SATs

How to Prepare for SATs at Home - 5 Tips for Parents

Adam Still

Every parent wants their child to succeed, and more so when exams are thrown into the mix. So how can you help them to prepare for SATs at home? The chances are you’re a parent to a child who is currently in year 6, or about to finish year 5, and you want tips on how to help your child through this time. While teachers up and down the country lay the foundations, providing extra support at home can be key to boosting confidence. Let us share our other top tips for at home preparation in the run up to SATs.

Table of Contents:

5 Ways You Can Help Your Child to Prepare for SATs

Taking the time to help prepare your child for year 6 SATs exams at home, can be both beneficial for their learning as well as a new way for you both to bond. While SATs roll around quite quickly, they’re an inevitable part of transitioning through year 6 into secondary school. It may feel that during this time, these tests are quite consuming to your household, however, the key is to remember how best to support your child without adding additional pressure. Our five at home preparation tips can be the foundations to start with if this is your first time experiencing SATs as a parent.

Talk and Open the Conversation to SATs

Year 6 lessons soon become centred around SATs but that doesn’t mean the conversation should end at the school gates. Our first tip for preparing for the SATs test at home is to talk to your child about:

What they could be worried about
What they may be looking forward to (this can also include after the test has finished)
What they understand about the structure of the tests
Why they are taking the tests

Children thrive on learning details and the more you can help to provide them, the more relaxed they may feel ahead of their tests. We are sure your child's teachers are well prepared for SATs, but having dedicated time to revise at home could also be beneficial.

Focus on Your Child's Knowledge Gaps

It may sound simple, but focusing on the gaps in your child’s knowledge is the best place to help them start preparing for their SATs at home. Don’t be shy to talk to their teachers about what areas or topics your child may be struggling with, as knowing this early on can only help them progress.

During SATs week, they will primarily undertake topics learnt in both maths lessons and English lessons. Having a breakdown of each subject's topics in a handy checklist format, can help you be prepared for SATs at home. Not only can your child feel a sense of achievement ticking each topic off the list, but it ensures you cover only what is necessary.

Keep a Schedule

When preparing for SATs at home, we don’t expect you will spend every waking hour covering relevant themes. Instead, little and often is what is needed. Our best tips from teachers who have planned for SATs include:

Playing memory games in the car ride to school
Solo reading before bedtime
Adding board games to your evening and weekend agendas eg. scrabble / UNO which helps with both maths and literacy

Each of these can help your child to develop their confidence around SATs while in the home environment and having fun. Remember, organising a structure to be little and often, can help encourage your child to revise without the additional pressure of taking a test.

Move Your Body and Get Outside

While revision guides and worksheets can be fun for your child to complete when preparing for SATs at home, moving their body outside is equally important. Whether you opt for a family sports day, or a simple walk to the shops, each step taken can help to boost your child's focus and memory retention. After all, it's why PE lessons are so important within school environments. Not only are they a way to encourage exercise, they fuel your child's brain power for the rest of the day.

Staying Positive and Boosting Confidence

Our final at home SATs preparation tip is to stay positive. While easier said than done on some occasions, what you child could really benefit from is your support and happiness. Showcasing that as long as they do their best, that's all that matters.

Their teachers have planned the perfect lessons to guide them through SATs at school, so all that's left is to create a calming environment at home. And once this exam week is finished, maybe look to plan a fun evening with your child to celebrate. This could include:

Staying up for an extra hour to watch their favourite movie
Enjoying their favourite home cooked or takeaway meal
Having their friends over for a sleepover

However you choose to celebrate the finishing of these tests, we hope our tips helped you prepare for SATs at home without too much hassle.

Ask Your School if They Have Pango Learning Resources

Pango is created by teachers, for teachers, so we understand the importance of preparing a child for the upcoming SATs season. When looking for the best resources, whether for history, geography, science or more, we have a wealth of experience ready to share. If your child’s school is not yet a part of our subscription, they can sign-up today to receive 14-days free access to thousands of premium resources now.