Your child’s PSAT score could set the tone for next several years of her life. As a parent, you play a crucial role in how well your child does on the test. Follow these steps to give your kid every opportunity to excel.
Create a Schedule for Your Child
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Teenagers need about nine hours of sleep every night. When they get less than this, school performance can slip dramatically. It’s hard to concentrate on complicated math problems when you need a few more hours of sleep!
You can help your teen by creating a schedule that includes a strict bedtime. Parents often give their teens more flexibility on this issue. But if you really want to see an excellent PSAT score, now’s the time to take it more seriously.
Encourage Difficult Classes
Kids who get good grades by taking easy classes end up cheating themselves when it comes time to take the PSAT. Encourage your teens to take difficult classes in upper-level math, science, and language arts.
Those who take harder classes will know how to answer more questions on the PSAT and similar tests.
Enroll in a Test Prep Class
Getting good grades in school doesn’t always mean students will get good scores on standardized tests. That’s largely because students need to know how to take the PSAT. There are plenty of strategies that can help students choose answers faster and more accurately.
A PSAT prep class will teach your teen how to take the test. These classes often start by introducing students to the test. When they know what to expect, they often feel less nervous. The classes then teach them how to use test-taking strategies that can boost their scores.
Join a Book Club
The more your teenager reads, the easier it will be for her to take the critical reading and writing skills portions of the PSAT. Of course, it’s not always easy to get kids to read books outside of school.
You can encourage them by starting a book club that rewards them for keeping up. Your local library might already have a program that can help. And by reading more, your teenager will acquire a better vocabulary, learn to think critically, and become faster at spotting writing mistakes.
Make Exercise and Sports Important
Some researchers believe that students can concentrate better when they participate in sports and other types of exercises. Ideally, teenagers need about an hour of vigorous activity per day. Without that outlet, they have a hard time sitting still in class, paying attention to complex problems, and behaving themselves.
Few high schools give kids access to an hour of activity per day. That means you’ll have to stress the importance of athletics and exercise at home. Sign your teen up for a sport that she likes, or encourage her to participate in after-school athletic clubs. It could make study time more productive.
What do you think are the best ways to prepare children for the PSAT? Have you found that some strategies work better than others?
About the Author
Shaun Chatman is a well published author on many authority sites. He lives in Dunedin, FL, and spends his free time playing with his kids or advising friends on everything from tech and gadgets to finance and travel.
