If your child has a big history test coming up and you would like to help them prepare for it, try the options below to assist with retaining information and ensure that they are well-prepared for the test on the day that it is given.

Question And Answer Cards

Review the material that your child needs to master, including classwork, notes, past homework assignments, and textbook passages. Use the information to help you create a stack of cards that have questions written on one side of them and answers written on the opposite side.

Ask your child to sit down with you in a quiet room so that you can ask them the questions. Keep track of how many answers your child gets right and continue asking the same questions multiple times to help train your child's memory so that they are able to recall the proper answers as soon as questions are asked. 

Code Words

If there are a few items that your child is having trouble remembering, attempt to use code words to help them grasp the concepts introduced. For example, if you would like for your child to remember the name of a specific person in history and information about what they are known for, use the person's initials to come up with words that will help your child recall information.

Words that rhyme or that are descriptive will be helpful. After going over the information with your child, including the code words that you both thought of, test your child to see if they have retained the information that they were previously struggling with. 

Practice Quiz With Multiple Options For Answers

Prepare a written quiz for your child that has multiple options for each answer. Make photocopies of the quiz so that you can administer the quiz more than once. Provide your child with a specific amount of time to complete the quiz and leave the room so that your child is not distracted while they are answering the questions. Once your child has finished the quiz, grade it and point out the questions that weren't answered properly.

Allow your child to take a short break before quizzing them again. By taking the same quiz several times, your child will begin to recall the correct answers to each question. Practice this quiz-taking technique several days in a row to achieve the best results and ensure that your child has successfully retained information.  Look into tools, such as from  Brain Paths, for more help.