Is your child about to sit for the NAPLAN exam? If so, keep reading to understand the NAPLAN better and how you can help your child prepare for the test.
Naplan is conducted yearly to test students of grades 3, 5, 7, and 9. Therefore, this post covers all the essential information parents need to know, from what their children are assessed to the information used and how to help them prepare for the exam.
NAPLAN Test And What It Means For Your Child
Naplan has been an annual assessment for Australian school students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 since 2008. The results from the test are used to chart your child’s progress against a national standard to identify strengths and weaknesses in teaching programs while setting goals for recommended changes if any.
How Your Child Is Assessed For NAPLAN
The literacy tests are based on content from the English learning area, and the numeracy tests from the Maths learning area. The complexity of the tests depends on the year level of your child. The way tests are constructed should be familiar to your child, including questions requiring multiple choice or short written answer responses;
- Numeracy
The numeracy tests measure your child’s mathematical capability in four key areas – understanding, problem-solving, fluency, and reasoning, which are tested across three strands of math;
- Measurement and geometry,
- Number and algebra,
- Statistics and probability.
- Language Conventions
These tests cover critical areas of literacy— grammar, spelling, and punctuation- essential for your child’s good reading and writing skills. These tests go hand-in-hand with the writing task, where grammar, spelling, and punctuation are assessed in the context of your child’s text creation.
- Writing
Your child will be asked to write a continuous text for the writing test. They are given a topic or an idea as a prompt and asked to write a response of a specific text type or genre, which can either be imaginative, argumentative, or informative.
NAPLAN Online
While NAPLAN was paper-based initially, the good news is that selective schools have opted into online testing. It means while preparing your child, you can get access to NAPLAN Practice Tests In Year 3 to aid in their preparation. These online preparation tests include a wide range of question formats and interactive features such as online numeracy tools ( on-screen calculator, ruler, protractor, etc.) and an on-screen timer.
While these test questions are answered by clicking, typing, and dragging-and-dropping, it gives your child tailored testing, where they are assessed with questions depending on your child’s strengths and weaknesses. The idea of having online bundles of NAPLAN Practice Tests for Year 3 and selecting the right package for your child’s ability is to let them stay engaged with the test.
Preparing Your Child For The NAPLAN Year 3
While preparing your child for NAPLAN, it’s important to remember that NAPLAN is different from tests of content from a normal test; instead, it assesses the literacy and numeracy skills they’ve acquired over time through daily learning. It is a point-in-time measure of your child’s performance in some areas of Numeracy and Literacy.
Therefore, in addition to good, practical, day-to-day teaching, you also need to help your child while at home in their preparation to ensure they get a better understanding of the format of the NAPLAN tests and that they receive appropriate guidance and support. On the other hand, extensive preparation isn’t healthy as it could make your child anxious, and their performance won’t be great. The most effective way to do so is to reassure your child that NAPLAN tests are just one part of their school program. It’s recommended that; you
- Always ask your child how they feel about NAPLAN.
- Encourage your child to do the best they can on the day.
- Let your child have enough rest preparing for them to find learning interesting.
- Focus on the process and not the results.
- Be positive and create perspective for your child.
- Avoid excessive cramming or coaching in the NAPLAN lead-up; and
- Speak to your child’s teacher if you have questions about how you can help your child prepare for NAPLAN.
Conclusion
So, you have it. Much more could be said; NAPLAN will likely be a part of every student’s school journey. If you have any further questions about your child’s participation, consider it best to organize an appointment with their teacher. The NAPLAN Practice Tests For Year 3 online cover Writing, Numeracy, Reading, and Language Conventions. Once you have purchased them, your child gets instant access to the online tests, which include writing tests marked by expert tutors.
