Preparing for KS2 SATs
April 30, 2019
In the run up to the KS2 SATs, your child’s teacher will be working hard to make sure that they are fully prepared and ready for their test. In addition to this, here is some SAT preparation you can do at home to provide extra support and encouragement:
- Practice useful skills. SAT preparation doesn’t have to be all about practice papers. Try and encourage skills like concentration in the run up to SATs. You could reward your child for keeping their concentration for a set amount of time whilst doing homework set by the teacher, starting at 10 minutes and working up. You could also read together and ask your child to give a summary of what has happened in the story – it won’t feel like work but they will be practising a key skill, reading comprehension.
- Confidence and support. If your child seems worried about the SATs, remind them of how much they’ve learned at school and of occasions when they’ve done well and been happy with their achievements. It doesn’t have to be academic and not all SAT preparation is solely about the tests. Give them a boost and help them to believe in themselves. You can support them further by making sure they eat a healthy breakfast on the morning of the exam and get a good sleep the night before.
- Keep it relaxed. SATs are just a snapshot of where a child is at the end of Year 6, and should not be bringing stress to an 11 year old. If you seem relaxed, your child will be too. Keep the week as normal as possible. If you would normally take them to a sports club, to visit family, or anything like that in the evenings, then make sure it still happens as normal.
- Celebrate, but don’t dwell. Celebrate the fact that they have worked hard and that their SAT preparation is now over, but then move on and don’t allow them to dwell on what the results might be. Focus on fun things that are planned for the Summer and how exciting it will be to start Year 7 next year.
Written by: Marcus White
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