Pakuranga College

How can we support our children to prepare for NCEA exams?

Text me a question: 021948442

Aims for this evening• To consider what are the issues relating to teenagers and

study

• To consider how we can support our children to study

• To learn some study techniques

• To learn where we can access study material

• To learn different subject specific study strategies

How does NCEA work?

Level 1 (80 credits at level 1 or higher 10 must be literacy credits + 10 numeracy credits)

1

2 Level 2 (60 credits at level 2 + 20 at any other level)

3 Level 3 (60 credits at level 3 + 20 at any other level)

Students and study…The issuesThe students tell us:

“Im not organised in my study”

“Im not sure what to study”

“Im not sure how to study”

“Nobody has taught me how to study”

“I find it hard to get motivated”

Organising study: Plan ahead

“Im not sure when my exams are”

“I’m not sure which subjects I have exams in”

“Im not sure how many exams I have in each subject”

“What is the difference between the exams in September and the ones in November?”

Organising study:How can parents help?• As a starting point. discuss with your child how many credits

they currently have in each subject and are they at achieved, merit or excellence level?

• How many credits do they still need to pass NCEA this year?

• How many credits do they still need to gain merit or excellence endorsements?

• In which subjects are they aiming to gain subject endorsements?

• With your child set goals for each subject in the exams

Organising study:How can parents help?• Take home tonight/download the prelim and NCEA exam

timetables

• Ask your child in which subjects do they have exams and how many papers are they sitting in each exam

• If they are unsure, ask your child to check with their teachers, check moodle with them or email teachers directly

• Help your child to design a study plan with specific goals for each session – don’t forget to add the exams

A study plan• Count how many days your child has until each prelim/NCEA

exam

• Taking into account their other commitments between now and the prelims, work out how many 1 hour blocks of study time they have

• Divide the 1 hour blocks between the papers that they will be sitting and identify how many study hours that they will have for each paper or subject

• Sketch out a plan on a calendar with a clear goal for each session or day

Exemplar study goals

In this hour, I will aim to:

Complete a practice exam paper for the English visual text exam

Learn 30 chem. cluster questions by repeating them and covering them up until I know them

Read a German newspaper and underline words I do not know

Study plan exemplarMy exam plan – stuff I need to do for exams

Sun Mon Tues Weds Thurs Fri Sat

English 7-8pmPractice film essay

7-8 Note summary on film

Maths 5-6 Complete online trig quiz

9amExam!!

Science 12-1Learn elements

Health 7-8 practice essay

Music Listen to 3 x music

Other Go bed early

Eat healthy

Organising study: Study space• Help your child create a study routine. It takes 3 weeks to

form good habits

• Help your child organise a place to study

• Help them to avoid distractions – other children occupied or asleep? Turn off the TV, internet and phone?

• Music?

• Offer to help

How to study

What the students tell us when we ask HOW do you study:

“I study…I go back through my books”

“I don’t know”

How to study

• Practise answering questions from previous exams

• Make summary notes

• Rote learn vocabulary, equations or other information

• Read articles or books related to the topic

• Explain what you have learnt to another person

Practice exam papers & exemplars

Go to the website: nzqa.govt.nz

Click on the: Search tab

Choose: Search NCEA standards

Choose: The subject you require

Choose: Exams and exemplars

Choose: The NCEA level that you require

Practice exam papers & exemplars

Download the APPs:

Practice exam papers & exemplars

Students will also be provided with past exam papers by their teachers.

It is only worthwhile students completing practice papers if they get clear feedback, either from their teacher or by comparing their answer with previously marked exemplars.

Make summary notes

Students should use their notes from the year to create summary notes.

Students should aim to get the notes for one exam paper onto one page of A3 paper. Use colour for each section of the notesUse shapes to identify different topicsStick the summary sheets up high on the wallAim to redraw the summary sheets from memory

Parents could test their children how much of each set of notes they can remember

Summary notes: The Blindside

Main character: Big Mike• Homeless• Low IQ but high

compassion

Key messages:• If we help each other we can achieve

great goals• Friendship

Visual techniques• Sc 1. Close up + up beat

music• Sc2. Long shot + dialogue

Key quotations:“Smile at them, then they will

want to be your friend”“What is in it for me”“Can SJ come too?”Key scenes:

• At the park• Training• NFL scouts• Car crash

Rote learning

The students have told us that they learn things in different ways:

• “I just repeat it over and over again”• “I write it out 1 line at a time and keep repeating it”• “I record myself on my phone and listen to it over and over”• “I down loaded a flip card app on my phone”• “I get my brothers to test me”

Parents can discuss with their child the different methods above and which one they find the best.Offer to help test them at the end of a 30 minute study session

Read texts related to the topic• Excellence grades in many subjects are about being able to

relate the topic studied to society, student’s own experiences and other similar texts or topics

• Students should aim to read ‘around’ their topic – Use google scholar; TED; academic journals or youtube

• Parents can support their children by discussing topics with them or by asking them which topics could they help find articles about

Subject specific study tipsAll subject heads of faculties (HOFs) suggest that completing past exam papers and writing summary notes are the best preparation for exams. Beyond these two activities HOFs also suggested:Music: Listen repeatedly to the significant music works

Sciences : Rote learn key information and use websites such as ‘hyperphysics’ and ‘studyit’

Languages: Talk to friends in your target language, read in your target language and use the ‘Language Perfect’ or ‘Quizlet’ websites

Mathematics: Make use of vodcasts and quizzes available on Pakuranga Moodle

Detailed subject specific study tips and web links are available on Pakuranga Moodle http://moodle.pakuranga.school.nz/ under the academic tab and study tips

What motivates us?

What the students told us:

“High grades”

“Praise, not hassling us”

“asking us if we have studied, but not having a go”

“Achieving my goals”

“Money”

What motivates you

Think back to the last time that you attempted to change a habit. What was it that motivated you?

Success? Praise? Support of others? Achieving a goal? Celebration? Rewards? Or was it someone nagging you?

Everyone has different things that motivates them

Discuss with your child what motivates them to study and how can you help them

How can we support our children to study?

• Help them identify a goal for each subject + NCEA level

• Help them work out how many exams they have in each subject

• Help them design a study plan with clear goals for each session

• Discuss with your child who can support them and how

How can we support our children to study

• Set up a study space for them and help keep study time quiet and free of distractions

• Print resources for them such as practice exam papers

• Find out what motivates them?

• Praise…praise…praise!