety – they will be well prepared for their examinations.

The Science behind why students should revise.

Let’s take a moment to look at how our brain works to see the sense of revising for examinations and assessments.

Here are two key theories behind brain-based learning; they give us some insight into how the brain stores and learns information.

 Memory and Patterning.

Memory

The Importance of sleep on your memory.

Have you noticed that your child does better in school when they get enough sleep? Studies show that getting enough sleep can improve memory.

Memory consists of 3 main processes:

• Encoding- this is when new information enters the brain. In the case of children in school, it would be when they learn, revise or practice exam skills
• Consolidation- is when the information received by the brain is transferred to long-term memory
• Retrieval– is when information can be recalled when required. For example, when students are in exams and assessments or when they do revision tasks in class.

Scientists believe that sleep plays a significant role in the middle part of this process, namely, consolidation. (Sarode et al 2013)

The brain moves information from short-term to long-term memory when we are asleep. This is why a good night’s sleep is so essential when revising before exams. It ensures that all your child’s hard work doesn’t go to waste, they need to sleep to allow the transfer of information to their  long-term memory.

Patterning

Science tells us that our brains are hard-wired to create patterns of information.

“In a way, the brain is both scientist and artist, attempting to discern and understand patterns as they occur and giving expression to unique and creative patterns of its own.’ (Caine and Caine, 1990)

Therefore, we  can remember information better if we categorise it in ways that make sense to us

. 

Here are 3 good examples that apply to children in school or university:

Mind mapping: a way of sorting information by using visual connections

Writing out notes in different formats- eg like a newspaper article or letter. When our children restructure notes in these particular ways, patterns emerge to help them remember.

Practising essay questions– by doing different essays, they can link together ideas and theories in different ways

Some Top Tips (backed up by Science)

So How Should children revise?

• They should organise their workspace and study material. If possible, they should separate the area they intend to use for study from where they relax. They should  keep their ‘entertainment gadgets’ out of sight while studying.
• Have them make a revision plan, including all the subjects and areas covered by their upcoming exams. Make sure their plan is realistic. They should give themselves enough time to revise correctly and take breaks for relaxation. The revision plan needs to be flexible enough to allow some things to take longer than expected.
• Find out the exam format- Make sure they understand the exam format and scope so they know what to revise. They should look over their syllabus and decide their approach to preparing for it.
• Find a revision method that works for them- Revision techniques can include flashcards, past papers, mind maps, group work and recording themselves talking then playing it back. Finding what works for them will involve trial and error. Bear in mind that what works well for one exam might not work for another. Starting their revision early gives them time to find out the best revision methods to use.
• Get into the habit of reviewing their class notes within 24 hours This is a strategy to use throughout the academic year, not just exam time. It’s been scientifically proven that if you look at new information again within 24 hours of learning, you’ll retain 80 per cent more of it. So after school’s out, ask your child to have a quick check of their work before getting all social in the evening.
•  Start their revision plans  early and spread it out – Actors don’t leave their rehearsals until the day before opening night. Athletes don’t only train the day before a match. To commit something to memory takes time. Spreading their revision sessions on a particular topic (e.g. one-hour sessions over 10 days) is more effective than spending the same amount of time in one go (i.e. 10 hours in one day). This effect, known as “spacing”, helps because it allows time between revision sessions to forget and re-learn the material. 
• Self-testing–  researchers consider this to be one of the most helpful ways to improve memory.  Testing themselves helps them check for any gaps in their knowledge. This can take the shape of practice papers or quizzes. 
• Encourage your child to revise subjects and topics that make them feel anxious. One example might be the subject that they are not so strong in.  This strategy will help reduce anxiety because they will realise that they have more time to deal with it. Don’t let them put off the difficult areas until the last minute.
• Practise retrieving the information – This is great practice for their actual exam or assessment.They can practise retrieving the information by using quizzes either on their own or with a friend, or using flashcards. They can then review those areas that they have trouble recalling.
•  Think twice about using highlighters- Despite being the favourite weapon of many students tackling revision, research suggests they don’t work very well. People learn and recall information better if they connect it to other pieces of information. Highlighters don’t do this, they isolate single pieces of information. In my experience,  students end up highlighting whole chunks and passages of text, which can give the appearance of having worked hard, but are of little value.  
• Teach someone

This has been found to help aid memory and recall: it is known as “the Protégé Effect”. Teaching someone else requires you to learn and organise your knowledge in a clear and structured manner. The science behind it is that your brain orders knowledge in a simple list when it wants to teach it, making it easily accessible when exam time rolls around. Your chid can have some fun with this strategy.

• Ban their phone – This should be obvious, but for many, it isn’t. Phones can be distracting; they are linked to fomo (fear of missing out), and evidence clearly shows that.  A 2015 study of US college students revealed that those who spent more time texting and using social media got lower grades.
•  Don’t let them forget to eat breakfast – It is estimated that around 27% of boys and 39% of girls skip breakfast some or all of the time.Research has found that skipping this meal significantly reduces students’ attention and ability to recall information. 
• Eat brain food – Fish, nuts and olive oil are all good to eat to keep your brain in top form. The human brain loves fatty acids like Omega-3 as they help it function. Get them eating those salmon, seeds and sardines! 
• Don’t listen to music

Parents around the world rejoice: you now have a legitimate reason to insist that your child stops listening to their favourite artist on repeat. Students who study in a quiet environment can recall more than those who revise while listening to music. Evidence suggests students who study in a quiet environment recall more than those who revise while listening to music

•  Get some fresh air and exercise

None of us cannot work all day, every day. Nor should we. Revision has to be about quality, as well as quantity. Going outside and getting some fresh air helps people feel refreshed and better able to focus afterwards. Furthermore, doing a little bit of exercise helps people deal better with stressful situations: it reduces anxiety and increases self-esteem.