All parents want their kids to do well in their exams. As such, it is only normal for them to want their teens get good scores in one of the most important tests they will ever take in their lives: the SAT.
Although there aren’t many things you can do as a parent to ensure your child aces his or her SAT (after all, you won’t even be in the testing room on the day of the exam), there are still several ways you can help him or her prepare well for the upcoming test.
Here are some of them:
1. Enroll your teen in a reputable SAT review center
One of the best ways you can help your child prepare sufficiently for the SAT is to enroll him or her in a good review center.
Trusted providers of SAT preparation classes will have highly-qualified instructors who will share their knowledge and expertise to their students to enable them to get high scores in their first exam.
To ensure the students get the support they need, they will undergo a screening process first. The instructors will then identify the areas where a student needs the most help and create a personalized study plan that will target these areas for improvement while addressing the other subjects as well.
2. Ensure your child attends these prep classes
Enrolling your teen in a good SAT prep class is one thing; making sure he or she attends them as scheduled is another.
Aside from preparing for their SAT, senior students will have a lot of other things on their mind: completing their various academic requirements, working on their college applications, participating in extracurricular activities, etc. Your teen may forget to attend his or her review classes because of his or her busy schedule.
You can make sure your child doesn’t miss out on any review classes by reminding him or her of the schedule and driving him or her to the review center. These classes don’t happen every day so driving your teen to the facility and waiting for him or her for an hour or so shouldn’t be a big hassle for you.
3. Look for additional SAT test prep resources
Supplement your child’s learning from the review center by looking for additional SAT prep resources online.
There are a number of free SAT test prep tools which your teen can use to increase his or her knowledge and expertise in certain subject areas. You should also look for video lessons, practice questions, and full-length SAT practice tests which your child will find helpful as well.
In addition, find out if your child’s school offers test prep programs as well. Many secondary schools offer free or inexpensive review courses which can be an option or additional prep class for your teen.
4. Help your child choose the best test date
Work with your teen to select the best date to take the SAT exam. Make sure there is enough time for your child to review before the date of the exam.
To avoid missing any college application submission deadlines, choose a schedule that will allow your teen to get the result before the cutoff time as well.
Additionally, check if any colleges or universities on your child’s list requireSAT subject tests. These tests measure a student’s knowledge in certain subjects such as English, math, and biology. These tests cannot be taken on the same day as the main SAT test, so you will have to add them to your child’s exam timetable.
5. Show your support and unconditional love
Lastly, your teen will be under a constant barrage of stress from reviewing for the SAT, finals, completing projects, etc. The last thing he or she needs are your frequent reminders about doing well on the SAT so that he or she can go to his or her college of choice.
You can avoid adding to your child’s heightened level of stress by not pressuring him or her to spend all his or her vacant time reviewing. Encourage him or her to take frequent study breaks to give his or her brain and body some time to relax and re-energize.
Finally, your teen already knows the importance of getting a good SAT score so you don’t need to remind him or her about this every day.
If you want to really show your support your child, let him or her know that you will help him or her in every way you can. Moreover, explain to your teen thatif he or she doesn’t get an impressive score, it isn’t the end of the world.
With your help throughout the whole SAT prep process, your child will have higher chances of getting an amazing score and getting into his or her preferred college or university.
AUTHOR BIO
Maloy Burman is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Premier Genie FZ LLC. He is responsible for driving Premier Genie into a leadership position in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Education space in Asia, Middle East and Africa and building a solid brand value. Premier Genie is currently running 5 centers in Dubai and 5 centers in India with a goal to multiply that over the next 5 years.
