*Collaborative Post*
If you have a child in grade or middle school, they will have to appear for academic tests at regular intervals, leaving them stressed and anxious. The good news for parents is that these exams are an excellent opportunity to help your child prepare for future tests. But what are some ways of helping your kids get ready for the exams and ensure they perform well in them? Read this article to find out.
Be involved in your child’s education
Being involved in your child’s education is an effective way of helping your child prepare for the exams. You need to know how they approach a test, their difficulties, and what the results mean.
If you need help understanding something, talk with your child’s teacher or school counsellor. For example, if your son is struggling on a maths test but always does well on homework assignments at home and seems interested in what he learns in class—tell him about it!
Assess your kid’s abilities
Assessment is the key to getting your child ready for the test. Test preparation should begin as early as possible—it isn’t just about how well your kid can memorise. Some of the things you should assess in your child are:
- strengths and weaknesses
- child’s learning style (auditory learner vs visual learner)
- test anxiety level (high or low?)
- Test preparation habits – do they study regularly? Or cram for a few hours before an exam? Do they have a routine for studying that works well for them? If so, great! If not, think about what would work best for them (e.g., if you notice that they respond better when given extra time to complete assignments).
Have your child practice testing
Have your child practice tests by setting a time limit on a practice exam. If the actual test has a time limit, your kid will be ready for an actual exam and make sure they stay focused.
You can also use an exam practice platform that helps them improve their skills in various subjects, including Mathematics and English. They contain over 10,000 questions with varying difficulty levels, with unlimited resits and immediate results. Students can track their progress and identify their weaknesses through these platforms.
Help them get organized
Getting your child to follow a routine helps them manage the stress of an upcoming exam. They should plan out their study time and write down the dates of any upcoming tests.
A calendar or planner can help keep track of this information and serve as an inspirational reminder for when your child needs encouragement and motivation. If you are unsure how much time they should dedicate to each subject, ask their teacher or guidance counsellor for advice on how long they would like students to spend studying each day before an exam.
Take help of checklists
The easiest way to help your child remember a certain task is by using checklists! Make sure that they have one list with all the tasks they need to complete before an exam written down on it so that if something slips through the cracks (because you probably know it will), then at least there’s someone aware of it.
These are some ways you can help your kids prepare for academic tests. Even though exams are always stressful and cause anxiety to children, following these tips will make the process easier for them and, eventually, help them perform well in the exams.