It was actually small groups of children preparing for SATs by doing some very creative work to remind themselves of the key principles they had learned throughout the year.

And when I went to a secondary school this week, it was the opposite extreme.

A reverent hush had descended over the building, as students sat or prepared for exams.

There will be plenty of homes where families are going through the experience.

Chances are, your child falls into one of two main categories. They're either not bothered about the whole thing and you're desperately trying to motivate them to study. Or they're utterly stressed and you're spending all your time calming them down.

Either way, there are things you can do as a family to make this season more bearable.

Even if your child is much younger than those going through exams, there are things you can do now to help them to achieve later on.

Start young

The earlier your child gets to grips with reading and basic literacy, the easier learning is going to be for them throughout their lives.

Take your children to the BookSwap event in the Winter Garden this weekend, to take part in lots of storytelling and fun activities, including a poetry jukebox.

BookSwap is part of National Year of Reading and will run from 11am to 4pm in the Winter Garden on Saturday and Sunday.

Calm down

Your child or teenager needs to know they're accepted and part of the family, and that everything around them is OK.

If you're going through family traumas, try to make sure that your child is still given enough support to find time to study and revise.

It's worth contacting school if something is going on at home that might affect your child's ability to cope with exams, as school might be able to offer some help or a quiet place to study.

Motivate

If your child is ambivalent about the whole thing, offer some treats or praise their efforts when they do make an effort.

No-one is advocating bribery here, but offering to do something with them that they enjoy once they've completed a block of revision might be the incentive they need.

Don't be afraid to involve other people. Bring in people that they respect to encourage them.

A bit of space

Some children struggle to revise because there isn't a quiet place in the house or because something more exciting is happening.

Make sure they have a place to settle down and study, and make sure that boisterous brothers and sisters don't interrupt them.

Find resources

Your child's school will be able to point you in the right direction for materials to support your child's learning. There may be extra support available free of charge in school.

You could also check out revision websites like www.bbc.co.uk/schools/revision for some extra help.

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