Schoolkid.Ph

WARNING: Getting a child ready for the big school entrance test causes tension to most parents!  Yeah, I’ve seen it.. and actually, I’m one of them.

While I tell you how good it is to have experienced this once in your life, I’m glad to be getting over it for good, having experienced this nail-biting episode three times!

My youngest is now 5 years old and at the right age to take the Prep entrance exam in his older brothers’ school. My friends say that I shouldn’t worry since he’s got his 2 brothers studying there already and getting in should be quite automatic.  Well, they’re wrong… coz I know a couple of kids who didn’t get in even though they had a older brothers studying there already.

Choosing the big school for my sons is a very serious thing for me with the main reason being that this is the place where they will be spending the next 12 years of their educational life. It will also be the place that will be their “second home” where a big part of their individualities will be formed.  So for every big school entrance exam, I have to prepare it as well as I could.

I’ve read a lot of articles giving tips on how to brace up your child for this.  But based on my own experience, I’m throwing in my two cents on this matter as well. This is part 1 where I share my pre-exam preparations.

1. Tell your child that he will be taking the big school entrance test.

Being honest to your child about it is the best way.  Let your child prepare for it emotionally in his own little way.  Telling your child that he’s to take it on the day of the exam will probably reward you with a very nervous child with more than enough butterflies in his stomach, refusing to take the test then telling you that he doesn’t even want to go the big school.

2. Plan the date you will send in your child’s application. Find out the application dates and their corresponding test dates and time.

In some schools, the test date is over a certain period. So, if you apply your child early in the application period, then he gets scheduled for testing at the early part of the test period.  Why is this important? The maturity level of preschool children quickly changes. A child of age 5 may behave differently from a child of age 4yrs 6mos. Yes, a few months can make a big difference.  Some schools have entrance test periods that cover 1 or 2 months. That’s why I’ve always sent in my sons’ applications towards the second half of the application period so that I can get a test schedule on the second half period.

Time schedule of the test is also important.  If your child is a late riser, then it may be best to request the school to schedule him in the afternoon session of the test, if available. The last thing you want is to shock your child by changing his routine and cutting of his regular sleep schedule.

3. Find out what the child will be basically tested on. You’ll probably be surprised on what they are looking for in their future students.

Of course, the school will not tell you what the exam will be in detail. However, you can at least try to ask what is expected from the child.  Are they expected to know how to read and write? Are they expected to know arithmetic already? Will there be an oral interview?

At the parents waiting area, one parent shared how much she and her child reviewed for the entrance test, going through the entire workbook that she bought in the bookstore.  When her son came out of the testing area they had this conversation:

Mom: “How was it? Was it hard?”

Son: “No.”

Mom: “So it was easy? What did you do?”

Son: “We just had to check or cross the answer.”

Mom: “Did you have to solve fractions?”

Son: “No.”

Mom: “Sus, pagkahirap-hirap natin pinag-aralan yang fractions, di naman pala tatanungin. Kahit pag-add at subtract in words, nag-practice kami.” (We studied hard about fractions and they didn’t even ask it. We even practiced adding and subtracting in words)

After hearing this, my mind went “What? Fractions? Adding in words? For a prep exam?  If the boy took the Grade 1 exam, he may even pass it.”

This is what’s tricky about the big school entrance exam.  Unlike entrance test for transfers (say for Grade 3 or Grade 5) where tests are most likely academic (subject-based), in this case there is no fixed curriculum taught in preschool to base the entrance exam on. So it would really pay to know what is expected of your child. You know what’s expected in my sons school? Read on further.

4. Review.

After finding out what to expect in the test, put your effort into that with your child.  If writing is expected, then maybe your child should practice writing his name, the alphabet and numbers. If number math is expected, then go ahead and practice your child in adding and subtracting. Some enroll their children to tutorial centers. If you cannot devote the time to do this, by all means, get someone else to do it for you.

Yes, I was surprised to find out that in my sons prep entrance test exam, they were not expected to read nor write and there’s no math computation. After listening to my sons describe the exam and asking other parents and tutors about the exam, 3 major things came out that I was sure that my son will be tested on. It’s behavior, attentiveness and critical thinking/reasoning.

That is why I stressed on maturity. In my case, behavior and attentiveness are observed in the child.

Here are my constant reminders –

• Always stand up straight and sit properly.
• Stay in your place and do not wander around.
• Look at the teacher when she is talking.
• Do not play with your pencil.
• Do not play with the other children inside the testing area.
• If the teacher asks a question, answer well.
• Listen to the directions and follow carefully.
• Look at what you are answering.
• Be polite.
• Smile at the teacher.

Of course, my sons and I went through a bunch of worksheets as well to prepare for it.  We did the name writing,  alphabet, numbers, counting, shapes, colors, same/different, following directions, which does not belong, patterns, listening comprehension. Many of the worksheets we used can be found in the Preschool Worksheet Collection

5. Inform your child’s preschool about the test and request for assistance.

If you have selected the preschool of your child based on how they can help your child get into the big school, then this is the time to really call them out for it. Inform the teacher of your child’s test date and ask what else they can do to prepare for it.  Some offer a separate set of review classes for a fee. In my son’s preschool, he gets 3 sessions of 1-hr special review before the test, at no cost. If your preschool does not offer special review, then gather up your co-parents and convince the preschool to offer it 🙂

6. Tour the school and testing area with your child days before the test date.

It was a good thing that the school had their annual fair a few days before my youngest son’s entrance test schedule date. So we were able to go around the campus  Also, with my two older sons already studying there, my youngest was already quite familiar with school.

Of course, it wasn’t the same when  my eldest had to take the test. At that time, a friend (who’s son is studying in that school) was kind enough to tour us to the school.  Seeing my eldest son’s reaction when he saw the campus,  the classrooms, and especially the playground,  I knew that the school gave a positive impression on him.

7. Don’t make it too much of a big deal with your child.

Sure, it is a big deal. We think about it a lot. We always mention it to our friends and family. But sometimes, we make a big deal out of things because we are scared about it and we end up sounding nervous and stressed. Your child doesn’t need to be nervous and stressed and it wouldn’t do him any good if he sees that in you too. So it is a big deal but let’s not overdo it.

That’s it with my pre-exam preparations which is so obviously different from the tips that I’ve read around. I’ll let you know about the exam day itself in Part 2 of this title.

This post is part 1 of the 2-part blog post on “Project Big School Entrance Test”. Part 2 has already been published and you can read part 2 here.

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