Helping Your Child Succeed On The SAT Exam

I remember taking the SAT when I was in high school. For me it wasn’t much different than most other standarized tests, which my Mom had taught me to take when I was young. The biggest thing with the SAT is, of course, that colleges look at the score. In order to prepare, we also took a similar test called the PSAT. Those scores were an indicator of how we’d do on the actual SAT. Then, we studied trying to improve our weaker areas, determined by the PSAT scores. At the end of the day, people have different ways of preparing for this important test. Lauralee sent me her suggestions for prepping for the test, which I am sharing with you with permission.
How to Help Your Child Succeed on the SAT Exam
The SAT is the biggest test that most students take. For some, it is the biggest test they will ever take. How well a student performs on the SAT will have an impact on what kind of college the student can get into and what kind of scholarship funding will be awarded. Those things will, in turn, influence what kind of internships, jobs and other opportunities the student has access to later in life.
How well a student performs on the SAT can have ramifications for years to come. It is important that students do as well as they can.
As a parent, you are not relegated to the sidelines. You can’t take the test for your child — though you may want to! — but you can do a lot to help them do well. Here are a few things you can do to help your child succeed on the SAT exam:
Sign Them Up for a Prep Course
Many prep courses are available that provide students with an intensive review of the material covered on the SAT, as well as giving them the opportunity to practice testing under real conditions. Taking a review course, like the one offered by Kranse, can help your child raise his score significantly.
A review course or at-home program cannot replace the long-term study that should have already taken place. However, it can help reinforce concepts that your child has already learned, and it can give him the confidence to perform better on test day. The test-taking tips will also help students who have the knowledge but who don’t always perform well on tests.
Practice at Home
Performing well on the SAT really is about much more than just the academic knowledge needed to answer the questions. Some students don’t do well because they don’t know how to manage their time and they don’t get to questions to which they know the answers. Some students don’t do well because they get too nervous under the pressure.
You can help your child with these and other testing issues by enrolling him in the review course and practicing together as much as you can at home. Try to replicate the testing conditions as closely as possible, including creating a distraction-free environment, sticking strictly to the time limits, and removing any study aids.
Enforce Study Times
Of course, even the best test-taking strategies won’t make up for knowledge that just isn’t there. Your student still has to put in the work of studying over more than the last few months.
Make sure your student is doing the work day in and day out during the school year. If he is struggling, work with him on those tough subjects or hire a tutor.
Work with Teachers
The instruction taking place in the classroom is ground zero for your student’s success. It is important that you stay involved in your child’s education and work with the teachers if there is a problem.
Pay attention to report cards and progress reports, and meet with the teachers if you notice any signs of trouble. Talk about the teaching philosophy in the classroom and what things can help your child and others. You should consider your child’s teacher to be your partner in ensuring your child’s education.
Ensure Healthy Habits
Your child won’t do well in school or on the SAT if he isn’t eating well or getting enough sleep. It might be hard to convince teenagers to go to bed at a decent hour or to get up early enough to eat a great breakfast, but these things are so important to not only physical health but also emotional and mental health.
Healthy habits like these give students the energy to study long hours and to pay attention in class, and they ensure that students are able to stay focused and retain the information that they learn.
The SAT is just one of many important tests that your child will take, but because of the chain of events that it can set off, it may be the most important. Make sure that you are doing all you can to support your student to do the best he can on the test.

Did your child take the SAT exam? How did they prepare?