HERE’S HOW TO IMPROVE MARKS IN THE FUTURE
The time has come for the release of the latest round of NAPLAN test results – and some parents may be surprised to find out their children’s scores are not what they were expecting. NAPLAN is a test that is designed to measure three separate areas – skills, abilities and knowledge. Throughout the course of their primary education and all the way through to high school, these exams are crucial markers in time that precede HSC and IB university entrance exams that take place in the final two years of secondary education.
All students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are tested in NAPLAN on their reading, writing, language and numeracy skills, which are all essential for children to be able to successfully progress through their schooling life, and beyond. If your child has underperformed and not received the NAPLAN test results you know they are capable of, it is a great learning curve for what do next time – see below for some pointers on how they can boost their marks in the near future.
NAPLAN PRACTICE TESTS
One of the best and most foolproof means of improving your NAPLAN test results is to do practice tests – lots of them! Exam style questions, such as the free papers available through online resources including the ACARA past papers and example tests are ideal for getting familiar and comfortable with not only exam conditions, which are notoriously overwhelming for many students, but for understanding and preparing for the layout and style of exams as a whole. For example, the writing test is long-form, therefore it’s necessary to practice writing out answers neatly, coherently and quickly by hand.
DETERMINE AND IMPROVE WEAKNESSES
Don’t procrastinate! Use your NAPLAN test results to determine your weaknesses in the areas where you underperformed and put greater focus on improving those areas. This can be done through many effective study methods; through prep books, practice papers, example tests or by hiring a dedicated and experienced tutor that has a wealth of knowledge in that particular subject field.
AVOID TEST ANXIETY
Another aspect to focus on for achieving the highest Band-worthy NAPLAN tests results involves your mental/psychological state. NAPLAN is test that provides your child’s progress in a snapshot in time. It is designed to examine students’ overall general understanding and progression in numeracy and literacy, including language conventions, reading and writing. Although it seems overwhelming, stressing and worrying about this, or any other exam, won’t do you any favours. Too much study can be a bad thing, so, plan one night every week where you can relax and not do anything study-related. It’s important to ensure you are taking care of your mental and physical health, which is imperative for avoiding fear and anxiety.
Want your child to achieve stellar NAPLAN test results, or thrive and achieve their academic potential outside of these exams? Contact us to see how the professional primary school tutors at C3 Education Group can help.
