The journey students and parents take going to private school
Every year kids are being tested in verbal, math, logical reasoning, and reading comprehension skills for admissions officers at independent private schools across the state. They are evaluated and compared to their peers, in their grade level, state, and across the country. Talk about pressure to perform! As parents, we get worked up about the numbers, what it all means, and wonder whether your child is measuring up to certain standards, how you can help, and most importantly, will my child be admitted into that prestigious school you’ve been looking at.
As parents, we get worked up about the numbers, what it all means, and wonder whether your child is measuring up.
Breakdown of what you can do for the exams.
- Secure the test date and write it on the calendar. If you are really serious about doing well, you will find out the exact date or date range (Month) early on in the year and let that be your guide to help plan study sessions for your child.
- Come up with a study plan weeks before the test.
- Speak with your child’s teacher to see if there are any resources to help support your child at home. Sometimes the teachers have extra practice work they are willing to provide. If not, don’t worry, there are plenty of resources online that can be found; it just takes a little effort and planning on the parent’s part.
- Consider getting a tutor. Tutors are great resources for helping you and your child do well in school and on tests. They can provide one-on-one assistance to your child and give you feedback on what they recognize as strengths and weaknesses in your student.
- Purchase practice books with sample tests to prepare.
- Study/practice at least 2-3 days a week during daytime hours. The other days of the week, have your child read independently. Sounds silly, but reading helps build vocabulary and reading stamina. Two things your child will definitely need when taking long standardized tests. You never know what words they’ll encounter in the reading portion of the test and how long it will take them to read, so if they practice every night for 20-30 uninterrupted minutes, reading for the same amount of time the day of the test will be a breeze!
Every parent wants their child to have the best education
Most parents, like myself, would do anything to make sure that their child get the best of what you can offer to make sure that in the end, they are placed at the top with the best advantage.
I get a lot of parents who come to me and ask me; How can I prepare my child to score high on the Secondary School Admission Test or Independent School Entrance Exam (SSAT or ISEE)? What I like to do is give parents and students a couple of tips that I know will be beneficial for them now and with other future admissions assessments that they will take throughout their educational career.
In this series of articles, I’ll be giving you an easy overview of the tests, what not to do and what TO DO on the tests; so you’ll want to stick around to read all three.
Stay tuned in for the next post that will discuss the study plan, annotation strategies, and the types of things you should look for when choosing a tutor.
Educator & Entrepreneur