When is a good time to prep your child for SAT test or ACT?

[tar heel]

Since I have children who have done what your goal is, I can answer your question about how to prep them. Read constantly. Make up your own stories. Act them out. Provide lots of creative toys and art supplies -- no worksheets, please. Talk to your child -- tell them what things are, how things work, etc. Encourage them to ask questions and either answer them or help them find the answers. Let them make messes within reason. Make sure they play outside and have lots of opportunities to interact and have fun with other children. Let them try things -- music lessons, dance lessons, sports -- but not at all at once and not if they hate it.

I think that you think the Duke and Johns Hopkins programs are a bit more than they really are. They're great summer enrichment programs, of course, but hardly the only thing out there. Judging by the mail my youngest child got during the spring, there seems to be a lot of other universities offering similar programs incuding some Ivy League schools.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

As long as my kids are happy with THEIR choices since THEY are the ones who have to live with them, that's all I can hope for!

I agree. This approach, btw, is proving to be excellent. My college boys were courted by great schools and are on their way to achieving their dreams.

(You know I was teasing about your little one, right?)

 

[cats mom]

The OP seems to have left this thread:

These comments are getting silly. I will not be coming back to this thread. Some Dis posters are just really mean.

Although I really hope she's still lurking.

Yes, some of the comments may have been a bit edgy; honestly, it's tough to resist going there when the parent of a 3 yr old is asking about ACT's & SAT's though.

But I think there is a lot of really good advice here as well.
I particularly like this:

Bottom line, Mom, take a breath and take a step back. As others have said, if you have to prep, the child doesn't belong in the class. Instead, focus your energies on exposing your child to a wide range of activities and cultures. Worry about raising a confident adult, not on passing a test.

 

[Pigeon]

Read constantly. Make up your own stories. Act them out. Provide lots of creative toys and art supplies -- no worksheets, please. Talk to your child -- tell them what things are, how things work, etc. Encourage them to ask questions and either answer them or help them find the answers. Let them make messes within reason. Make sure they play outside and have lots of opportunities to interact and have fun with other children. Let them try things -- music lessons, dance lessons, sports -- but not at all at once and not if they hate it.

This is excellent advice.

 

[AndreaDM]

(You know I was teasing about your little one, right?)

Yes of course!

 

[DisneySaver28]

It depends on the student. Personally, I don't think the test prep classes are necessary. If you're student needs to spend thousands of dollars to reach a certain score, then the college they're hoping to get in to might not be a good fit.

OP, your daughter is way too young to even be worried about this! The best way to prepare her is by not preparing her. Take the PP's advice and show her everything around her. If you force her into academics, she's just going to resent and hate it!

 

[Acklander]

http://www.educationalexpeditions.net/time_out.html


For the OP, here's an interesting article on helping prevent "burn out" for those who are looking for a more aggressive type educational experience.

 

[goofy4tink]

My DD15 took the elem. school-aged test for Johns Hopkins and qualified. She opted not to go. She was invited to take her SATs in 7th grade--she opted not to. Her final report card, she had an unweighted 4.0 GPA, she was on the varsity cross country team, and she takes 8-9 dance classes each week. Her life plan is to move abroad and teach English to Spanish-speaking children.

My point in all this is that, being "gifted" isn't the be-all, end-all that a lot of people seem to think. Also, different people choose to use whatever gifts they have, in various ways. My DD's choices might not be the most hard-charging or glamorous, but they suit her very well. I'm sure I would have chosen differently for her, but instead, I let her make her own path. I'm very proud of her, not only for her accomplishments, but because she is a sweet, funny, talented young lady, who is confident and independent and not afraid of her future. And if I haven't raised her to be strong and moral and independent, I have failed her--regardless of any test score.

Bottom line, Mom, take a breath and take a step back. As others have said, if you have to prep, the child doesn't belong in the class. Instead, focus your energies on exposing your child to a wide range of activities and cultures. Worry about raising a confident adult, not on passing a test.

Parent after my own heart...way to go.

Prepping for the ACTs and SATs now, for a 3 y/o??? You know...by the time the 3 y/o is old enough to take them, they may no longer be in existence!! Who knows. Many schools don't even look at them anymore.

My dd took the PSATs last fall, as a sophomore...many thought it was a waste of money. But it sure did open my dd's eyes as to what she had to look forward to. We'll be buying a book in the next few weeks to start prepping for the SATs.

 

[browneyes106]

I started prepping for the ACT after my freshman year. My parents got me a Baron's prep book which I went read, reviewed and practiced with at least twice a week for a year. I took the ACT for the first time the summer after my sophmore year and during that summer I started prepping for the SAT's and I took a three week course that was offered by my high school.

 

[Green Tea]

Yeah she's 3. Is that too early to prep?

All kidding aside, I just wanted to know what other people did.

Three? Are you serious???

Because if he/she hasn't mastered Algebra II and reading complex pasagesby age two you are lost.....

Don't forget about the writing portion.

 

[DisTeach1]

Oh God...Now I'm panicking a little. My son will be a junior in high school this year-Should he have taken the SAT this summer? I thought he would take it at some point during his junior year, then next summer.

I'm not that into worrying about prep. I know we're looking at state colleges, perhaps even junior college for the first year, who knows. He's an average student, a bit on the immature side. He is taking AP English and that's enough...I would never get him to take a prep course.

But...should he have taken the SAT already?

By the way, when my son was three, he didn't know the difference between blue or green...I was really worried, but it's all good now. And no, not kidding.

 

[Aristomommy]

The kids that take the SAT as a part of a talent search in middle school, should NOT be prepped. That is the whole point of above level testing. Around here, kids start prepping in 10th grade for the 11th grade PSATs and then take the SAT/ACTs. I know some get tutors etc, but many study on their own and do fantastic. I wouldn't worry about it at 3 or even 13, LOL!!

 

[K and K's Mommy]

Since I have children who have done what your goal is, I can answer your question about how to prep them. Read constantly. Make up your own stories. Act them out. Provide lots of creative toys and art supplies -- no worksheets, please. Talk to your child -- tell them what things are, how things work, etc. Encourage them to ask questions and either answer them or help them find the answers. Let them make messes within reason. Make sure they play outside and have lots of opportunities to interact and have fun with other children. Let them try things -- music lessons, dance lessons, sports -- but not at all at once and not if they hate it.

.

I've got a very gifted 11 year old who has never been prepped for anything, not even the G/T tests he took to get into the G/T program. When they were little I did everything above plus we watched very little t.v.

I've bolded what I thought is so important. My guy has trouble making friends, and I would take away some of his IQ points if it meant he had an easier time making friends.

For what it is worth, my DH 40 did not prep for his SAT and got a full ride scholarship based on the score.

 

[claudia]

Oh God...Now I'm panicking a little. My son will be a junior in high school this year-Should he have taken the SAT this summer? I thought he would take it at some point during his junior year, then next summer.

I'm not that into worrying about prep. I know we're looking at state colleges, perhaps even junior college for the first year, who knows. He's an average student, a bit on the immature side. He is taking AP English and that's enough...I would never get him to take a prep course.

But...should he have taken the SAT already?

By the way, when my son was three, he didn't know the difference between blue or green...I was really worried, but it's all good now. And no, not kidding.

Let him take it in the Spring....if he doesn't like his score let him take it again in the fall of senior year, the earliest test there is....think it is October

 

[Green Tea]

Oh God...Now I'm panicking a little. My son will be a junior in high school this year-Should he have taken the SAT this summer? I thought he would take it at some point during his junior year, then next summer.

I'm not that into worrying about prep. I know we're looking at state colleges, perhaps even junior college for the first year, who knows. He's an average student, a bit on the immature side. He is taking AP English and that's enough...I would never get him to take a prep course.

But...should he have taken the SAT already?

By the way, when my son was three, he didn't know the difference between blue or green...I was really worried, but it's all good now. And no, not kidding.

No worrries! They will likely take PSAT as a junior class in October. Register him for SAT during one of the spring tests; Jan, Feb. March. If he isn't happy with scores take a second time later in the spring-May, June.

 

[Buckeye Princess]

I took the SATs for the first time when I was in 7th grade for the John Hopkins program and did very well. I think two factors really helped me.

1) Reading. My parents read to me lots at an early age. As soon as I was old enough to read on my own there was always a book in my hands whenever there was spare time such as in the car.

2) I actually never took a formal class. But I was part of a gifted track in school. As early as kindergarten and first grade they began slight test prep with us. We were taught basic techniques for test taking each year prior to the annual school testing down in the spring. I remember being exposed to analogies around 3rd grade. It was a slow process and it was always fun. I loved taking those types of tests because even in 7th grade I felt prepared and confident. I ended up getting a 1520 (not sure if the scoring system has changed but this was around 97 on the 1600 scale). I never felt pressured.

 

[Tinkermommy]

My DS is 3. We are still working on potty training!

Honestly, I we don't even prep for our standardized tests. And my DD always does very well. If I think she needs to for ACT/SAT then we will cross that road many years from now.

 

[mousebymarriage]

My dds attended the Johns Hopkins summer programs, and they took the SAT several times in middle school. They did not prep for those tests, and I don't know anyone who did at that age.

DD13 took the SAT's in the spring for the Johns Hopkins Talented Youth Program, she was in 8th grade at the time(graduated June 25th). She was accepted into the summer program and did well on the SAT's but decided she didn't want to go to the summer program. When I asked her if she wanted to go she said "no, not interested, I just wanted to prove to myself that I could get in". I did not prep her in any way for the test and before she took it I told her not to sweat it because it was no big deal, if she did well then great if not that was fine too, just to do her best.

I saw no point in stressing her out for nothing. She is a kid and will have so many other things to stress her out why add to it by freaking her out about this test, life is stressful enough. All I expect from my kids is that they give 100% to whatever they try and if they fail or succeed at least they know they have given it their best shot.

 

[golfgal]

Oh God...Now I'm panicking a little. My son will be a junior in high school this year-Should he have taken the SAT this summer? I thought he would take it at some point during his junior year, then next summer.

I'm not that into worrying about prep. I know we're looking at state colleges, perhaps even junior college for the first year, who knows. He's an average student, a bit on the immature side. He is taking AP English and that's enough...I would never get him to take a prep course.

But...should he have taken the SAT already?

By the way, when my son was three, he didn't know the difference between blue or green...I was really worried, but it's all good now. And no, not kidding.

Let him take it in the Spring....if he doesn't like his score let him take it again in the fall of senior year, the earliest test there is....think it is October

I agree, spring of Junior year to start. Check the admissions page on the website of the schools he may attend and see if they want the SAT or the ACT though. If they want the ACT, that is a better, more comprehensive test then the SAT and if he isn't strong in math or English, he will probably sore better on the ACT since it tests more than that.

 

[Longsx3]

My DD (soon the be 9th grader)took the SAT, without prep, for Duke tip in
7th grade and did very well. My plan is for her to take in the SAT in the spring of grades 9-11, depending on her scores we may prep a little more for 11th grade but that is not the plan. If she does very well in 10th grade she may not even take it in 11th. Our reasong for her taking the SAT each spring is we want her to be very comfortable with the test by 11th grade when it really counts.