THE approach of GSAT exams brings feelings of anxiety for students and parents as they tackle the final few days of preparation for the two days of testing. Studying may seem quite challenging if you do not use a plan to help your child master as much information as possible in a short time.

A good study plan involves several elements, including proper time management, getting adequate rest, and taking breaks between study sessions. But understanding your child as a learner is another critical skill that enables the maximisation of learning and the guarantee of exam success.

In the field of psychology, this is referred to as metacognition, which can simply be defined as the ability to understand how you learn and use that knowledge to guide you in selecting strategies that will guarantee that you do well. An important part of metacognitive awareness is knowing one’s learning style. Most of us encode information for effective storage and retrieval in particular ways, which usually places us in one of three learning styles: auditory, visual or kinesthetic. There may also be people who use more than one of these styles equally well, but for most of us, one style stands out.

If your child is the kind of student who likes to engage in discussions because listening to people talk makes the information stick, then chances are, your child is an auditory learner. Auditory learners often say that if they listen carefully in class, then they remember the information fairly well. If this sounds like your child, good strategies for studying would include (1) recording audio notes and listening to the recordings while going about daily activities, (2) listening to soothing music (I would recommend classical genre) while studying, (3) reading notes out loud so your child can hear the information again, (4) forming study groups to allow your child to talk and listen as others explain the subject.

Visual learners tend to like to see things and learn best when visual aids such as charts and other images are employed in class. They often say that they can “see” the information in their minds. If your child is like that, then maximise on that photographic memory that he/she has. Encourage your child to read notes and textbooks, and be deliberate about looking at the words; don’t just gloss over them. Create concept maps and flow charts with the information that your child needs to memorise. Remembering the images means she will remember the information. Encourage her to watch videos — there are numerous educational videos covering a wide array of topics available for free online. Have your child write information on cards or charts and paste them in the ceiling and on the walls in his/her room. The more he/she sees the information, the more it will be reinforced in his/her mind’s eye.

If the two categories mentioned so far don’t seem to represent your child, then perhaps he/she is a kinesthetic learner who likes to get involved in learning. Kinesthetic learners like to do things and learn best when they are able to use their bodies in the learning process. If your child is kinesthetic, then he/she likes being involved in practical demonstrations like role playing, experiments, field trips, etc. Here are some simple but effective learning strategies that are sure to work for him/her. Writing and rewriting notes will help him remember information because as his/her hands move to form the letters, he/she is memorising the material. You may be trying to minimise play time, but for the kinesthetic learner, calling some friends and playing school can be quite helpful. It may sound playful, but when your child takes on the role of a teacher and delivers the material to others, his/her active involvement in the process guarantees that he will learn. It also means that he shouldn’t shy away from getting involved in class activities at school as the same principle certainly applies.

These strategies are simple, yet effective. Try some of them and see the difference that they make in helping your child prepare for GSAT exams.

Shaye Ann Campbell-Mosquera lectures in the Department of Behavioural and Social Sciences at Northern Caribbean University. She holds an MSc in Counselling Psychology, and is pursuing doctoral studies in educational psychology.