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Revision Techniques
Revision can seem broad in scope and daunting. Here at St Birinus, we focus on strategies that experience has taught us are effective. The strategies we encourage and teach from Year 7-11 are:
- Condensing information using techniques such as mind mapping and summary cards.
- Memorising information with quizzing using resources such as Q&A sheets and online platforms such as Seneca Learning and Sparx
- Extending and applying knowledge using techniques such as concept mapping.
Condensing information is an important step in the learning process as it helps students to pick out the key points of a topic to focus on and to organise the information into memorable chunks. Some students may benefit from the use of a visually stimulating aid such as a mind map, others may prefer the simpler approach of summary cards. Both are taught and the student has the opportunity to explore which suits their particular learning style. This step is facilitated by the use of a knowledge organiser (provided by some subjects), revision textbooks or notes from classwork.
Memorising information and quizzing can be done little and often, over long periods of time.
Concept mapping can extend a student’s thinking and understanding of a topic. Making unfamiliar links between concepts is an active ‘thinking hard’ strategy designed to challenge learners.
Revision and rehearsal of knowledge is crucial for academic success at all key stages.
At St Birinus School, we start teaching these revision strategies in Year 7. Students are taught the ‘Science of Learning’ and the above revision strategies to support our knowledge rich curriculums.
In Year 7, students focus on the reasons behind our teaching and learning strategies such as the need for One Voice and the importance of retrieval starters. Students also start to practice revision techniques that will help them to revise the key knowledge for each subject. In Year 8, students build on the revision strategies covered in Year 7 and look at applying knowledge using concept mapping. In Years 9 and 10, students start to focus on the strategies that work best for them and select different strategies for different subjects to maximise the impact of learning and revision.
By the time students are in Year 10 they have had the opportunity to become well practiced in several revision strategies and will be able to discern which tools work better for them and whether different subjects benefit from different techniques. This leads to a successful preparation for exams and helps students to approach the exams with greater confidence.
Please click on the link below to see our 'How to' guide for Revision Techniques:
