Many parents worry about their children’s end of year exams and it can be a very stressful time for both parents and kids. A level of anxiety is natural, but there are things you can do to prepare your child without adding extra pressure or worry. Read on to see how you can help your child do well in standardised tests…

 

Although it is important that revision is done specifically in areas children find most difficult, revision should also include practising topics they enjoy and are good at. This is equally important because it will help boost their confidence, which in turn will help them tackle harder topics.

In the U.K. children sit for SATs, but even if they are not sitting for those specific tests, they will still benefit from the opportunity to do some revision to consolidate learning. If your school is following an English curriculum, you can go to this page for links to SATs past papers from previous years to practice. Of course there are many more sites on the internet with revision papers for you to download.

Whether your child’s school is following the National Curriculum, one like the Cambridge Primary or if it’s the American Curriculum – there are slight differences between them – your child will still benefit from extra practice and revision. Whatever  revision is done, it has to cover the concepts they they have been taught that year, even if that means leaving out some questions or adding others in from other past/revision papers.

A good tip is to get your child used to sitting and completing past/practice papers, within the given time limit. This way, they can start learning how to manage time and practise exam-taking skills like: leaving the hard questions to the end, checking their answers and answering carefully. Encourage your children to revise from their notebooks and to ask the teacher if they are still unsure about something that has been taught.

Your child’s teacher will most definitely revise over key concepts prior to the standardised tests. Your child should go to school having completed any homework and practice papers the teacher has assigned, so that they can get meaningful feedback and appropriate guidance.

Above all, talk to your child, motivate and encourage them. Allow your child to take breaks and don’t let them reach burnout – sometimes doing too much can be counterproductive. Sitting for exams is a skill that develops with experience and in primary school, children take their first steps to acquiring those exam-taking skills. As they grow and mature, so will those skills – it is nothing but a learning process.

Lastly, if you are one of those parents wondering if your child’s future career will be affected by their performance in their end of year primary tests, the answer is, no. It will not affect them getting into University or determining which path they will take when they are finish school.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t encourage your child to do their best. Doing well in primary school, sets the foundations for future learning. Your child, however,  will still have many years of testing and only the final exams, prior to and during University, really count and will determine their future. There is plenty of time for your child to mature and learn how to perform well in tests.

On that note, I wish you happy revising! ❤

Till next time…