If your child is sitting NAPLAN tests this year, here are some steps that will help them prepare for an introduction into formal school testing.
Supporting your child with NAPLAN testing is important as it is often a big part of their introduction to formal exam style tests that they will continue to face as they enter adolescence, including their School Certificate, driver license and pre-employment tests.
The NAPLAN test often receives criticism in terms of the pressure it puts on children to perform. We suggest that with the support of their parents and teachers, children can build their resilience and rise to the challenge, developing these key skills from an early age. With this in mind, we recommend that parents encourage students to see the NAPLAN tests as a great learning experience which allows them become accustomed to new environments and challenges, whilst extending and demonstrating their knowledge, rather than a high pressure ‘be all or end all’ test.
With practice and preparation, children can see NAPLAN as a way to become accustomed to examination environments and develop skills such as reading the question and time management as they learn to think laterally and face new questions. It is suggested that perhaps one of the most important things to be learnt from NAPLAN is not in the answers to the questions, but in the understanding and development of skills for examinations.