With thanks to Maths Tutor, Hugo, for writing this blog for us.
1. Strong basics
Whether you’re working towards GCSE or A Level Maths, strong basics are essential. Make sure you know your times tables inside out, get good at working with fractions, hone your algebra. If you’re doing A Levels then you should also learn your trigonometric ratios/special angles and trigonometric formulae off by heart.
Getting on top of the basics early in the course will make everything else a lot easier, especially when it comes to the harder questions. If you’re having a hard time memorising things by rote then make a colourful revision sheet and tape it to the wall above your desk, where you can look at it every day until the basics are as easy as tying your shoelaces.
2. Diagrams
You should get comfortable with drawing diagrams quickly and relatively neatly (at least neatly enough so that you and anyone reading your working can see what’s going on). Draw diagrams nice and big so there is space for all the information. If the question has a diagram in it then the first thing you should do is draw a copy.
Even in questions that make no mention of a diagram, the best method of solving the question may involve you drawing a diagram (for example drawing separate right-angled triangles in 3D trigonometry or graphs for domain and range questions at A Level). Practice drawing polynomial graphs (especially quadratic and cubic), trigonometric graphs, force diagrams in mechanics and venn diagrams in statistics.
If you make a mistake in your diagram or it gets too crowded with information, draw another diagram!
3. Hard questions
The harder exam questions are supposed to be hard and many will require some lateral thinking and creativity. Once you feel confident with the easier exam questions, spend some time with a few hard questions and worked solutions from your teacher or an online source. Break down the solution into a list of steps and identify which ones you find most difficult. Try to write out a solution in your own words without looking at the worked solution. Then come back to the same question a few weeks later and solve it again.
See if you can find other ways to solve the same problem and note if the new method is better. Try explaining the solution to someone else in your class and see if they understand it. Above all, don’t just sit and passively read or listen to the method, but actively write things down and do the working yourself, that’s always the best way to learn!
Please get in touch to find out how we can help your child. Email our founder, Lucy Cawkwell, at lucy@octuition.co.uk
