SATs Preparation: How to Support Your Child
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Table of Contents
Introduction
For many children, the Year 6 SATs will be the first time they experience formal test conditions, and this can cause stress among some pupils. If your child is set to sit their SATs soon, they might be experiencing some anxiety. But don’t worry; as a parent, there is plenty you can do to support your child’s preparation. In this article, we outline some practical, easy-to-follow advice to help parents support their child during the SATs period.
Set a Revision Timetable
Parents should create a study plan that works for your child and your family’s life. Your child is more likely to stick to the plan if it slots easily into their daily routine. Most children respond better to revising little and often; just 20 minutes of SATs preparation every day can do wonders for your child’s knowledge and confidence going into the SATs assessment.
Support your child in the build-up to their SATs exam by preparing a revision timetable that they can easily follow. This timetable should clearly outline the topics that need to be covered and should offer a good mix of your child’s strong and weaker subjects, to maintain their overall motivation.
Maintain a Routine
Exams are an inevitable and important part of your child’s education, but as their SATs date approaches, it’s vital to prioritise their overall wellbeing too. Keep the family’s routine on track; make sure your child continues to attend their usual sports clubs, or pursues their much-loved hobbies.
While children should be doing regular SATs revision, it shouldn’t be at the cost of their relaxation time. Children are more likely to perform well in their SATs if they have a good diet, get plenty of rest and participate in some physical activity.
Varying Their Learning
Once you have established your child’s preferred learning strategy, it’s a good idea to mix up the types of learning they are using for their SATs. Support your child by running through some practice exam papers; doing so will give your child a better idea of the SATs format.
You can also play some fun revision games with your child, some of which can be done on the move or in the car. Turn everyday activities into SATs preparation, such as going shopping and estimating the cost of the items in your basket or create interesting stories based on an activity that happened during a visit to the park.
Learning shouldn’t be confined to a desk; SATs preparation can take many forms and parents should strive to pick a range of activities to help support their child ahead of the exams.
Use Good Quality Practice Papers
Parents should provide their child with relevant SATs resources during their exam preparation. For your child to succeed in their tests, they should already have good knowledge of the exam layout and format before entering the test room. Practice exam papers cater for this.
Our SATs practice papers are an affordable and comprehensive resource that are designed to help pupils prepare for their exams. They are updated regularly to ensure that they are current and accurate and detailed mark schemes are included, to help you monitor their progress and help them improve.
Work Against the Clock
Your child will be required to answer questions quickly if they stand any chance of completing the tests within the allotted time. So, put them under a little pressure to work under timed conditions. Again, practice exam papers are an excellent way of achieving this.
If your child struggles with time management, encourage them to use their time wisely in order to complete all the questions. Some children struggle to keep an eye on the time passing; if this is the case with your child, show your support by teaching them to assign a similar amount of time to each question. If they cannot complete a question, get them to move on and come back to it towards the end. The more your child works under timed conditions, the more likely they are to be calm during their actual exam.
Track Their Progress
Your child will keep their motivation for longer if they can see that they are making progress. If you’re using our practice papers, detailed answers are included with the test, so you could set-up a bright wall chart in their designated study area to record results. This is a visual way to track progress over time.
Be Positive
Children are more likely to respond well to SATs preparation if their parents are positive and supportive throughout the process. Show your child that rather than being something to be feared, SATs are actually a good opportunity to share what they have learnt.
Keep the exams in perspective; don’t talk about ‘failing’ the SATs, as this can make things worse for a nervous child. Instead, share supportive words after each study session and work closely with your child during their revision periods.
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