Dear Diane,
My teenage son was caught cheating in an exam last year. Although the school was really good about it and seemed well aware that with new technology around this temptation is a problem for all pupils, he seems to have lost his confidence as a result. We talked a lot at the time, very frankly, and he assured us he wouldn’t do it again. But with the end of the year coming up, I know this must be on his mind and I want to help him build up his skills so he can tackle this year’s tests with confidence and not be tempted to cheat again. Do I lay it on heavily or pull back and leave it all up to him? He’s in Year 11 at school.
P’s Mum
Dear P’s Mum,
The best way to support him from home is to have him so competent that he does not feel the temptation to cheat. The best way for the school to support him is to plan so that he is not exposed to the same temptations. Help him to plan his time over the next few weeks so that he has a vision of how he is going to be able to revise all his subjects so he is exam-ready. Print off a month (or two) calendar and fill in all the commitments he has (including school, sporting, social and sleep) so that he can see just how much time he has free to study. Also, print off the same information in a weekly form. Discuss what strategies he may find useful to sort out his knowledge so that he can retrieve what he needs to. Whether he remembers best through seeing, hearing or kinaesthetically will depend on whether he does better reading and taking notes, recording his own voice, writing or typing things out. Stock up on swotting food. (For some bizarre reason, one of my daughters found frozen corn excellent!) Perhaps you could talk with his dean at school and ask him or her to work with your son on strategies that will help him stay on the straight and narrow as he approaches his last exams.
Diane Levy provides expert answers to your parenting queries. Send your questions to: [[email protected]](mailto: [email protected]) Diane’s parenting books are available in book shops.
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