Getting a teenager to revise

[j4ckos mate]

any tips.

He’s failed his maths and is all set to fail again

He had a tutor last year, failed and his latest gcse mocks are atrocious

I’ve had my fill of explaining the same stuff from two years ago, only for it to go in one year out the other.

I’ve lost my temper and he has.
Any tips?

[hooblah]

Sounds like me when I was a kid. Perseverance with the tutor is the key, no matter how much they fight it. One day they'll thank you for it.

The thing is schools/society doesn't teach these kids just how important schooling is. But there's no appeal to the kid if he/she just doesn't want to do it. They also don't tell them of their career paths and potential jobs; I think that's where it has to start. Find out what the kid likes and is good at, then suggest a potential career path and a way of getting there. There has to be an incentive to work.

[Willy Nilly]

I hated school from the day I started to the day I left, really resented going. Maybe he's not going to be Stephen Hawkins, but maybe he's good at other things, so he might as well concentrate on those subjects

[LordHaveMurci]

Our daughter hated school, had loads of crap in final year & no surprise, she failed maths so is having to re-take it at college.

My OH has a friend who is a headteacher with a love of maths, she has taughht her more in a few hours than school did in 11yrs just becuase she could adapt the teaching style for a 1 on 1 scenario. Daughter did very well in mock GCSE last week so fingers crossed.

Find a tutor yours gets on with & can work with & you should get there.

[Rollin]

My Dad took me around a steelworks.
It worked.

[motco]

I revised my college exams, with fellow students, sitting on Hampstead Heath in the days when Jack Straw's Castle pub was open (as a pub - it's now flats) and it was a mere fifty yards away. It was hot sunny weather...


'nuff said?

[alorotom]

He needs to identify a method of learning that works for him

Take him through the VARK model and see what he thinks will work and go from there

[j4ckos mate]

He’s had a tutor.
He ignored him

I’ve sat with him and got a mortgage calculator and shown him a minimum wage house.

In one ear out the other.

I’ve told him about the minimum wage jobs,

Shrugs his shoulders

Nil inclination

[g3org3y]

j4ckos mate said:

any tips.

He’s failed his maths and is all set to fail again

He had a tutor last year, failed and his latest gcse mocks are atrocious

I’ve had my fill of explaining the same stuff from two years ago, only for it to go in one year out the other.

I’ve lost my temper and he has.
Any tips?

Is it just maths or other subjects as well?

What do you think is the reason? Lack of interest in the subject (and hence lack of motivation to revise) or just doesn't get it/too difficult?

[Dromedary66]

Make sure he is out of bed when the bin men come, march him to the window and ask him if he wants to be doing that for the rest of his life.

[sc0tt]

I was really screwing up maths at his age. Trust me it is hard work if you don’t get it.

Eventually the head of maths at my school introduced extra lessons out of hours.

I passed my GCSE with an A. Speak to the school and see if it is something they can offer rather than an extra tutor. 14 years later I’ve never used any of it

[j4ckos mate]

g3org3y said:

j4ckos mate said:

any tips.

He’s failed his maths and is all set to fail again

He had a tutor last year, failed and his latest gcse mocks are atrocious

I’ve had my fill of explaining the same stuff from two years ago, only for it to go in one year out the other.

I’ve lost my temper and he has.
Any tips?

Is it just maths or other subjects as well?

What do you think is the reason? Lack of interest in the subject (and hence lack of motivation to revise) or just doesn't get it/too difficult?

Business is ok he says that’s a btec and coursework
He’s just got no inclination to pull his finger out
He’s chillin or he will do it in a bit,
I’m beginning to think he’s doing it on purpose

[Oldandslow]

Your problem may be that you're his dad. So nothing you say can possibly be right or worth listening to. Maybe his tutor was some boring old bloke also not worth listening to (even 25 seems old when you're 16). Maybe he needs a fit female tutor. Nothing motivates a teenage boy like impressing a woman.

[Moonhawk]

Some kids blossom later. I hated maths at school, always struggled with it. Got a C in GCSE and dropped out of a-level maths as I found it too hard.

It only clicked later on whilst I was doing my chemistry degree.

I went on to to a PhD in computational chemistry and quantum mechanics.

One of the problems with our education system is that it tries to teach all pupils the same way at the same rate. Somebody might take longer to "get it" but may ultimately attain a higher level with perseverance.

Unfortunately, the way our education system works (out of necessity in some respects), if you happen to be out of sync with the pre-defined set points (11 plus, GCSE, A-Level etc) then you can be scuppered.

Edited by Moonhawk on Wednesday 9th May 19:12

[v8250]

OP, this is a difficult one whereby the very best you can do is to continue to support your son, through both his failures and successes. My son too started to have a big down turn in school results some 18mths ago. The reality was he was simply losing interest in his subjects and particularly with some of his teachers. His position was slightly different in that he attends an international school and up to that point was a grade A/B+ student.

His results and motivation nose-dived meaning he failed the entrance exams to his/our preferred Upper College which left him in a difficult place, despite huge encouragement, with two hard options, neither of which were ideal, but forced him to get his arse into gear. 1. re-take the whole year again and go through the humiliation of being one year down, 2. attend a much lower grade college which would leave his early career path with fewer options and ultimately lower salary levels. To my immense pride he chose [with some good guidance] the hardest of the two options and re-took the year, resulting in excellent exam results. He's re-applied/completed interview for his preferred Upper College...we're waiting for news on this to arrive this week.

Throughout this difficult parental period I've explained to my son what will happen to his career/life path/earning levels if he flunks his results. Flunking due entirely to lack of focus and internal motivation. Together, we've even reviewed real life career options and salaries so he's in no doubt what it takes to attain some level of life financial stability in an ever competitive work environment. He's taken this on board and now realises life is not a bed of roses and that the results/work ethic put in place now reaps considerable benefit when older.

I wish you luck with this dilemma but don't beat yourself up with this too much. There's only so much guidance and support we can give to our children. There comes a time when they have to pull up their own socks and get the job done.

[Jasandjules]

Have you considered bribes? Get X results and the reward is Y......

[Hoofy]

In a year's time, when he's sitting on the couch in his jimjams at 3pm on a Tuesday, what are you going to say to him?
1) Here's £200, find yourself a flat to rent and a job
2) Here's £50, get yourself another PS4 game
?

[LordJammy]

Rollin said:

My Dad took me around a steelworks.
It worked.

I’d like to work in a steelworks and I’ve got a degree

[HTP99]

Good luck, unfortunately if they don't want to, there is nothing you can do about it, I've been there with my youngest.

[Fittster]

How old is he? Are we talking about a 15 year old and GCSEs?

If you ask him what he intends to do after his exams (college, apprenticeships, etc) do you get anything more than a grunt out of him?

I suspect you maybe stuffed and the best you can hope for is that when he matures a bit he'll start giving some thought to his future.

Edited by Fittster on Wednesday 9th May 20:07