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Support your child instead

As your child takes the assessment, it is important to encourage them without assisting them with answering questions. You can say supportive things like: “I can tell you are very focused. Keep up the good work!” Or: “Great work, you have 10 minutes left.” If your child asks for help on a question for reading, encourage them to “try going back and rereading the text,” or if it’s a question for mathematics, you can suggest that they “try working out the problem on paper.” As your child finishes up the assessment, be sure to celebrate their completion and let them know how proud you are of the work they are doing. 

Prepare for test day

Make sure your child is well rested and had a healthy meal leading up to the test. If your child is an anxious test taker, remind them that this test is designed to help their teacher teach them and they should just do their best.

You know your child’s focus and energy levels and are best suited to determine the optimal time of day for them to take the test. Find a quiet place away from distractions and make sure the login information and device are both working in advance. Have paper and pencil handy so your child can take notes or work problems by hand. Tests to inform instruction usually do not have time limits set on them so if your teacher has not assigned a specific time, we suggest splitting the assessment into several short sessions: 15 to 20 minutes for younger students (K–1) and 30 minutes for older students.

Confirm completion

Finally, ensure your child’s teacher gets the most accurate results by confirming the assessment is submitted. Your child should receive some type of congratulatory message. You should make sure your child logs out of their account after completing the assessment, and if problems arise don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher.

Adjusting to distance learning can be overwhelming, but there are many resources out there to help. If we all work together, families, teachers, and assessment providers, we can ensure every student is set up to receive the supports needed to grow in this new learning environment.