• Receptive. Attitude is everything. Help your child have a receptive attitude toward test-taking by emphasizing that tests are just one part of the learning experience. Remind your children that a test is simply a measuring stick to see how much they have learned, not how much they haven't learned.
• Relaxed. Don't let your child get hung up about how hard a certain test might be, the negative consequences of doing poorly and other fears. Make sure that your child knows that your approval is not dependent on a test score. Anxiety can block the best-prepared student from doing well.
• Ready. Become knowledgeable about the tests your child takes. Tests assess a child's knowledge at a particular point in time. Be sure that your child has completed the day-by-day schoolwork upon which tests are based. Be informed about the testing at each grade and pay particular attention to those grades where children take standardized state and national tests.
• Rested. Whenever a test will be given, make sure that your child gets plenty of sleep the night before, has a good breakfast, and most importantly, goes to school that day!

What is a standardized test?

A standardized test is any examination that is administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner. There are two kinds of standardized tests: aptitude and achievement.

• Aptitude tests predict how well a student is likely to perform in a specific educational setting. One well-known example is the SAT, which forecasts how well a student will do in college.
• Achievement tests measure skills and knowledge in a specific area. Westmoreland parents are probably most familiar with the Virginia Standards of Learning tests (SOLs) given to third-, fourth-, fifth-, sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-graders, and to students completing certain high school courses.