What is a mind map? Mind maps are a visual snapshot of your child’s ideas set out as a diagram. Mind mapping is a planning technique that has been taught in education for many years now. It is a quick and effective way to
I have often heard parents say that they’d like to help their teenager with an assignment, but they’re not sure exactly how. The new GCSEs and A levels have muddied the waters even further, as most parents are now unsure exactly what is being
It is hard to understand your child’s GCSE, IGCSE or A level if you do not have a background in education. Parents often tell us they are completely confused by the courses their children study at school. This is perfectly understandable, as the GCSE/IGCSE
Turning accidental language learning into fun practice Like language skills, all subjects come with practical applications in the ‘real world’. Classic examples include mental maths being handy when calculating the expected cost of supermarket purchases. Whilst having a good knowledge of written English and
Stress and Anxiety – What’s the difference? At this time of year, many of our children will be experiencing stress and anxiety. This blog clarifies the difference between stress and anxiety and provides 10 ways you can help your child create good mental health
Exam Anxiety: Before the exam Get good rest Avoid exam anxiety by getting a good night’s sleep before every exam day. You might be tempted to stay up cramming until late, but it is usually a mistake. You will think better and be calmer
Procrastination – what is it? ‘Procrastinare’ The Latin meaning putting forward until tomorrow Procrastination is putting off a task that needs to be done. It may seem hard to believe but procrastination hasn’t always been seen as a negative behaviour (Van Eerde, 2003). In the 1600s procrastination
Whenever a new student comes to me for history tutoring after getting a D grade (or even worse) in an assignment, the first thing I check is whether they are taking a narrative approach to history.
In my previous blog we explored lifestyle factors that can help your brain support your memory. In this blog we will discover what neuroplasticity really means and what research shows us about how we can try to improve it. The brain is a muscle
Practice assessing provenance in your primary-source exam questions and your marks should rise as your skill develops.
When I was teaching Italian at the University of Hull a few years ago, one of the recurrent questions students asked me was – “Vincenzo, how can I improve my Italian?”. Years after, in one of my EFL DipTesol training sessions the other day, Simon (the
This is the first of two blogs on how you can best support your child’s memory. In the first blog we will learn about how important lifestyle factors lay the foundations for good memory acquisition, retention and recall. In the second blog we will
