Top Food tips for revision

Although eating a balanced diet when you’re trying to cram for the end of year exams may not seem like you biggest priority it can actually make a big difference. So it’s time to put down the pizza and the Redbull and take on board these top tips on how to eat your way to success.

So what are the reasons for eating healthily? Although your brain only weighs 2% of your total body weight it uses approximately 20% of your body’s energy at rest. The brain is powered by energy which comes from broken down food. The primary source of energy for the brain is glucose which comes from carbohydrate rich foods like breads and pasta. The brain stores are very small so to keep it functioning at its best, it needs constant glucose replacement.

Breakfast

I know you have heard this before but breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Your body has been starved of food all night while you sleep and you need to refuel to prepare for the day ahead.

·         Cereal or toast, but make sure it is low sugar/salt cereal and try and go for whole meal bread

·         Try and get a portion of fruit in the morning a quick and easy way to do this as well as tasty is to have a glass of pure fruit juice.

·        Porridge is a great way to start the day it tastes great and will keep you going all the way through to lunch. Try adding in some banana and honey.

Lunch

Keep it healthy at lunch don’t just go for the easy option of a packet of crisps!

·         Salads can be a good choice but make sure you don’t drown it in dressing sauce

·         Jacket potatoes can be very healthy especially with some baked beans or tuna but try and avoid the cheese

·         You should be trying to get your 5 portions of fruit and veg everyday so make sure you stock up at lunch time.

Dinner

The important thing for dinner is to avoid the fatty and greasy foods this does your brain no good and makes you sluggish.

·         Fish is perfect for boosting brain power; it is high in protein and omega 3 and low in fats.

·         Chicken is also high in protein and low in fats but make sure it’s not deep fat fried and covered in batter. Serve with some new potatoes and some veg

·         Pasta is great for maintaining those energy levels throughout the day. Serve with a nice tomato sauce and you will be well on your way for reaching that 5 a day.

Snacks

It is important to have a few small snacks throughout the day to keep those energy levels up but stay clear of the chocolate bars and crisps.

·         Fresh vegetables with humous is perfect and helps towards your 5 a day and you get some healthy protein from the chickpeas in the humous

·         Peanut butter on toast, good for breakfast as well as a snack

·         Fruit, cheap and full of sugar to boost your energy levels

·         Nuts, high in protein and good at filling you up try and avoid the salted ones though

If you follow these simple steps you will be well on your way to succeeding in your exams.

Thanks,

From the 10ticks team

Teaching firm ticks right boxes home and abroad

10ticks makes the news! This is an article from Bolton News highlighting how we are doing in the UK and abroad.

A BOLTON firm is booming — both here and abroad.

10 Ticks designs maths and English computer based tutorials aimed at pupils, students and families at school or home.

Its customer base ranges from 20,000 children aged from five to 16 to a smaller number of older students aged in their 70s.

In the past 12 month the firm, based at Bolton Enterprise Centre, in Washington Street, has won new deals in Malaysia and Australia and more recently in South Africa.

Darren Wood, the firm’s head of business development and marketing, has been travelling abroad to deal with agents and meet customers.

As part of this, he recently visited a maths conference for teachers in Melbourne, Australia.

Back in Bolton, he said: “The conference was great and I got to speak to teachers at first-hand. They were really embracing the new curriculum, which has been a great development because teachers previously had reservations about the country’s new curriculum.

“South Africa is the latest country on our list. We’ve just developed a partnership there and looking at charities and other developments.”

He said the firm also wants to expand its UK business by selling 10Ticks products in national supermarket chains, such as Asda.

Mr Wood said: “It’s not easy getting the attention of the big retailers. But as the sales are increasing the big chains are starting to take note. We’ve been telling them that if we want to improve the country’s numeracy levels then we need to get programmes like 10Ticks widely available, as they are proven to work.”

10 Ticks has also taken on a new marketing manager, Ryan Davies.

A Manchester University graduate originally from Gloucester, he said: “My role involves travel which I’ve always loved, so that part of the job was a big draw for me. It’s good to be working in Bolton, which has a good business community.

“Some of my friends support Wanderers and I’ve been to the Reebok a few times. I also think celebrities like Amir Khan and Peter Kay help put Bolton on the map.”

The business was founded in 2000 by Ian Fisher, a former Bolton maths teacher and education consultant.

His work has included designing and online test which helps identify a child’s individual strengths and how these can be used to get the most out of school .Study could include learning through visual aids or activities rather than listening.

Visit our website for more details about the Home and School Learning System.
www.10ticks.co.uk

Thanks form the 10ticks team.

Jenson Button: Formula 1 would be nothing without without maths and science

Formula 1 racing driver Jenson Button urges young people to study maths, science and engineering in school. He argued that the glamour and excitement of racing would not exist without the brilliance of scientists and engineers.

Having a public figure like this endorsing maths and science is great news. Someone like Jenson Button who is a role model for kids all across the country and the world is a great ambassador, and can really help to encourage kids to work hard in these subjects. In the future these are the subjects that are going to help young people get the best jobs and drive the economies of the major nations across the globe.

Research this week published in the UK warned that 1 in 5 young people will need to become an engineer if the UK has any chance of re balancing the economy more towards advanced engineering. This is going to be a tall order and really needs a lot of backing from the government as well as people like Jenson Button to encourage and make sure young people continue with subjects like maths and physics.

Not only is it important to encourage young people into maths and science when they get older but also it is really important to build up a good base when they are young. In the previous article I posted I mentioned how being top of the class in maths in primary school has been proven to boost income by the time you are 30. So this article ties in really well with that and shows that with the shortage of skilled workers with the right knowledge, focusing on these subjects early on can help lead to a great career in the future. You never know your son or daughter could be the next lead engineer at McLaren with a bit of extra maths help.

Thanks for reading.

The 10ticks team

Extra maths help in primary school can boost potential earnings significantly

How extra maths help in primary school can boost your income when your 30!

Government funded research shows a child in the top 15% of maths scores at age 10 is likely to earn an extra 7.3% by the age of 30

Children with the best skills earn the most money, according to government funded research.

A study by the institute for fiscal studies (IFS), funded by the department for education, measured the maths achievements of a group born in 1970 and compared it with the salary they earned once they were in there thirties.

A child in the top 15 per cent of maths scores at the age of 10 is likely to earn 7.3 per cent more at the age 30 than an otherwise identical child who achieves a middle ranking maths score, even after controlling for the qualifications that they go on to obtain.

This was calculated as being able to earn an extra £2100 per year.

This is great news for all the parents who have got their kids on the 10ticks Home Learning System from an early age, as they will likely be at the top of the class throughout primary school. This makes paying for that bit of extra maths help with 10ticks seem like a great investment not only in your child’s education but will actually help boost their earning potential when they are older.

The maths helps 10ticks offers, ranges from the age of 5 right up until the age of 16 with A* GCSE. So 10ticks can be with you every step of the way helping to really boost your child to the top of the class. It is also interesting to note maths skills made a much bigger difference to potential earnings than reading and even more important than the qualifications young people go on to achieve. This highlights the importance of investing in skills, particularly maths skills early on.

If you would like some more information about 10ticks and the maths help it has to offer feel free to email us at r.davies@10ticks.co.uk.

Thanks,

From the 10tick team

The 10ticks New Look Student Area

Here at 10ticks we are very excited to announce the release of the new look student area! The new look is aimed at older students who are looking for something a bit more grown up. The feedback we have received so far has been great so thanks to everyone who contributed on that.

It would be great to get even more feedback though so take a look at the video below and tell us what you think :)

Thanks,

The 10ticks team

Top tips for getting your child to do their homework

We often get parents asking us how they should use the 10ticks Online Learning System. Below is a guide on how to formulate a structured homework routine that is effective but also easy to implement. Using 10ticks alongside this routine will be great for your child’s maths and will really help them excel. Enjoy the article J

It is often a struggle to get kids to do their homework and can often lead to a shouting match and become a daily frustration. However it doesn't have to be like this. In this article the aim is to outline some ways you can help motivate your child to do their homework on a daily basis. Not only will it make your life as the parent easier, because you won’t have to be constantly nagging, but it will also help get your child to the top of the class and really help them reach their full potential.

There are some key areas that can make a big difference to get your child to do their homework. These are simple and not that hard to implement. You just need to be consistent and establish a routine. The first place to start is by setting how long homework should take. Eventually you will want your child to be working from 1 to 2 hours a night on homework by the time they reach secondary school. But to start with you will want to build them up, so 30 minutes to an hour is a good place to start. Once you have set this time it is important to be strict with it. This includes not going over that limit even if you know your child has just been staring at the work sullenly for a big chunk of that time. The reason for this is because even if they haven’t done the work, children will need a rest and it is important they feel they are not doing school work all the time, as they will become even more reluctant to do homework in the future. Also some children that lack confidence and are sensitive will become perfectionists and will actually try and spend longer on their homework if allowed. This is not good for them as all children need down time.

Another really important rule is to eliminate distractions. This means you as the parent have to make sure before your child starts that all distractions are removed. This includes screens that are on, toys and even pets. They all need to be out of sight so your child can really focus.

After school your child will have had a long day and need to reenergise and refresh. So it is important that they get something to eat, preferably a healthy snack, and have a chance to play and get some exercise. Ideally you want them outside getting some fresh air and exercise. So playing football or going on the trampoline or something similar would be ideal, this will reenergise them and get them ready to start work again.

Break up homework into three stages. First spend up to five minutes going over what your child has to do. This will make it clear for them, and for you, what they are doing and it will make it easier to get started. The second stage is to let your child do the homework without any help. This is important as homework should be on-going training in self-reliance. It is important to let them make their own mistakes, so don’t frown or give any indication that it is the wrong or right answer. The third stage is where you can comment on the work. It is important to first point out the things they have done well and for both of you to point out 1 or 2 mistakes or improvements that can be made. It is important not to point out too many mistakes even if there are a lot, because your child will become demotivated and will be less willing to do homework next time.

Don’t overdo it Let your child take breaks every 15 – 30 minutes. This will allow your child to absorb what they have learnt and come back refreshed for the next task.

Do the hardest task first. This is when the brain is at its freshest and will take in a lot more information. It will also stop the nagging feeling that there is still worse to come. If you get the worst over and done with first, it will only get easier from then on in.

During holidays, especially the summer, children can actually go backwards. This is often referred to as the summer slide. So make sure your child is still doing work regularly. This will stop the backwards slide and put them in good stead when it comes to the new school year. In the 6 weeks off in the summer a child can actually go backwards by a few months or more, so it is important to do regular work in the holidays.

Positive reinforcement is a much better way of motivating your child then just telling them off. So even if it is a struggle when it comes to homework pick up on the good things when possible. Even the most reluctant child will occasionally be proactive and may get out their workbook without being asked. It is really important to recognise this and praise it.

Another way to motivate your child is to give little rewards and encouragement such as a hug or a thumbs up or even a high five. Give these when they have made small steps in the right direction, even when the result is still not quite what you want.

With these homework tips you will hopefully see your child’s attitude towards homework change, making your life easier and helping them reach their full potential.

Thank you for reading,

The 10ticks team
www.10ticks.co.uk

Need maths help 10ticks has the awnser

For all your Maths Help needs check out 10ticks. In this short video we show how 10ticks can benefit your child.