Do you have a child in elementary school? If so, you probably know about all the standardized testing they do these days with kids. I am amazed at how many testing exams schools do with students and how much teachers utilize the scores. Whether this is good or bad, it’s the reality of education today. I’m sharing my ideas as a mom for how to help elementary school aged kids with Standardized Test Practice and Prep. As a parent, there are things you can do to help your child do his or her best and earn the best score possible on their tests. Keep reading to find out:)
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Utilize Flash Cards for Standardized Test Practice for Elementary Aged Kids
One way to help prepare kids to take standardized tests is to have them practice with flashcards. We have the Gifted Testing Flash Cards for the CogAT® test for third grade students (level 9). My son actually enjoyed reading through these cards and continued to do it for fun for about forty-five minutes without any prompting from me. They are a great way for him to exercise his brain, improve critical thinking, and get his brain working in addition to practicing for the test.
The flash cards are a great tool for parents to help their kids because the cards build “verbal, quantitative, and non-verbal skills for CogAT®”. The cards address the following topics:
These flashcards are affordable. Check out the other flashcards they have available for other grade levels at TestingMom.com plus check it out because they offer other services for parents and students as well.
Use the cards often to give your kids standardized test practice before their big test day. Leave them on the table and maybe your child will just pick them up and start reading. This worked for me as I left them at my son’s table spot for a few days and each time he sat at the table, he was picking up more cards and reading them. This thrilled me! A true mom hack…leave it out to spark their interest and forget the clutter free mentality. It works!
Plan for Comfy Clothes on Testing Day
I don’t know about your kids, but if my kids aren’t comfortable, it affects their ability to think well. I make sure my son has on comfortable clothes that will not distract him from keeping his focus on the testing. This includes looking at the weather to make sure he will not be too hot or too cold for the day. I always pay attention to the temperature for the day as my son gets hot easily. If he gets too hot, it will affect his ability to test well because his thinking will be affected.
I know if my pants are too tight or uncomfortable or if I have an itchy tag, it is distracting and it affects my ability to think well. My kids are the same way so I make sure they won’t have that type of distraction for testing day. Being comfortable is important to help them do their best and achieve their best score possible.
Success lies ahead!
Plan a Healthy Breakfast for Testing Day
I always make sure my kids eat something healthy for breakfast, but it’s extra important on testing days. So, I pay extra attention to food choices and I am sure to ask my son if he is full before leaving for school on standardized testing days. If the brain is fed well, he will think well, plain and simple. I’m like that as well, so I understand. If I don’t eat, I have trouble thinking. I don’t want hunger to be a roadblock to my son doing the best he can on the test.
So…healthy breakfast it is!
Send Extra Snacks to School
If the testing is later in the day, I always send an extra snack to make sure my son is not hungry. If he doesn’t eat all of the snacks I send with him for the day, that’s okay because at least I will feel good knowing he had the option to eat it if he was hungry. His brain will be set to do its best if he is full.
I’m also picky about what types of snacks to send for my son on testing days. I prefer to send fruit, applesauce, and some sort of carbohydrates option such as a granola bar or healthy crackers rather than something like chips or fruit snacks. Nuts are a good option too if they are allowed at your school, or cheese or yogurt in a cooler are great healthy snack ideas too.
Pack a Healthy Lunch
This is pretty much the same as above but is about lunch. Make sure your child has a healthy lunch planned, especially if testing is after lunch. Healthy sandwiches, fruit, cheese, yogurt, nuts, and vegetables are perfect for lunch to set your child up for testing success. If students’ bellies are full of healthy foods, they will think better and do better on the tests.
Avoid Doctor and Dentist Appointments on Test Days
As a parent, it can be hard to plan for this one as the testing dates aren’t always on our minds when we plan doctor and dentist appointments. I try to write the testing dates on my calendar when the teacher sends them out so I can avoid scheduling appointments on testing days.
I avoid scheduling appointments on testing days because I don’t want to disrupt my son’s schedule for the day because I fear an appointment will affect his mindset for the day. He doesn’t really like going to the doctor or dentist (well, neither do I–ha!) so I don’t want his reluctance to go to the appointment affecting his ability to think during the test. I’m always a little off and nervous when I have to go in, and I sense the same about him so I avoid appointments when I can for testing days.
Send Mints
Some schools allow children to have mints during testing days to help reduce anxiety and keep them calm. Ask your child’s teacher if this is allowed if you think it will be of help to your child. My boys have done this and they have felt like it helped them relax and think more clearly during tests.
Pump Your Child Up With Confidence
A positive attitude never hurt anyone. Tell your child he or she will do awesome on the day of the test before they leave for school. Remind them of all the hard work they did with the flashcards so they can feel confident in their ability to do well. Just pour it on this with your child and build them up with as much confidence as you can to help them do well on the test.
I hope you have found this post useful! I wish your child the best of luck on his or her test! For more info on test prep flashcards, check out Testingmom.com/ If you would like more information on helping kids with school and learning, check out these posts:
Educational toys DIY Science kits for kids
Kid-Approved Favorite books for 9-year-old boys
Best Travel Games Kids Will Love for a Road Trip
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What great tips! Isn’t it amazing how flash cards stand the test of time?! What a great learning tool!
Yes! They are still a great tool! If I leave them on the table, my son will pick them up and read them…it’s really cute!
As a mom of two little ones in elementary school, I really enjoyed this post. These seem like the perfect on the go cards to have in hand when we cant have our typical summer home school curriculum with us. Thanks for sharing!
Yes! I think they are perfect for summer and even for car rides…I should have put that in the post!! I leave them on the table and my son will just pick them up and read them, it’s great!!!
These are great resources!
Thank you! I think so too!
This is great. It helps to take the stress out of test prep.
The testing can be crazy sometimes and even a great student can feel overwhelmed by it. These are great tips.
Yeah, I think the testing gets to be a bit much, but it must help teachers gauge a student’s progress and help cater education to fit their needs. The cards are great…days later I’ve left the pile at his table spot and each time he sits to eat he is reading the cards…which is fantastic!!! Thanks!