Handling exam fever

THERE are indeed ­parents, yours truly ­included, who feel and act as if they are the ones taking exams instead of their children.

While it is good that ­parents remind their children to be well prepared, there is a need to be conscious of the line between encouraging and nagging; ­between sharing the importance of good grades and demanding they meet your high ­expectations.

Being a first-timer with my child’s school exam, I ­recently got into gear to prepare for the exams much earlier than my daughter.

It’s not surprising since I am the one with 17 or more years’ of examination ­experience while my seven-year-old only knows exams as “a test to see how much you remember and have learnt so far”.

As the days drew ­closer, Mama started harping about doing revision, getting extra workbooks for practice, ­giving tips on the do’s and don’ts when ­answering ­questions, and ­turning every ­conversation with the carefree daughter into mini revision sessions.

Was I ­subconsciously ­thinking that how well my child does in school is a reflection of my parenting skills?

Taking a step back for a ­personal check, I told myself that it is more important for a child to progress academically and morally in the long term than achieving short-term ­success in exams.

It is more valuable for them to learn from the consequences of their actions when they fail to heed your advice to read their textbooks instead of comics. It is also good that they know it is all right to make mistakes and that they can learn from them.

Young children need ­patience, encouragement and support from parents when preparing for exams.

They have shorter attention spans, so break their revision times into shorter ­periods to make it less ­daunting for both parent and child.

Never compare their ­performance with those of ­another ­classmate, as this would put undue ­pressure on them. Not all ­children ­develop at the same pace. Neither are their interests and talents alike.

While it is important to get good grades, especially when they are older and grades are significant for their future, ­perfect exam scores alone do not a successful young adult make.

And what, I need to ask, is my definition of “success”? What are the values, morals, general knowledge and life skills that I want my child to possess? What good is it to be a millionaire but go through life without compassion or ­humility? Can she be a rocket scientist yet possess conversational skills fit for the Queen of England or the regular Joe?

Children, even those as young as five or six I believe, do have some idea of how they should and want to go about things in their lives. When we let go and trust them, we may be surprised at how they come through.

Love them for who they are, and not for how many A’s they score. I may have dreams of my daughter winning the Nobel Prize but if she chooses to be a rock drummer (not that it is more inferior a vocation), that would be great too.

As for taking exams these few early years, I shall be ­mindful not to nag at her to revise, or to check that all her pencils have been sharpened.

SQ3R - A Reading and Study Skill System

SURVEY - gather the information necessary to focus and formulate goals.
1. Read the title - help your mind prepare to receive the subject at hand.
2. Read the introduction and/or summary - orient yourself to how this chapter fits the author's purposes, and focus on the author's statement of most important points.
3. Notice each boldface heading and subheading - organize your mind before you begin to read - build a structure for the thoughts and details to come.
4. Notice any graphics - charts, maps, diagrams, etc. are there to make a point - don't miss them.
5. Notice reading aids - italics, bold face print, chapter objective, end-of -chapter questions are all included to help you sort, comprehend, and remember.

QUESTION - help your mind engage and concentrate.
One section at a time, turn the boldface heading into as many questions as you think will be answered in that section. The better the questions, the better your comprehension is likely to be. You may always add further questions as you proceed. When your mind is actively searching for answers to questions it becomes engaged in learning.

READ - fill in the information around the mental structures you've been building.
Read each section (one at a time) with your questions in mind. Look for the answers, and notice if you need to make up some new questions.

RECITE - retrain your mind to concentrate and learn as it reads.
After each section - stop, recall your questions, and see if you can answer them from memory. If not, look back again (as often as necessary) but don't go on to the next section until you can recite.

REVIEW - refine your mental organization and begin building memory.
Once you've finished the entire chapter using the preceding steps, go back over all the questions from all the headings. See if you can still answer them. If not, look back and refresh your memory, then continue.

REMEMBER: THE INFORMATION YOU GAIN FROM READING IS IMPORTANT. IF YOU JUST "DO IT" WITHOUT LEARNING SOMETHING. YOU'RE WASTING A LOT OF TIME. TRAIN YOUR MIND TO LEARN!!!

Cultivate a love for books

WHEN it comes to reading, our sons often get left behind. They may not share the love of reading that their sisters and female classmates do, and they may not even realise what they are missing.

If your son complains that reading is dull or boring, doesn’t enjoy reading on his own, and seems to simply hate the very idea, there may still be hope.

With some added effort and attention on your part, your son may very well learn to love reading.

This article provides a variety of ways to encourage your son to cultivate a reading habit, however reluctant he may at first appears.

» Match books to his interests
Does your child love bugs, soccer, or aeroplanes? It may be time for a trip to the library.

Invest some time to learn about your son’s interests, and then match books appropriately. He may enjoy non-fiction books about bugs, for example, or the newest young adult novel about a boy who enjoys soccer.

If you have no idea where to begin, ask your local librarian for help. He or she will most likely be able to suggest just the book you need, and may be of great help in picking out future books, as well.

» Use your funny bone
Encourage your child to read by showing them books of jokes, riddles, or comics. The humour involved may be key to getting him to enjoy reading.

Your best bets are the books that make you cringe at their very existence – remember, this is all for your son, so 301 Best Bathroom Jokes may be just what the doctor ordered. At least he’s reading something!

» Introduce how-to books
If there’s a skill your son has been wanting to learn, such as camping, cooking, or magic tricks, he may be pleasantly surprised to learn that there are books available on the subject.

The next time you hear "I wish I knew how to ...", make a trip to the library with him.

He’ll learn that books hold useful knowledge and are a great resource for learning new skills.

Model this behaviour, as well, by visiting books for information that you need to accomplish your day-to-day tasks.

» Introduce a series
If you can get your son interested in a character, such as Encyclopaedia Brown or Harry Potter, he may be more interested to read more than one book.

Sometimes, the desire to find out what happens next is stronger than the dislike of reading, and the child learns that reading can be interesting and fun.

Serial books provide continuity and familiar characters, something that children usually enjoy.

» Plan an assessment
If your son truly struggles with reading or learning to read, it may be time to schedule an assessment of his learning abilities.

A learning disability could be the hidden culprit that is making reading so difficult for him.

Skills assessments sometimes make all the difference in your child’s struggle, so if you think a disability may be possible, be sure to schedule one.

As a parent, it can be difficult to find the time to consistently reinforce the value of reading. However, taking the time to do so is vitally important.

Reading is a gateway to learning, entertainment, and adventure.

Without your influence, your son may never find the joy that you have in reading. However, if you take the time to intervene, you may find that he is not only reading, he is excited about it!

This is a great opportunity to make a difference as a parent. Take advantage of it!

How to Learn Speed Reading

STEPS

1. Have your eyes checked. Many people who read particularly slowly do so because they have an undiagnosed vision problem. Even if you think you have perfect vision, if you haven't had an eye exam recently, there's no time like the present.
2. Time your current reading speed. It is important to find out how fast you read now so that you can track your improvement through subsequent timings. Not only will timing help you to tell if you're improving, but it will also keep you motivated.
   
   
   • You can break out a book and a stopwatch and either time how long it takes you to read a certain number of words on a page or find out how many words you read in a given amount of time.
   • An easier way to time yourself is to take an online reading speed test. There are a plethora of these available: just enter "reading speed test" in your search engine. Many of these have reading comprehension tests, as well, so you can see how well you're understanding what you're reading.
   • Regardless of how you decide to time yourself, be sure to read at your normal speed during the timing, and time yourself on a few different pages - the average of your times should approximate your average reading speed.
3. Get rid of distractions. Even if you think you read better when you have music playing or when you're in a crowded coffee house, you can probably increase your speed if you reduce distractions to a bare minimum. Try to find a solitary place to read, and turn off the TV, radio and cell phone. Even being in a room of people talking is distracting. If no solitary place is available, try using earplugs to block out any distractions around you. In order to maximize comprehension while reading quickly, you will need to focus on the material at hand as closely as possible.
4. Adjust reading speed depending on the material. Often, we must trade off comprehension for speed, so an important part of increasing reading speed is deciding how thoroughly you need to comprehend a particular piece of writing. So before you even start reading, decide how fast you intend to go. If you're reading a newspaper article, chances are you just want to get the main ideas, and you can skim through the passages quite rapidly. If, however, you're reading a mathematics textbook or a demanding philosophical treatise - and you need to fully understand the material - you do not want to rush.
5. Learn to separate the wheat from the chaff with pre-reading. No matter what you are reading, there is frequently a lot of "filler" that you can read quickly through or even skim over. With practice, you will be able to identify the most important parts of a book as you skim through it. When you get to such a passage, slow down. Before you begin a chapter or book, look over the entire piece very quickly. Try to find patterns of repeated words, key ideas, bold print and other indicators of important concepts. Then, when you actually do your reading you may be able to skim over large portions of the text, slowing only when you come to something you know is important.
6. Train yourself not to reread. Most people frequently stop and skip back to words or sentences they just read to try to make sure they understood the meaning. This is usually unnecessary, but it can easily become a habit, and many times you will not even notice you're doing it. One exercise to help you avoid rereading is to take a sheet of paper or index card and drag it down the page as you read, covering each line once you've read it. Try to drag the card in a steady motion; start slowly, and increase your speed as you feel more comfortable.
7. Stop reading to yourself. As you read you probably subvocalise, or pronounce the words to yourself. Almost everybody does it, although to different degrees: some people actually move their lips or say the words under their breath, while others simply say each word in their heads. Regardless of how you subvocalise, it slows you down. (You are concerned with speed reading here, not reading to practice communicating the material verbally, which can be done later if you find it necessary.) To break the habit, try to be conscious of it. When you notice yourself pronouncing words to yourself, try to stop doing it. It may help to focus on key words and skip over others, or you may want to try humming to yourself in order to prevent subvocalising. One exercise to stop your lips from moving is to put a finger on your mouth and keep it there while you read.
8. Read with your hand. Smooth, consistent eye motion is essential to speed reading. You can maximize your eyes' efficiency by using your hand to guide them. One such method is to simply draw your hand down each page as you read. You can also brush your hand under each line you read, as if you are brushing dust off the lines. Your eyes instinctively follow motion, and the movement of your hand serves to keep your eyes moving constantly forward. Note, however, that many speed reading instruction books warn off using a tracking member in speed reading as it inhibits the process.
9. Practice reading blocks of words. Nearly everyone learned to read word-by-word or even letter-by-letter, but once you know the language, that's not the most efficient method of reading. Not every word is important, and in order to read quickly, you'll need to read groups of words - or even whole sentences or short paragraphs - instantaneously. The good news is you probably already do this to some extent: most people read three or four words at a time. Once you make an effort to be aware of your reading style, you'll discover how many words you read at a time. Now you just need to increase that number. Using your hand as a guide may help, as may holding the book a little further from your eyes than you usually do.
10. Practice and push yourself. While you may see some gains in speed the moment you start using these tips, speed reading is a skill that requires a lot of practice. Always push yourself to your comfort level and beyond - if you end up having to reread a section, it's not a big deal. Keep practicing regularly.
11. Time yourself regularly. After a week or so of practice, time yourself as in step two. Do this regularly thereafter, and keep track of your improvement. Don't forget to pat yourself on the back every time your reading speed increases!

TIPS

• Try books with large font to start. A book with small letters might be hard at first because it is easy to skip lines by mistake.
• Start by reading a book or article that you have already read. It will be easier to skip words and keep up a smooth flow if you're familiar with the material.
• When using your hand or finger to guide your eyes, start slowly, but at a challenging pace. Even if you don't think you're keeping up with your hand, keep going for a page or two and then test your comprehension. With practice, you'll be able to move your hand and read faster that way.
• Take frequent breaks. Your comprehension and focus will be better if you take a five-minute break every hour or half-hour. Taking breaks is also important to keep your eyes healthy and avoid eye strain.
• You may not want to read some things quickly, even if you can. Fiction for example, is usually relatively easy to read quickly, but you can miss out on a lot of the nuance and beauty of the fiction writer's craft, even if you understand everything that's going on in a story. The same is doubly true for poetry. If you're reading for enjoyment, it may be best to savor the words.
• An index card, bookmark, or other page-width item might help increase speed more than a finger. By obscuring surrounding text, a card prevents your eyes from wandering.
• Read every day at least 10 minutes.

Improving your Memory

There are some basic things you can do to improve your ability to retain and retrieve memories:

1. Pay attention. You can’t remember something if you never learned it, and you can’t learn something — that is, encode it into your brain — if you don’t pay enough attention to it. It takes about eight seconds of intent focus to process a piece of information through your hippocampus and into the appropriate memory center. So, no multitasking when you need to concentrate! If you distract easily, try to receive information in a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted.
2. Tailor information acquisition to your learning style. Most people are visual learners; they learn best by reading or otherwise seeing what it is they have to know. But some are auditory learners who learn better by listening. They might benefit by recording information they need and listening to it until they remember it.
3. Involve as many senses as possible. Even if you’re a visual learner, read out loud what you want to remember. If you can recite it rhythmically, even better. Try to relate information to colors, textures, smells and tastes. The physical act of rewriting information can help imprint it onto your brain.
4. Relate information to what you already know. Connect new data to information you already remember, whether it’s new material that builds on previous knowledge, or something as simple as an address of someone who lives on a street where you already know someone.
5. Organize information. Write things down in address books and datebooks and on calendars; take notes on more complex material and reorganize the notes into categories later. Use both words and pictures in learning information.
6. Understand and be able to interpret complex material. For more complex material, focus on understanding basic ideas rather than memorizing isolated details. Be able to explain it to someone else in your own words.
7. Rehearse information frequently and “over-learn”. Review what you’ve learned the same day you learn it, and at intervals thereafter. What researchers call “spaced rehearsal” is more effective than “cramming.” If you’re able to “over-learn” information so that recalling it becomes second nature, so much the better.
8. Be motivated and keep a positive attitude. Tell yourself that you want to learn what you need to remember, and that you can learn and remember it. Telling yourself you have a bad memory actually hampers the ability of your brain to remember, while positive mental feedback sets up an expectation of success.

Teknik Membuat Nota Ringkas

Berikut disenaraikan teknik atau susun cara atau pusingan pembelajaran yang boleh diamalkan . Ia boleh diubahsuai mengikut kesesuaian pelajar masing-masing :

1.Pilih satu tajuk dan baca nota .

2.Faham kandungan secara umum untuk menentukan fakta atau pokok persoalan .

3.Baca dan garis fakta .

4.Baca dan cuba fahamkan kaitan antara fakta yang digariskan dengan nota asal .

5.Keluarkan fakta dan salin pada kertas lain .

6.Faham fakta dan kaitannya dengan keseluruhan fakta daripada tajuk itu .

7.Susun fakta ( jika perlu )

8.Cuba tulis semula fakta-fakta tanpa melihat fakta-fakta yang telah ditulis dahulu .

9.Bandingkan apa yang kamu tulis .

10.Ulang hingga kamu puas hati .

11.Ulang membaca fakta , jika ada masa.

12.Simpan dengan baik untuk tujuan ulang kaji .

13.Mulakan tajuk baru dan lakukan proses no. 1 hingga no. 12 , sehingga habis kesemua tajuk dalam sukatan pelajaran .