Failed the Prelims? Here's what you should do next

Every parent wants their children to achieve the best grades in their exams. Their exams will be crucial to their academic success and to remain on target for the goals we've set for them.

This article is for students who failed in the preliminary exams for O level and A level examinations during the hectic August-September period in Singapore, what their parents can do to help, and the next step to take, so keep reading.

When children fail their exams, parents go through so many emotions with their children. Some parents even resort to actions that can traumatize the child and this has led to a tremendous increase in the suicide rate among the youths in Singapore.

However, this is often not the route to go if we want our youngsters to attempt to do well next time and not be pressured once their exams come around again.

Here are several things you should do when your child fails or does badly in their Prelims:

1. Do not lay the blame on the kid.

The first thing that you should do when your child does poorly in his/her prelims isn't to embark on the blame game. Sometimes, parents tend to victimize their children after failed results and try to talk down on them; don't.

Children don't sit for exams to fail, and children sometimes need some personal time after a busy day in class to cool off.

If you blame them for having some me-time or failing, you'll only cause them to be ashamed of themselves and take your criticisms seriously. Remember, don't be too harsh on your child!

2. Do not compare them to other students.

If your child fails an exam, don't compare them to other children because this may lower their self-esteem and affect their confidence. You are supposed to create confidence in children and not destroy them.

Parents who compare their children to others tend to mention they're ashamed of their child for constantly failing and disappointed in them for not having the ability to measure their expectations.

Children who get compared to others often get depressed always and start having negative thoughts and distancing themselves from the family.

3. Do not hit them

Some parents take their children's failures seriously to the extent they get mad at the kid if they fail, and are going to be so upset that they're going to beat the kid until their anger fades away.

Children react to these beatings differently; if the kid is young, he/she won't immediately understand the results of failing exams. They're going to see it as a traumatizing event the more they get beat up for failing.

4. Please encourage them to try again.

After all, prelims are usually meant to be harder than National Exams. Some parents underestimate the facility of support when it involves cheering their children after they fail in an exam.

As a parent, you should always know the amount of time your child dedicates to preparing for the exam, and the methods used in studying and learning. Once you assess this, search for ways to assist your child and speak to their tutor, if they need one, to undertake other study methods to prepare them for the exams.

You should also regularly tell your child that they need to focus and that it's okay to fail because they will get over it by trying again.

5. Assist them in developing better study habits

It is possible that your children's study habits may are the rationale for why they failed their exams.

It is also likely that studying an excessive amount of time only caused your child to blow out during their exams, like adults, children must have a study-life balance to be ready to perform well altogether the activities they are doing. After a busy day in class, allow them to get a brief break, and even give them healthy snacks before they do their assignments and home works to provide them with an additional boost.

You can also introduce a workable schedule to offer your children a chance to practice self-discipline. If they do not have a consistent schedule, they won't be ready to handle their schoolwork and subsequently exams well, their performance will also be inconsistent.

6. Get the foundations right.

Your children are going to be ready to handle any problematic exam questions if they master the basics.

Take time to see your child's mistakes and see which of them they tend to form often. Determine why they're confused with these points and teach them the way to understand the elemental aspects.

Be patient once you show them these points because there are kids who may have time to argue the principles correctly, counting on their learning style.

7. Get a knowledgeable tutor to help groom them.

If you don't have time to look into your children's studies or aren't sure which areas your child needs extra help to attain better results in their next exams, don't be afraid to ask knowledgeable tutors to coach your children out and help them become better.

Tutors are trained to gauge your children's learning skills and determine which areas they need extra help. They will also create personalized teaching programs to assist your children in developing the proper techniques to answer questions they initially found difficult to answer before getting a teacher to help.

Remember, it's not the end of the world – it's just the prelims!

Failure is a part of life that helps us finds out how to sit up and do our best within the next opportunity. There are many reasons why it could happen, and even those capable and talented experience failures every once in a while - which are typical.

Children are a blessing, exams come and go, show them love and care and help them out, and watch them blossom like flowers. Please do not pressure them, instead allow them learn at their own pace.