Memorising Facts

I took over a pair of Year eleven groups inward Dec in addition to was actually surprised past times how few GCSE facts in addition to formulae they knew. When nosotros reviewed their mock examination I noticed that they'd all got a inquiry incorrect where they were asked to discovery the perimeter of a semi-circle. It turned out that none of them could recall the formula for circumference, thence were unable to fifty-fifty score the get-go score on this iii score question.

In shape nosotros produce loads of piece of work on job solving, reasoning, examination technique in addition to everything else, but I realised that if they don't know the basics thence it's actually difficult to motion forward. Of course of teaching knowing things inward isolation isn't helpful at all. Once they've memorised their facts thence they demand to know what to produce amongst them. The application is the difficult part. But if nosotros tin post away acquire the facts in addition to formulae sorted, this gives us an chance to focus on the existent challenges at hand.

Gaps inward key factual noesis are pretty mutual at maths GCSE. Examiner feedback for Edexcel shows, for example, that students fighting to recall the publish of grams inward a kilogram. It's such a shame for them to lose marks on things similar this. We produce thence much piece of work amongst them over the years on developing their conceptual agreement in addition to reasoning skills, but i of the few things nosotros actually demand them to produce on their own inward the stitch to their GCSE exams is commit facts to memory. That's only how GCSEs piece of work - at that spot is an chemical gene of memorisation inward every subject. In maths that includes unit of measurement conversions, expanse formulae, trigonometric ratios, polygon properties, angle facts, circle theorems in addition to more.

In an assay out to create this I started giving my students noesis quizzes inward class. Each lesson I gave them i quiz they'd done inward a previous lesson in addition to i quiz they'd non seen before. At get-go they knew barely whatever answers. But after trying the same quiz iii or iv times, they started to retrieve things. And they loved that. Suddenly they were able to access a lot to a greater extent than problems inward lessons. Success is motivating, in addition to it actually has started to stimulate got a big touching on on their confidence at this vital time.

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In an ideal basis our Year eleven students would become dwelling family for the Easter holidays in addition to revise all their subjects, committing facts to retention in addition to practising examination papers. What oftentimes happens is that they look at a revision direct or a prepare of revision cards or an app, in addition to promise everything volition only stick inward their heads. When I was at academy I made myself sets of questions in addition to photocopied them, completing my quizzes in i lawsuit to a greater extent than in addition to in i lawsuit to a greater extent than until I got total marks every time. Ideally our students would produce something similar at GCSE in addition to Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level. But although nosotros tin post away advise them to produce so, they oftentimes don't produce it. So this is where I'm going to assay out to help...

I stimulate got lay all my quizzes into books which at in i lawsuit shape operate of the novel 'Knowledge Quiz' series. They stimulate got only gone to impress thence volition survive on sale from 1st March. The books incorporate multiple copies of the same quiz thence students tin post away tear out a quiz, stimulate got a go, depository fiscal establishment fit the answers, in addition to thence assay out in i lawsuit to a greater extent than inward a few days. After completing the same quiz a few times in addition to memorising the facts, in addition to they tin post away come upwardly dorsum in addition to assay out in i lawsuit to a greater extent than a calendar month later.

The books volition survive £8 to purchase from Amazon, but they volition survive discounted to £5 if schools mass purchase straight from John Catt. I envisage that unopen to schools volition purchase copies for their students to accept dwelling family over Easter, in addition to unopen to schools mightiness purchase copies for each pupil to job inward shape (saving the instructor a lot of fourth dimension in addition to photocopying budget!).

Either way, I'm hopeful that this volition unopen the huge gap inward factual noesis in addition to allow us to focus on the of import stuff.

These books comprehend the bulk of facts in addition to formulae required at GCSE. I am non suggesting that maths is a dependent champaign that only comes downwards to facts in addition to formulae (of course of teaching not!) in addition to neither am I suggesting that this is the alone examination training a pupil needs to produce (of course of teaching not!) - this is only a elementary resources to assistance students memorise things.

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There's to a greater extent than exciting news! These books are operate of a series. I asked unopen to of my favourite scientific discipline teachers to create similar books for Chemistry, Biology in addition to Physics. So thank you lot to Adam Boxer, Gemma Singleton in addition to Ruth Ashbee, nosotros stimulate got a whole serial of Knowledge Quiz books coming out soon. It turns out at that spot are a huge publish of facts to learn for science (around nine times to a greater extent than facts than maths!). There are thence many things to memorise for science, I stimulate got a feeling that these books are going to survive hugely beneficial to students preparing for their GCSEs this year.

If this serial is good received thence nosotros volition extend it to other subjects in addition to key stages side past times side year. This is exciting!

"The Knowledge Quiz serial is a deviously elementary in addition to effective means for students to revise for GCSE subjects".

I'll brand certain I convey copies to the events I'm care inward March thence that teachers tin post away stimulate got a look. I can't hold off to exhibit people!

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