The Parent's Role in Preparing for the SAT or ACT
You’ve spent the last fifteen years or so doing your best to prepare your child for all that life has to offer. Perhaps helping him or her get into a good college has been one of your longest-term, most important goals. So now that the time has come to prepare for the high-stakes SAT or ACT, all sorts of accumulated emotions and tensions are bound to surface.
That said, if approached with care, test preparation can actually be a constructive, rewarding experience. Here are some suggestions for supporting your teen in getting ready for the SAT or ACT.
Get to know the SAT or ACT.
Knowing the SAT or ACT basics can help you appropriately guide your son or daughter without passing on misinformation or having unrealistic expectations. The tests have changed over the years, so in order to familiarize yourself with the timing, format, and types of questions, consult with a local college counselor or review test information online. For the official websites, click here for SAT and here for ACT.
Choose between SAT and ACT.
Once familiar with the tests, you and your student can decide whether to prepare for the SAT or the ACT. Ideally, plan for your son or daughter to take a full-length practice test of each to see which he or she naturally scores higher on. Practice tests can found online and taken at home or, for a more authentic experience, taken at a local Elite Prep branch. Most colleges and universities accept both tests, so the decision is largely a matter of student preference.
Decide on target test dates.
Next, consider which test dates might be best; for suggestions, see the previous post on choosing a test date. Generally, students do best when taking the test at least twice, often once toward the end of junior year and again in the beginning of senior year.
Collaborate on a study plan.
Once the test dates are set, you and your child can sit down and devise a study plan.
Here is a sample protocol:
Consider first whether your student best learns in a class, small group, one-on-one, or self-study setting.
Then create a study schedule, using a calendar to mark real and practice test dates, and days and times for studying math, reading, and writing concepts. Preparing over several months, or even years, is usually most effective. It can also help to determine a regular quiet study spot.
If practical, periodically check what your child learned in each study session and that he or she has completed practice work.
Having a clear discussion about what your child can expect from you during this test-preparation process can help him or her feel more motivated and in control.
Have realistic expectations.
Throughout this time period, the details and implications of the college admissions process may ignite fears, insecurities and anxieties in both you and your student. Parents naturally want what’s best for their kids and sometimes this strong desire can transform into frustration. As best you can, remember that the SAT and ACT are long, challenging tests, and, while studying and practicing can absolutely increase scores, everyone has different strengths. Some students are gifted in test-taking, while others possess other types of intelligence that a single test cannot possibly reflect. Thus, comparing, or asking “Why can’t you score higher like your brother?” will likely not help students improve. On the contrary, they will likely feel inadequate and resist putting in further effort.
Furthermore, everyone progresses at different rates, so patience is key. While some may see large score increases in a short amount of time, most students don’t achieve their goal score the first time around, but rather steadily increase over several months or years.
Be supportive.
How can you be actively supportive? Keep in mind that even when it doesn’t look like it, most students are stressed about the test and really want to do well. So rather than nagging, parents can be most effective by focusing on positive reinforcement.
Here are some ideas:
Have a talk about what most motivates your student--whether it’s reaching mini goals or the prospect of getting into an exciting school or earning a scholarship--and remind him or her of this during times of discouragement.
Acknowledge when he or she successfully adheres to the study schedule or improves in any testing areas.
If you notice your child getting overly stressed when you talk about the test, pull back a little to give him or her some space. See if planning regular check-in times might work better.
Try directly asking how you can be most supportive.
Employing these positive strategies can help prevent mental roadblocks. When students feel that they are being made to do something, they are more likely to do the opposite. But when they feel validated for what they’re doing well, they’re usually happy to keep going.
Lastly, as always, see if you can sprinkle in some fun wherever possible, and enjoy the test-preparation adventures!
Kiley A. teaches SAT/ACT Writing and leads College Application Workshops at Elite Prep Rowland Heights. As the Elite Community Scholars Coordinator, he also works to spread this college preparation guidance to low-income, first-generation students who may not otherwise have access to such support. Above all, he wants his students to know the far-reaching power of their own self-assurance.