It's time again for the dreaded and stress inducing SATS. Teachers and students across the UK are stressing. The principal or head teacher wants to look good on the national league tables. The teachers want everyone to know that they're the best. As for the students, they've heard so much about these tests that they're terrified of failing, or at least not doing their best.
Some children, of course, love tests and exams. But most would be quite happy to do without them, and some get so stressed by them that it can affect all areas of their lives - and their parents too! So, if you child is one of these, what can you do to help?
Standardized Achievement Tests (SATS) were created to assess schools. The British government wanted to find out how well children are doing as a whole, and how well each school is performing. They start by testing a child at age 7 to establish a baseline score. They are tested again when they are 11. The difference in scores is known as the "value added", and refers to how much the child has learned in four years. The goal is to raise the education level among eleven year olds. The SATS allow the government to measure how well they're doing.
So how is this relevant to your child? It isn't! The SATS have almost no relevance to an individual child. The secondary school will not use the SATS scores in planning their teaching - they will do their own assessment of each child. Besides, the scores on the SATS, called levels, are so broad that they do not really tell you how well your child is doing. The average eleven year old is supposed to score at level 4. But if your child is at level 4 you still have no idea if your child is the high end or low end of average. If your child scores at a lower or higher level, that too is unlikely to be news to you. Even without the SATS you would almost certainly have known if your child is ahead or behind the rest of the class - and so should the teacher. So your child's individual SAT scores will not affect his or her education in any way.
How do you handle the situation if your child is stressed out about the SATS? First, explain that it's the school being tested, and not her. Tell her that her levels won't matter. Tell her to do the best she can, but don't force her to study or practice. She will have enough tests in her life and doesn't need to stress out about these.
If your reassurance doesn't t help, then talk to her teacher. Find out how he handles explaining the SATS to his students. Let him know that you have concerns about your child, and would like to work out a plan of mutual support.
Any time that you are worried about how your child is performing in school, always talk to the instructor or even the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) or head teacher. There is no point in worrying without taking steps to allay your fears. - 31376
Some children, of course, love tests and exams. But most would be quite happy to do without them, and some get so stressed by them that it can affect all areas of their lives - and their parents too! So, if you child is one of these, what can you do to help?
Standardized Achievement Tests (SATS) were created to assess schools. The British government wanted to find out how well children are doing as a whole, and how well each school is performing. They start by testing a child at age 7 to establish a baseline score. They are tested again when they are 11. The difference in scores is known as the "value added", and refers to how much the child has learned in four years. The goal is to raise the education level among eleven year olds. The SATS allow the government to measure how well they're doing.
So how is this relevant to your child? It isn't! The SATS have almost no relevance to an individual child. The secondary school will not use the SATS scores in planning their teaching - they will do their own assessment of each child. Besides, the scores on the SATS, called levels, are so broad that they do not really tell you how well your child is doing. The average eleven year old is supposed to score at level 4. But if your child is at level 4 you still have no idea if your child is the high end or low end of average. If your child scores at a lower or higher level, that too is unlikely to be news to you. Even without the SATS you would almost certainly have known if your child is ahead or behind the rest of the class - and so should the teacher. So your child's individual SAT scores will not affect his or her education in any way.
How do you handle the situation if your child is stressed out about the SATS? First, explain that it's the school being tested, and not her. Tell her that her levels won't matter. Tell her to do the best she can, but don't force her to study or practice. She will have enough tests in her life and doesn't need to stress out about these.
If your reassurance doesn't t help, then talk to her teacher. Find out how he handles explaining the SATS to his students. Let him know that you have concerns about your child, and would like to work out a plan of mutual support.
Any time that you are worried about how your child is performing in school, always talk to the instructor or even the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) or head teacher. There is no point in worrying without taking steps to allay your fears. - 31376
About the Author:
Worried about your child struggling in school? Concerned about special education schools? Get more of Dr. Noel Swanson's parenting tips and articles, at his parenting advice website, and check out his parenting manual and free newsletter. Family" Parenting
