Revision Key Stage 2

Are you set Key Stage 2 revision?

Below are some useful tips that you can incorporate into your child’s education.  It is good advice to successful home revision for children at Key Stage Two level.  Key Stage Two is the level of education for pupils aged between 7 and 11. 

First of all, find a good place for your child to work. Ideally it will be quiet and uncluttered, well-lit and free from unnecessary interruptions! Together with your child, draw up a revision timetable – this is very important. The odd sporadic hour here and there isn’t enough to make a real difference.  Perhaps you could even incorporate a treat for your child on completion of the study timetable on a weekly basis.

Your child needs a revision plan that is realistic, easy to stick to and includes breaks and meal times, getting the balance is crucial to your child’s success. Use monthly, weekly and daily planners to help plan out the days systematically, as it can help prevent your child feeling overwhelmed.

When you are planning the study schedule and timetable, mix up your child’s weaker subjects amongst their stronger subjects so your child does not attempt all the difficult topics at once –it’s really easy for them to lose confidence when revising, especially if they are focusing on consecutive difficult subjects.

Set achievable targets each day and have your child tick them off as they reach them - this makes your child feel a sense of accomplishment which is an important factor is successful revision.  It also helps them move forward in small, baby steps towards the bigger goal in each subject.

Encourage your child to make revision notes as they listen and learn, as they write their notes they are subconsciously learning at the same time.

Your child’s notes should be short and sharp – clearly identifying the main points, and by putting notes on one side of the paper it makes them easier to remember. Get your child to write key facts on post-it notes and pop them on the walls in your kitchen or bedroom to promote learning.  Even something as simple as a colourful ‘Times-Table’ poster on their bedroom wall will boost their multiplication skills effortlessly.

Together, you and your child can make up make up funny clues or rhymes to help them remember important dates, words or facts.  I.E – I before E, except after C, when spelling, (although there are some exceptions to this rule)!

With your child you can test them, where your child is not permitted to look at their notes; this can help identify areas which could benefit from more learning and revision. 

Do not allow your child to overdo the amount of time they spend studying, to do this you could allow a regular time for physical exercise, a walk with the dog, a bike ride, listening to music or something they like, to change their environment and give their brain and eyes a break.  A break like this gives a feeling of refreshment and helps make them ready to absorb information again.

Until you have reached the optimum level of studying techniques you and your child can experiment with different styles of revision, to see what works best, as every child is different.

Remember to instil a setting so your child always gets a proper night sleep; ensure the same non-negotiable bedtimes are adhered to on school nights – proper sleep is really important for your child in school, to help them get through the day with good energy levels and no feelings of tiredness.  Sleep is very important to a child’s wellbeing, and although there is no set amount of hours per night a child should be sleeping, the NHS state that between 9.5 and 10.5 hours per night is ideal for a child aged 7-11. 

And remember…… have fun!

This information was brought to you by Key Stage Two.com, an online learning environment for children aged 7-11.   Key Stage Two.com successfully manages to combine fun games with education, making sure academic and non-academic children benefit greatly, whilst being compliant with the National Curriculum in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales. 

Key Stage Two.com offers benefits for all; including schools, parents, teachers, tutors, councils, local authorities, and most importantly, the pupils. Visit the website at http://www.keystagetwo.com to … learn more!

The Digital Generation – Game to Learn

Game to Learn, an online primary school resource has helped to restructure the classroom experience, the way teachers teach, the way pupils learn, and how their learning is assessed.

The restructuring of educational institutions is necessary so that they become relevant to the current and future needs of children.
Because of the digital generation created in recent decades from constant exposure to electronic media, this generation is ‘not the students our schools were designed for and not the students today's teachers were trained to teach.’
Today's generation is the first to grow up with a mouse and the assumption that images on a screen are to be interacted with.
The children of today are wired differently to that of past generations ... they have enhanced visual memory, processing and learning skills, and are quick to understand new technological advances.


That technology, according to research, shows that the digital generation, by the age of 21, will have:

-Sent and received 250,000 emails and texts;
-Played more than 10,000 hours of video games;
-Spent 10,000 hours on digital phones;
-Watched more than 10,000 hours of television, and
-Viewed more than 500,000 commercials.


Growing up, older generations had almost none of these experiences. Their change was incremental, fairly gradual, and not rapid.

Game to Learn is the place to embrace the new digital reality.

Current assumptions about children and how they learn must be seriously challenged ...Research has found the majority of today's kids to be digital learners, not the auditory or text-based learners of the past.

Major shifts necessary to accommodate digital learning, must take place immediately, and because of this more and more parents and carers of children are seeking online activities and games to help their children better learn, in a fun and rewarding environment.

In comparing learning preferences of digital learners to establishing teaching styles, digital learners prefer receiving information quickly from multimedia sources.

Of course, it is important to know your children are learning and communicating in a safe environment, and Game to Learn ensures just that.    

E-Learning and Gamification is an excellent way to enhance the classroom and learning experience whilst being reactive to learners needs, and saving money. 

The software, which is compliant with the UK National Curriculum; provides an educational resource which is easy to keep up to date with, and can be delivered in a quick and efficient manner to all pupils.

Throughout the development, planning and trialling of Game to Learn, it has been proven that online learning offers a range of benefits in a fast-paced working environment, and that the virtual classroom can provide a useful resource to access information quickly and at the point of need.

Game to Learn is the new generation of e-learning using gaming, simulation and video, as well as animation, and has allowed for more complex issues to be explored in a fun and interactive way.

The system will be fully operational in 2012, but in the meantime you can visit the website at http://www.gametolearn.net or ‘Like’ the Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/gametolearn

And make your start in the future of learning!

Games technology in the classroom – Game to Learn.

The digital world has changed the way primary school children learn and understand the subjects they are learning in school. 

E-Learning and Gamification paves the way how children’s understanding develops because of learning alternatives offered through digital technologies.

These digital technologies open up a wealth of possibilities in education and learning, and as children work in that environment their learning develops, and thanks to these new technologies they can often learn concepts that are normally well beyond their age because they are exposed to them regularly and in different ways.

Traditional numeracy and literacy programmes are still critical to the school curriculum but new digital technologies are able to build on these with realistic problem solving tasks and interactive games which are powerful tools for children of all levels, including those with special education needs. 

Children and pupils who have been uncomfortable with tricky subjects in the past have also found it motivating to learn in a new, fun and rewarding setting.

Research has shown that complementing traditional classroom learning with digital technologies increases children’s motivation and risk taking, and they are motivated to explore problems in new and challenging ways.

Game to Learn, an online primary school resource has helped to restructure the classroom experience, the way teachers teach, the way pupils learn, and how their learning is monitored and assessed.

Over the last decade more and more parents and carers of children with learning difficulties are seeking online activities and games to help their children better learn.

Of course, it is important to know your children are learning and communicating in a safe environment, and Game to Learn ensures just that.    

E-Learning and Gamification is an excellent way to enhance the classroom and learning experience whilst being reactive to learners needs, and saving money. 

The software, which is compliant with the UK National Curriculum; provides an educational resource which is easy to keep up to date with, and can be delivered in a quick and efficient manner to all pupils.

Throughout the development, planning and trialling of Game to Learn, it has been proven that online learning offers a range of benefits in a fast-paced working environment, and that the virtual classroom can provide a useful resource to access information quickly and at the point of need.

Game to Learn is the new generation of e-learning using gaming, simulation and video, as well as animation, and has allowed for more complex issues to be explored in a fun and interactive way.

The system will be fully operational in 2012, but in the meantime you can visit the website at http://www.gametolearn.net or ‘Like’ the Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/gametolearn

And make your start in the future of learning!

How games can be used to tackle mental disability.

It can be a challenge to find online games suitable for children with mental disabilities that will encourage and uplift the child without becoming too much of a frustration.

 Although there are dozens of online sites offering fun and educational games, not all will be suitable for every child.  Mental and learning disabilities can vary widely in scope and severity, between child.

One of the things most parents of mentally disabled children worry about is whether their child will gain the skills needed to succeed in life.   Even more challenging, a learning disabled child may not be disabled in all subject areas, making those that are harder a real frustration for a bright child who might find other areas easier.

The Game to Learn website, an online resource for children of primary school age is ideal for  helping children with mental and learning disabilities build a wide variety of skills.

Over the last decade more and more parents and carers of children with learning difficulties are seeking online activities and games to help their children learn in a fun, safe and rewarding environment.

Of course, it is important to know your children are learning and communicating in a safe setting, and Game to Learn, ensures just that.    

E-Learning and Gamification for children with mental disabilities is an excellent way to enhance their learning experience whilst being reactive to their needs.

The speed at which e-learning learning content can be created and delivered to multiple users allows for schools and parents to deliver enhanced learning in a much shorter period compared to the time it would take to deliver in a more traditional manner.

This and the ability to reach out and engage with children of varying level of intellect has been one of the greatest drivers in the adoption of e-learning.

Game to Learn is the new generation of e-learning using gaming, simulation and video, as well as animation, and has allowed for more complex issues to be explored in a fun and interactive way.

All content on Game to Learn has been carefully selected by education specialists, parents and teachers to ensure that is safe, fun, engaging and appropriate for children of all learning stages, including those with learning and mental disabilities. 

Although initially Game to Learn wasn‘t specifically designed for special needs children, feedback has shown that it is a valuable teaching tool for children with learning disabilities, children with ADHD, autistic children and other special needs kids. 

Game to Learn has a lot of visual stimulation, colourful graphics, and sounds, and the children can use the website on their own – encouraging independent learning and discovery.

When using Game to Learn, children will learn valuable computer skills, improve their typing, spelling, keyboard and mouse control, and all while playing fun educational games.

They can express themselves by customising their own online character that matches how they would like to be seen, and communicate with friends in a safe environment, which is interactive and allows them to learn at their own pace.

The website will be fully operational in 2012, but in the meantime you can visit the website at http://www.gametolearn.net or ‘Like’ the Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/gametolearn

Make your start in the future of learning!

Enhanced learning in the classroom – Game to Learn

In a time of sweeping school budget cuts, dozens of local teachers have begun to look outside the school system to improve classroom needs. E-Learning and Gamification is an excellent way to enhance the classroom experience whilst being reactive to learners needs and saving money. 

E-learning provides an educational environment which is easy to keep up to date with and can be delivered in a quick and efficient manner.

Throughout the development, planning and trialing of Game to Learn, an online learning platform for primary schools, it has been proven that online learning offers a range of benefits in a fast-paced working environment, and that the virtual classroom can provide a useful resource to access information quickly and at the point of need.

The speed at which e-learning learning content can be created and delivered to multiple users allows for schools to deliver enhanced learning in a much shorter period compared to the time it would take to deliver in a more traditional manner. This has been one of the greatest drivers in the adoption of e-learning.

The purchase of laptops, computers and tablets are becoming more and more common for families who like to learn on the go and who like to use gaming and simulation videos to enhance learning.

Game to Learn is the new generation of e-learning using gaming, simulation and video, as well as animation, has allowed for more complex issues to be explored in a fun and interactive way.

Game to Learn: How it is going to change classroom learning.

Game to Learn is a Classroom Learning and Homework management system for primary schools, and is due to launch in 2012.

Game to Learn has matured from the prototype system KeyStageTwo.com which was developed in 2010. KeyStageTwo.com was trailed in just under 40 schools throughout Northern Ireland and has recently been installed in schools throughout England. We have been working hard to implement the feedback from Schools into making sure our new site best meets the needs of teachers and pupils.

The new Game to Learn site will be integrated with the School Information Management System (SIMS) enabling teachers to manage pupil information much more effectively and we are developing more games and “worlds” for pupils to play.

Key Features of the new Game to Learn site:

- Fully compatible with the UK National Curriculum.

-Tens of Thousands of questions covering all aspects of the National Curriculum

- Integration with School Information Management System (SIMS)

- Detailed analytics

- More fun and exciting games such as City World and Giddy Up!

Game to Learn: Learning Should Always Be Fun!

Although the system will not be fully operational until 2012 you can still view the website for more information in the meantime, Game to Learn.Net.

http://www.gametolearn.net/