Preparing Your Child for KS2 SATs

Past Papers: Use past SATs papers to familiarise your child with the format and types of questions. This helps build confidence and improve performance.

Shadow Papers: These papers will have the same skills tested in each question but with different numbers or contexts. These can be great for giving students papers that cover an accurate skill set at the right level when all past papers have been used.

Targeted Practice

Weak Areas: Identify areas where your child needs improvement and focus on those. Use specific exercises to address weaknesses in times tables, arithmetic, comprehension, grammar, or writing.

Reading Comprehension: Practise reading comprehension exercises that require critical thinking and inference skills. Discuss the answers to deepen understanding.

Test-Taking Strategies

Answer Techniques: Teach test-taking techniques, such as reading questions carefully, highlighting key information, and eliminating incorrect answers.

Confidence Building: Build your child’s confidence by emphasising their progress and providing positive reinforcement.

Dedicated Study Space

Consistency: Establish a specific area in your home dedicated to studying. This space should be used exclusively for academic work to help your child associate it with focus and productivity. A dining table or breakfast bar could serve this purpose.

Comfort: Ensure the study area is comfortable, with an appropriate chair and desk at the correct height to prevent strain and discomfort.

Lighting and Ventilation

Natural Light: Whenever possible, choose a study space with plenty of natural light, which can improve mood and energy levels.

Artificial Light: Provide adequate artificial lighting, using a desk lamp to reduce eye strain and create a well-lit workspace.

Minimising Distractions

Quiet Zone: Choose a quiet location away from high-traffic areas in the home. Limit background noise from televisions, music, and conversations.

Decluttering: Keep the study space tidy and free from unnecessary items. A clutter-free environment can help reduce distractions and improve focus.

Essential Supplies

Organised Materials: Ensure your child has all necessary supplies within reach, including pens, pencils, paper and any other required tools.

Storage Solutions: Use storage boxes, shelves, or drawers to organise materials and keep the workspace neat and efficient.

Positive Atmosphere

Encouragement: Create an atmosphere of encouragement and positivity. Celebrate small achievements and progress to build your child's confidence.

Support: Be available to offer support, answer questions, and encourage independent problem-solving.

Setting Goals

Clear Objectives: Help your child set achievable goals for each study session. Breaking down large tasks into smaller, manageable pieces can make studying less overwhelming.

Routine and Consistency

Regular Schedule: Establish a regular study schedule that fits into your child's daily routine. Consistent study times can help develop good habits and improve time management.

Breaks: Encourage regular breaks to prevent burnout. Short, frequent breaks can help maintain focus and productivity.

Mindfulness and Relaxation

Relaxation Techniques: Teach your child relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or stretching, to help manage stress and maintain a calm mindset.

Mindfulness: Incorporate mindfulness practices, like short meditation sessions, to help your child stay focused and present during study time.

Digital Tools and Resources

Educational Apps: Utilise educational apps and websites that offer interactive and engaging ways to reinforce learning. Balance games with tools that help with test preparation.

Online Resources: Encourage using reputable online resources for additional practice and research. One issue you may face is americanised spelling or revision for tests in different countries. Using an American site, for example, could give students the wrong spellings for words they need to know how to spell. Your child may also inadvertently find themselves on a site aimed at the American SAT exams, which are at the end of high school.

Limiting Screen Time

Balanced Use: Ensure that screen time is balanced with other study methods and activities. Prolonged screen use can lead to eye strain and reduced concentration.

Internet Safety

Safe Browsing: Teach your child about internet safety and supervise their online activities to ensure they use appropriate resources.

Secure Environment: Ensure online communication with teachers or classmates is done in a secure and monitored environment.

Autonomy and Responsibility

Ownership: Encourage your child to take ownership of their study environment and habits. Allow them to personalise their study space to make it more inviting and comfortable. This was important to us as parents when we designed our course; we wanted our children to do a realistic test without us having to read out the spelling words or find and print off loads of tests.

Problem-Solving Skills

Resourcefulness: Encourage your child to seek answers and solutions independently before asking for help. This fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Adaptability: Help your child develop the ability to adapt their study strategies based on what works best for them. Encourage experimentation with different methods and techniques.

Creating a conducive study environment can give your child the optimal conditions for effective learning. This supportive setting will help them build good study habits, stay motivated, and achieve their best possible performance in their SATs.