Children's Skills Tests: Information for Parents

Helping Your Child Get Ready for Testing

What Types of Children's Skills Tests Are There?

There are tests to determine intelligence, to identify skills in a variety of subjects and to assess cognitive abilities. Some skills tests are specialized. For example, one test may be designed to determine if a child is gifted while another may be designed to pinpoint learning disabilities.

In most public schools and many private schools, standardized testing is common for children of all ages. These skills tests are typically used to evaluate your child, your child's school and the entire school district. Every year, the type of standardized tests that your child will take is likely to be different. Check with your child's school to find out what exams she or he will be taking in the current school year.

What's the Purpose of Children's Skills Tests?

Different children's skills tests have different purposes. Standardized tests are usually used to determine you child's level and can even affect a school district's federal funding. Other tests determine other skills, such as your child's musical ability, computer adeptness or even spatial awareness.

Evaluating children's skills can be helpful and conducive to better education because you can identify the child's strengths and weaknesses. This allows students to focus on the areas that need the most work and feel a sense of accomplishment about their strengths. Skills tests can also be used to determine your child's placement in the following school year.

What Can I Do to Help My Child Prepare?

There are software programs that can assess a child's skills and provide activities and learning games. Many websites offer similar services online as well. Consult with your child's school to find out about useful resources. There are also probably learning centers, libraries and other places in your community designed to help your child's development.

For standardized testing, make sure that your child is on top of his or her schoolwork at all times. His or her classes are most likely based on the same learning standards that the tests will be at the end of the school year. When testing time is approaching, you can help your child prepare using practice exams. You can acquire these from your child's school and many states provide practice exams online.