ACE Solution Books 2025

Joe’s Jotter: Unlock Confidence in Challenging Subjects (Case Study - Maths).

Students, as you settle into the new year, teachers and parents totally understand that even though you are making great strides, you still have plenty of fears. From speaking with students over the years, I find it’s not the full set of exams that cause concern; it is usually only one or two subjects.

Naturally everyone has their own talents and subjects they prefer. Personally, I was better at the Sciences than the languages, but I persevered and got the grades I wanted in the languages I chose.
Sometimes subjects you are not looking forward to are the ones that have you on guard and you end up doing better in; A paper on the day can go well in an exam you were dreading.

I regularly hear welcome surprise coming from students on results day, with comments such as “I didn’t expect that result in # # ”. The moral of the story here is that too much concern about a subject could end in false worry and be draining you of energy; energy you need for revising all subjects and getting your head space right.

Preparing for one of your less favoured subjects is a blatant case of having to ‘get on with it’. Of course, it is easier to revise and work on subjects you enjoy and are good at, but you must not ignore the others. Studying and preparing the ‘frog subjects’ is probably the biggest challenge you will face in school. You must prioritise these subjects on your weekly ‘Lifestyle Study Timetable’. I will detail how to setup this timetable in a later blog feature. Author and reconstructive surgeon, Jack Penn, once said:

“One of the secrets in life is making steppingstones out of stumbling blocks”.

Building Confidence in Maths.

Maths is one of those subjects that many students find difficult. To me Maths is about grafting to understand the basics, building your confidence, and not being prepared to give up easy. Always start by attempting the easier topic questions (usually the part a’s and b’s) and subsequently graduating to the part c’s and d’s. You should check your work as you go against a good quality solutions book and thus be constantly ‘learning by doing’. Here are some of my top tips to improve your performance in Maths (and its exam) at any level.

Joe’s Top Tips for Success in Maths.

1. Put formulas, explanation of words and keynotes into a little pocket notebook.
2. Practice as many past exam questions as you can and check your answers against a fully developed and explained solutions book.
3. Challenge yourself to try and come up with a second method of doing questions.
4. Try to approach each question from different angles. Always write down something. Do not be afraid of making a mistake.
5. Draw a diagram (if possible) and label it to simplify a question.
6. Be familiar with what is and what is not in your log tables.
7. When studying, exhaust all attempts to answer an exam question before referring to your solutions book. Do not give up easily.
8. Read each question in Maths carefully underlining the key words and phrases.
9. At all levels, if you feel overwhelmed by the length and difficulty of the course – start with basic Algebra.
10. Find yourself a study buddy to share questions and resources with. Discuss problems with each other and encourage.
11. Use various Internet sites as a companion to improve your Maths skills.
12. Consult your teacher about problems with topics or specific Maths questions during and after class.
13. Start by attempting basic questions for each topic, building up to a full exam question. Answer the exact question being asked.
14. The word FAIL in Maths for me means First Attempt In Learning.
15. Do not be afraid to explain a solution to a question with words if you cannot do so with numbers and symbols.
16. Spend five to ten minutes daily going over what you have learned in class that day.
17. Every time you write down a formula, draw a box around it to help you remember it. Check if this formula is in your log tables. If not, you need to memorise it.
18. Anything that you type into your calculator (related to a question) must be written on your answer book/copy also.
19. Have all resources present when doing Maths questions i.e. Full Maths set, pencil, calculator, and log tables.
20. 3rd and 6th Years, practice as many previous exam questions as you possibly can.
21. Rewrite sample questions given in your textbook to get an understanding of the basics.
22. It is ok to look at a solution to a question if you have tried your best to solve it alone. Use the answer to figure out the exact method for the question. Re-do it without help.
23. Work with groups of friends on harder Maths questions. Bounce ideas off each other in order to understand and learn from their thinking.
24. Always write out every single step of your answer. This will be easy to look back, revise and follow later.
25. Talk positive about subjects you find difficult. Don’t throw away your shot at success by talking your way into failure. Get in touch if I can help you in any way. Joe.

‘Sail on the Seas of ambition and land on the shore of success.’

More details about Joe’s Ongoing Maths Tuition Classes for 5th & 6th Years here:

ACE Maths Classes: acesolutionbooks.com/ace-maths-tuition

Joe’s Jotter: Positive Ways to Navigate Secondary for a Student with SEN.

Students who have Special Educational Needs (SEN) can struggle with various different tasks each day at Secondary School. As teachers and parents of first year students, we want to make their transition to Secondary School as smooth as possible. We are also cognisant, however, of those in other year groups heading back into a new year group this September with many fears and anxieties. How can help them be the best they can be and try and support them along their new journey?

The Additional Educational Needs (AEN) Coordinator manages resources for the one in four students (ESRI, 2017) who benefit from support that goes beyond standard classroom teaching. Resource Teachers provide such support and often facilitate learning in small groups or on a 'one to one' basis. Practical supports are provided by Special Needs Assistants (SNA's) to allow some students access the curriculum as independently and inclusively as possible.

Many schools have autistic classes where 'best practice' in inclusion means that autistic students are supported by the whole school community to develop their strengths, meet their potential, and enjoy school life alongside siblings and peers.

This feature article should provide some sapient advice on how you can help your child navigate their day-to-day engagements more seamlessly. It also contains some useful advice and informative recommendations for Parents of Students with SEN that are already attending Secondary School (2nd Years upwards). As I see it, the support they require is twofold: ‘Home’ Support and ‘School’ Support.

The ‘Home’ Support.

1. Photocopy their timetable, have copies in their locker, on the fridge, in their journal and for their pocket.
2. Photocopy their bus ticket. Have a spare ticket in their school bag, at home and in their school locker in case it is misplaced.
3. Get colour coordinated folders. Give each subject a colour. For example, all English related work and notes goes into a green folder. Put a green sticker on the English textbook and English copies and colour code ‘English’ green on their timetable. If you have a map of the school, then the room where English class takes place should also be shaded green. Everything ‘English’ related is green and so on for each subject.
4. If using a locker key, make multiple copies and get a springy key chain so that they can attach it to a loop on their pants or skirt. Alternatively, use a combination lock and get them to memorise the code between now and the start of school. Mark with nail varnish or spray paint to make it brighter and easier for them to see their property from a distance.
5. Have a stash of spare copies and additional stationery material in a cupboard at home. Let them know where it is, so that they can draw on it as things go missing or get filled up.
6. Have a morning checklist on the fridge for: books, lunch, keys, jacket, PE gear etc.
7. If possible, arrange for them to tour the school before day one. It is also a good idea to do a trial run of their trip to school to get an idea of the route and timing. This will avoid any travel trauma’s during week one. Leaving extra time, if possible, is wise of course.

The ‘School’ Support.

1. If possible, arrange that they meet as many of their subject teachers and year head prior to starting back or as soon as is possible. This gives them certainty about who will be working with and helping them this year.
2. Look into having a safe and reliable person that they can approach for help and advice in school on a daily basis.
3. If they have a Special Needs Assistant (SNA), make sure that person has a copy of their colour coordinated timetable, a spare locker key and a copy of the bus-ticket. Provide this person with anything else that might smooth the transition back to school for your child.
4. Make it your business to get to know your child’s Assistant Principals and Class Tutor as soon as the year commences. Connecting with teachers is always a good start to any year.
5. Have a notebook that they can write in during the day in case they find something challenging. Both of you can reflect on it together when a suitable time during the week arises, in order to see what challenges might need to be overcome.
6. For the first hour each evening, allow them to breathe and relax when they get home. Do not expect them to talk immediately after school. It is advisable to allow them some quiet wind-down time first.
7. Advise them to choose/request a Locker at eye level and at the end of a row. This is so important, as all their classmates and other classes may be scheduled to go to their lockers together, leading to mayhem at times. Having to reach down with people blocking their path can be especially challenging for someone with social or communication difficulties. This is definitely one practical suggestion that will ensure they are on time for each class and that they can get access to the correct materials for each class quickly also.
8. Encourage them to link up with a buddy or designated person in each subject class, so they can text them to find out what homework they have, should the need arise.
9. If they are using a laptop, most Secondary School books now come with a code written inside to allow the eBook version of it to be uploaded digitally. This means they can leave more books at school each day, lightening their load.
10. Getting to know the school secretary, for both you and your child is very worthwhile, as this person will have an awareness of who your child is and what their challenges are etc. With high volumes of traffic, any extra support or eyes around the Secondary School environment can help greatly for those who struggle in various practical ways.
11. Be aware that your child may get side-tracked at times, realising then that their class is already gone to the next period. This actually happened to me in first year and it’s not a good feeling. Talk to them about what to do in this scenario. Again, an idea for them might be to go to secretaries office. Talking through a few of these little potential situations can really ease their mind as they will retain a visual of what to do should they occur.
To view last week’s feature article on ‘Transitioning to 1st Year from Primary’, click here.

“Sometimes, if you don’t take a risk, succeeding may become difficult.”

More details about Joe’s Maths Tuition Classes 2024 for 5th & 6th Year (Leaving Certificate Students) can be found via the link below. (Only a few places left in each class)

ACE Maths Classes: acesolutionbooks.com/ace-maths-tuition

ACE Maths Competition Today. 🙂

To celebrate the highly successful launch of my ACE Maths Solution Books (Junior/Leaving) 2022, I am announcing an impressive competition today (Draw Wed 10th). Win a full Stationary Pack (worth over €150) to get your child all the way to June 2022. This Pack contains....

- Choice of my Junior or Leaving Certificate ACE Maths Solutions eBook 2022.
- How to ACE the Leaving Certificate Study Guide Textbook 2022.
- Casio fx-83GTX Classwiz Calculator.
- Pack of 3 Post-its.
- Pack of 10 Black Bic Pens.
- Pack of 8 Staedtler Highlighters.
- Noris 10 piece Mathematical Set.
- A4 Pukka Ring Binder.
- 200 Page A4 Pukka Refill Pad.
- Oxford 30cm Folding Ruler.
- Pack of 3 Noris HB Pencils with erasers.
- Pack of 100 Pukka Flash ‘Revision’ Cards.
- Pack of 3 Zebra Ballpoint Ink Pens.
- Pack of 3 Tipp-Ex Mini Pocket Correction Tape.
- Pack of 8 Paper Mate Ballpoint Pens.
- 100 Page A5 Indexed Hardback.
- Henkel Pritt Stick.

Enter your details on this form today to win:

https://form.jotform.com/212443961942054