13 Ways to Help Your Child Survive Standardized Testing

1. Make sure that your child has a full 8-10 hours of sleep the night before a testing session. Children under 11 years of age need closer to 10 hours of sleep each night. Don't neglect your teenager's bedtime either. Teens need 8-9 hours of slumber each night. In high school, students take tests like the SAT, ACT and A.P. exams which will impact their future. So make sure your teen gets the sleep they need.
2. Make sure that your child or teen eats a healthy breakfast on the day of the test. You should not require them to eat a huge breakfast. However, something nutritious and low in sugar is the best choice. Processed sugars will give too much energy at first and the levels quickly drop. You don't want your child or teen to be exhausted halfway through the testing session.
3. Pack a snack for your child or teen to eat at break. Even if you normally do not pack a daily snack for your child, testing week is the time to do it. Children and teens are ravished at break time during testing week. By providing a snack, you are insuring that your child or teen has the fuel to continue. A snack will give your child or teen the added boost to get them through the second half of testing.
4. Remind your child or teen to use the restroom before school, break time and recess. Teachers and administrators do not want interruptions during a test. Also, if a student leaves class during a timed portion of the test, the incomplete areas will be counted as incorrect.
   
   Some standardized tests are not timed. However, many of the tests our children and teens take are timed. Our children and teens will need every minute available to them.
5. Tell your child to not spend too much time on one specific question. If your child or teen does not know the answers to a problem, tell them to skip it and go back to it at the end of the test. It is better for your child or teen to skip a problem and move forward, than to linger on one problem and lose the opportunity to finish the whole test.
6. Remind your child and teen to always check their answers with whatever amount of time is remaining. If the test is not timed, tell your child to take all the time that they need to check each item carefully.
7. Encourage your child to use scratch paper to solve problems in mathematics. Too often the stress of testing makes mental calculations difficult. If your child or teen is nervous, their accuracy in mental calculations is decreased. Tell your child or teen to solve the problems on paper. This way they will have a greater chance of getting the problems correct. When checking the problem, your child or teen will also have a greater chance of finding an error.
8. Encourage your child or teen to work independently. Teens that are caught cheating are removed from the classroom during standardized testing. This is a serious violation. Parents of children and teens should emphasize the importance of independent test taking.
9. Tell your child or teen to do their best. Be positive. Let your child or teen know that standardized tests are going to have questions which have yet to be learned. After all, if every student knew all the answers, what would be the point of testing?
10. Remind your child or teen that you love them unconditionally, no matter what their score.
    
    This will give your child or teen the confidence to get through the extensive hours of testing.
11. After an extended day of testing, provide some outdoor play time for your child. Standardized tests are mentally exhausting, but physically limiting. Take your child to the park after school to run off that stored up energy which they have accumulated from testing all day. Encourage your teen to do some physical activity as well.
12. Don't try to prep your elementary or middle school student for the test the night before. Cramming for the test in elementary school will just succeed in adding stress to your child. The test questions are all related to what your child has been studying throughout the school year. High school students take the required state assessment. If they are attending college, they take the SAT or ACT also. For high school students, test preparation courses for the SAT and ACT are offered. Some students do find success taking these extra study classes. But again, high school SAT, ACT and A.P. tests are very influential in college admissions, as well as competitive. They are also separate from the required standardized state tests. They have fees and separate procedures.
13. If you are the parent of a teenager, who is taking the SAT, ACT, or A.P. exam, familiarize yourself with the procedure. CollegeBoard.com is one site that gives the parent exact instructions for test day preparation. Find out the information well in advance and prepare your student. Testing centers require that all cell phones be turned off.

Standardized tests are a tool that school districts use to see how their teachers are teaching and their students are learning. They are a” window” in the “whole house” of your child or teen.

These assessments however, do not provide the total child or teen picture. Parents must know their child or teen. Parents must work as a team with the teacher and the school.

Here are some questions to ask your child or teen's teacher in a parent conference:

Is my child or teen reading at grade level? Is he/she performing well in class? Is my child or teen receiving a good progress report? How is my child getting along with his/her peers? Is my child or teen proficient in mathematics and writing? Is my child or teen emotionally stable? Does my child or teen have a positive attitude about school? Does my child or teen participate in class? Does my child or teen persevere or easily throw in the towel?

Questions such a these, teacher assessments and standardized tests all work together to form a complete representation of your child.

Testing is a stressful time for everyone on the school site. Teachers and administrators feel pressure during this time to show achievement. They can be anxious and pass this anxiety onto your child or teen. Let your child or teen know that you have confidence in their abilities. Reassure your child that this testing period will pass, just as sure as the seasons will change. But tell your child or teen, that no matter what the season, they will be forever extraordinary to you!