Tips on Your Approach to Test Prep

Know the tools that are available to help your child and learn whatever you can about the test your child will take.
Be prepared to learn yourself while you are teaching your child.
For pre-K and K, the main thing is to familiarize your child with the process of answering multiple-choice questions.
Be passionate about learning and doing one’s best.
Identify your child’s strengths and use them to your advantage when teaching.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions about testing or the process your child will be going through. The information is out there, although it may not be given out voluntarily – you may have to dig for it. Do your research and be vigilant when it comes to your child and his/her education.

Non-prepared and prepared is different no matter what your child’s abilities are.
I want my child to do her best, but that doesn’t come through external pressure. There is self-control that is necessary for a young child to just learn to sit and focus, but if they see that we engage with them with the material, that will make a big difference in them becoming engaged with the materials themselves.
As a parent, stay calm!
With young children, remember that they have never taken tests before and don’t even know basic concepts like how to listen to the questions, how to consider answer choices, how to pick an answer that is “right.” Be patient while they learn this.
We tried to make it fun for her and not “work,” but we also stressed that it was important for her to do her very best. I completely believe that the preparation we did using testingmom.com was responsible for her qualifying scores.
I always told my daughter how much I enjoy solving problems and learning new concepts. I would let her see me trying new challenges to encourage her to do the same.

Understand that test prep is actually life and school prep.
Looking back, I wish we had started earlier and made this part of his “everyday” learning, not just a review for TAG placement that was just a couple of weeks away.
Now that you have Skill Building Academy on the TestingMom site, it’s important to keep your child working with these educational materials there so they are always well prepared in their core academic skills. Schools test kids all the time – it never ends and this is a fun way to be sure they’re prepared. Luckily my son loves the Brain Pop and Smart Math parts of SBA and begs to do them.
Be calm yourself. If you let yourself get nervous, your child will sense it.
If your child makes mistakes when you are working together, go easy on them. They are very young and so much of this is new to them! Cut them some slack.
Help your child love to learn and celebrate their achievements. And NO mistake is bad – it is a huge learning opportunity.

Relax. The truth is, you are doing all you can. It really doesn’t matter what school your child goes to. The school is less important than how your child does and if he loves to learn.
Remember, it’s just a test.
In the end, it really comes down to the parent and how bad you want this for your child. Everyone has busy days. Everyone’s life is full of scheduling challenges. How badly do you really want this for your child?
Remember that they are still kids. Even if they fall short of your expectations in getting into the “perfect” program or school, we should still be proud of what they can do and how far they have come. Don’t let the test or result have a negative effect on your child or their confidence.
Believe in your child! Every child is unique and has different capabilities and strengths. It doesn’t matter if your child gets into the program or not. It matters that they work hard towards it and if they have gotten any closer to the goal, or improved their skills, appreciate them!