Secrets of successful learners

Who are successful learners? Is it just the 'clever kids' who do well at school and in exams?

The good news is, it doesn't have to be. Successful learners aren't just those who are academic and the skills needed to be a successful learner aren't rocket science. They're skills many of us already have and can easily work on to improve.

Trying hard is half the battle!

Effort

• It seems obvious, but the first thing you need is effort. You get out what you put in, and if you're doing extra away from the classroom, you are likely to do better in the end.
• Next up is staying focused and on-task. Whether you're in the classroom or working at home, don't get distracted by other people and things happening around you.
• If you're a budding footballer or guitarist, you will practice and work on your skills. So too you need to work on your skills for learning - maybe your note-taking could be improved or you need to sharpen up your listening skills.
• Get involved! If you actively participate in your own learning - asking and answering questions in class and even helping others around you - the messages will be reinforced and you will retain information much better.
• Attendance! It makes sense, but you need to turn up to class, on time, to make sure you don't miss anything. If you skip half a day every week, you're missing 10% of your education. A two-week holiday in term time would mean you missing 5% of that year's work. 
• Believe in yourself! If you think you can do it and see yourself in a positive light, you will reach your goals (although, beware, the goals should be achievable - over-confidence can be just as damaging as not believing in yourself). 
• Persistence! The best learners are the resilient ones who don't give up, even when things get tough. If they make a mistake, they pick themselves up, dust themselves off and try again until they get it right. 
• A love of learning! If you see learning as a chore, a punishment or just plain boring, it will be harder to get the best out of your education. People who enjoy the journey, and the rewards of finishing a piece of work or passing an exam, will be more successful learners.

Don't panic!

If your child has all of these attributes, well done to them! They will make a real success of their education and achieve to the very best of their abilities. But if not, don't panic!

Here at INICIO we work closely with your child in a way that suits them. Our environment is relaxed and homely and we tailor our teaching to your child's individual needs. Together we can help your child to love learning and build on these essential secrets of successful learning.

The summertime slump

What is the summertime slump? Does it exist? How can you avoid it? Should you even avoid it?

Six week break

Six weeks away from school! Six weeks without books or lessons, six weeks without homework and marking. Do they affect children? Of course they do. All teachers are aware of the summertime slump and the way it affects kids as they move into their new school year. For younger children, moving into year 1 or year 2, missing out on six weeks of school is a massive chunk of their school career. It's not unusual for them to take until October half-term just to get back to where they were at the end of the last school year.

Opinion is divided as to whether the summertime slump matters. Because if it affects everyone, surely it doesn't? But, like many things in education, it doesn't affect everyone equally. Rightly or wrongly, some parents will continue to push their children hard to keep learning throughout the holidays. Other families will take their foot firmly off the pedal - and it will be those children that fall behind in September.

There have been calls to make the summer holidays shorter to reduce the effect of the summertime slump, but that opens up a whole can of worms around pricing and availability of holidays.  The likelihood is that this isn't going to happen any time soon, so it's up to you, as parents, to decide what's right for your family.

Keep up the good work!

Here at INICIO, we say why not take the middle ground? Don't turn off education completely, but don't push too hard. After all, the summer holidays are supposed to be time to take a break and recharge the batteries.  At INICIO, we're open all year round and would encourage families to keep up with their weekly lesson of an hour and 20 minutes to halt the slump. 

You can also encourage your children to keep reading - buy some new books or go to the library (many libraries do the Summer Reading Challenge for 4-11 year olds - great for getting kids enthused by books). Whether you're off on holiday or staying at home, encourage them to look at the world around them - and if they spot anything new, let them look it up on the internet and find out more. Does your school use online tools like Bug Club for reading or Mathletics for maths? Many children find these as much fun as games, but they are learning as they play. Why not encourage them to play a few times over the holidays?

Puzzle books, magazines, online games and even the right sort of television can all help towards learning. The holidays are also a great time to practise sport; a fit and healthy body helps with a fit and healthy mind.

Enjoy the break, but enjoy a bit of learning too. Happy holidays!

It's not too late!

With GCSEs and A Levels already well underway, is it too late to think about good exam technique? What if your kids haven’t done enough revision.

Revision

We say it’s never too late! By now your kids should have an idea from their first exams about whether or not they’ve done enough effective revision and will know whether they need to revise harder or differently for their remaining exams. 

Everyone learns in different ways and we would advise young people to stick with what works for them; for some people it’s writing things down and reading them over, others prefer putting all the information into a diagram. And what about speaking and listening? You could record your notes and listen back to them.

We know teenagers well enough to know that they don’t always welcome parents' help, but we also know them well enough to know that they turn to mum and dad when they’re feeling down and vulnerable.

However your kids learn, if they’re feeling at all worried, this is what we would advise:

• It seems obvious, but make time to revise! Draw up a timetable if it helps, and stick to it.
• Don’t get distracted by things like social media when revising - stay focused!
• Reward yourself with regular short breaks - have something to eat or drink, get some fresh air and go for a quick walk. But then get back to it!
• Read over your notes and write out key points.
• Test yourself - or get someone else to do it.
• Highlight key points in your books, but don't forget the context too.
• Switch between subjects regularly - too long on one subject and you'll get bored and lose concentration.
• Last minute cramming is OK, but only combined with hard work beforehand!
• Get a good night's sleep before the exam - you'll never perform at your best if you've been awake all night cramming.

Good luck!

We wish all students (and their parents!) the very best of luck over the next few weeks and really hope that your hard work pays off with the results that you want.

And if it’s not your turn for exams this year, breathe a sigh of relief for now, but think ahead! Whether your child is a high achiever who wants to gain the best possible results, or someone who struggles to keep up, we offer tailored one-to-one tuition in a whole range of subjects. If you want your child to really fulfil their potential, please talk to us about how we can help.

How to prepare for your final exams

Although revising for your exams can be one of the most stressful times of the year, there are several things you can do to help you relax and prepare. By taking a bit of time to do these things, you are giving yourself the possible chance of getting the grades you feel you deserve. Tips range from understanding how the testing process works, through structuring your revision time properly to following good revision techniques.

Test papers

One thing that really helps is to recreate the exam experience as closely as possible before the big day. Take a look at past papers to see the sort of questions that have been asked in previous years. Then take a practice exam under testing conditions, with the appropriate time limit and have somebody else provide you with feedback afterwards.

When and where should you revise? While revising, it's good to focus on the material for about 25 minutes at a time before taking at least a five minute break. This allows your concentration to remain at a high level for longer periods of time. If you have set aside a whole day for revision, make sure you also include longer 30 to 60 minute breaks.

Most people (yes, even teenagers!) tend to be more alert in the morning, so it is important to include mornings in your revision schedule whenever possible.

It also helps to be somewhere you can focus  without interruption. You know what works best for you; it might be your bedroom or a library, but it could be Starbucks. Unplugging your laptop (unless you're using it for your revision of course!) and turning off your phone is vital.

Take a break

Want to get your brain working at its absolute optimum? Physical exercise helps your brain work at higher levels, as it provides it with more oxygen. Exercise is also great for relaxing and reducing stress. Taking a break in the middle of a day-long revision period to go on a run or walk will help you to re-energize for your afternoon session.

There are several things you can do whilst revising to help the information stick.

Many students use revision cards. Some use colours to differentiate the questions and answers by category. Using questions and answers instead of simple notes helps you to remember the material, as you are thinking about it actively, rather than just passively reading and hoping that the information will go in. 

Although revising for exams can be stressful, we think taking advantage of these suggestions will ease the tension a little bit and help you to perform at your very best when exam day arrives.

For more advice from INICIO on revision techniques, to book a session, or to take a tour of our learning centre, speak to one of our dedicated tutors on 01858 46 26 48.  We have specialists in English, Maths, Science and many other subjects, providing exclusive private tuition for students in Leicestershire from our Market Harborough tuition centre.

Different learning styles and which one suits

Learning styles vary among individuals, in much the same way that personalities do. No two people are alike, so it makes sense that no two people learn in exactly the same way. Teachers know only too well about the different ways that people process information, and make an effort to match their teaching methods with students’ learning patterns whenever possible (although, with the best will in the world, they're never going to manage 30 different learning styles!)

Teaching and learning

How you learn is largely determined by the methods used to teach you or train you. For most people of course, that will be how they are taught in school, although we appreciate people are taught and learn in other situations too. Other factors in the way you learn include how you internalize experiences, how you recall facts and how you communicate. Over the years, researchers have identified at least seven learning styles: visual, aural, verbal, physical, logical, social and solitary. The key components of these styles are:

Visual: Learns best through pictures, images, and spatial representations

Aural: Learns best through sound and music

Verbal: Learns best through words, both in speech and writing

Physical or kinesthetic: Learns best by using the body, hands and sense of touch

Logical: Has mathematical leanings and learns best through use of logic, reasoning and systems

Social or interpersonal: Learns best in groups or working with a team

Solitary: Learns best working alone.

Current educational thinking has turned these seven styles into just three: auditory, visual and tactile. A student with an auditory learning style best processes new information by using his or her sense of hearing, such as through lectures, discussions or audio recordings. A visually inclined student flourishes by using written media - books, websites and information displayed on flip charts or whiteboards. The tactile student prefers a hands-on situation, such as labs and workshops, where actually doing something helps enhance their learning.

Do you know what type of learner you are? If you think back to where you have done well in school, university or in learning a new skill, you may be able to identify yourself as being an auditory, visual, or tactile learner.

Tests

Sometimes categorising a learning style isn't that clear-cut, but there are tests available to help pinpoint your dominant learning traits. In one such exercise, your learning style is revealed by answering questions about how you perform certain tasks. The task, such as reading, would be listed in the first column and a question given under each category in the next three columns. You are asked to circle the question that best describes your process for each task. Your learning style would be revealed by the category with the most questions circled. If you are a learner with a dual style or overlapping traits, this will become clear too.

Whatever the testing shows, knowing your learning style can help you select the right options for you to give you the best possible chance of success in your education. 

If you would like to discuss your learning style with a private tutor at INICIO in Leicestershire, call us today on 01858 462648 to arrange an introductory visit to our unique learning environment.