Tips to Avoid Cramming for an Exam

Why Cramming for Exams doesn’t work?

Many of you may recognise the signs of your child cramming for an exam. They may know it’s coming up but it isn’t until the night before that they start to panic and try to cram as much information into their brains as possible.

Here at Fit Learning, we know that cramming isn’t the answer. In order for your child to be fluent in a topic, repeated practice and fluency (speed plus accuracy) is required. This can all be achieved through the use of something we call SAFMEDS.

SAFMEDS stands for ‘Say all fast, Minute Every day, Shuffle’. Developed by Learning Scientists, they are a set of flash cards that have a question on one side and a corresponding answer on the other. Despite sounding similar to generic flash cards, what makes SAFMEDS different is how they are used. They are designed to be used for a minute every day as fast as you can and the number of corrects and errors recorded. By recording the results you are able to see a rise in performance until a combination of both speed and accuracy is achieved, resulting in fluency.

SAFMEDS are used in a variety of ways here at Fit. They can be utilised for any topic or stream of the curriculum. We see children of all ages benefiting from the use of SAFMEDS and becoming fluent in whatever it is they are working to achieve. We understand that it can be hard to understand or visualise the effectiveness of something so simple, which is why we have included a short video for your viewing.

Now that you have an understanding of what SAFMEDS are why not give them a go yourself or with your child. We have attached a set of SAFMEDS for you to try, or alternatively pick your own topic and have a go at making your own. We promise you won’t be disappointed with the results.

Download: SAFMEDS Capitals