Simply put, the key for acceptance into colleges in the U.S., are your ACT/SAT scores, and/or a portfolio and/or your track record in high school subjects. So, what is the ACT/SAT, and how can you prepare your child for it?
ACT stands for The American College Testing Program. SAT stands for the Scholastic Aptitude Test. They are tests using multiple choice answers in the areas of English, Math, Reading and Science. Also available is the Writing Test which measures skills in planning and writing a short essay.
It was traditionally thought that once you test and get a score, you can't get any better. WRONG! Typically, every time a student takes the test their scores IMPROVE. Why? Well, now they know what it's all about, it's not some big scary mystery any more. Students are able to realize which subject areas needed more work, and improve on them.
You can take the ACT whenever you want, these days kids often take it the first time in 11-12th grades. If every time you take it, you get better scores, wouldn't it make sense to start getting used to it before grade 12? ACT now offers two other tests which are aimed at getting the kids used to taking this type of test at an earlier age - instead of leaving it till grade 12. These are the Explore test (aimed at grade 8) and the Plan test (aimed at grade 10). What a neat way to expand their business! Christmas bonus to the guy who thought of that! Bonus also, to the person that thought of naming these as .... Explore, Plan and Act.......
OK, enough sarcasm. I am not promoting getting on the treadmill of spending your school time preparing for tests. However, I am promoting the idea that getting kids used to these tests at a young age is a good thing. This is working under the assumption that we are not putting PRESSURE on them - aim to make the whole thing a non-event, or at the least, a day off school. The Explore and Plan tests are NOT equivalent to the ACT. They are aimed at grade 8 and grade 10 students. They are meant to help the kids get used to test taking and to guide their career choices by providing an indication of your success, (using this testing method) in the core subjects. However, you know your kid better than any test - keep that in mind when the career guidance information comes back!
But, you say, the title of this post says "grade 5", and you say the Explore test is for grade 8...? OK, here's the deal, if you test your kids using the Stanford Achievement Test, Iowa Test (or some other National Standardized Test) and your child scores above the 90 percentile for their grade. Then you are eligible to enroll in a range of Talent Search programs run by the US universities (one example is the Duke Talent Identification Program - or Duke TIP, check the region your state is in for its Talent Identification Program). These people then offer the student the opportunity to take the Grade 8 test anytime from Grade 5 up to Grade 8.
Did you know, if you have a college degree and homeschool, you can enroll with Bob Jones University to qualify to test your own children with the Stanford Achievement Test or the Iowa Achievement tests? Some of these tests require no enrollement to give them to your kids. So check first, with the testing company. To test with the SAT you need a certain number of other non-relative children at the same grade level to test with yours.
Once again, the only reason I would see for doing this, is that it gives your child real world practice at testing. Imagine what it will be like for them in grade 8 having already done this test 3 times before? Or in grade 12 doing the ACT and having had practice at that type of test since grade 8 or 5? There are samples available for practice (see the ACT links), and I recommend getting these, and working through the LOGIC of the questions. Particularly with science, if the kid can read a graph or table, it is normally very simple to see the answer.
I also recommend, stressing the fact that this is just an opportunity for them to experience this test, and that all you want them to do is their best on the day. I think it is important to minimize the time spent on studying for the tests. Stick to the curriculum which is working for you and your child. Think of these tests at this age/grade as bonus stuff (or fluff). If you want them to start getting practice for the ACT, this post is just to help you realize that now you can do it from Grade 8 (and some Grade 5) onwards.
Aussie Kim
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