How to Make Kindergarten Testing Practice Fun

posted by Karen Quinn, The Testing Mom - May 25th, 2013

Is your child preparing to undergo kindergarten testing? You can help improve his or her chances of acing the kindergarten readiness exam through review and exposure to similar kindergarten test.

But we all know how short children’s attention span is. They get easily bored and distracted. So how do you ensure that your child will perform well in kindergarten testing? The key here is to make your review and practice in kindergarten readiness more fun. Here’s how:

• Use attractive materials- a black and white practice kindergarten test is unappealing for children to answer. Make them more interested by providing materials with lots of colors and pictures like those found in http://www.jumpstart.com/parents/worksheets/grade-based-worksheets/kindergarten-worksheets.
• Use real objects- children learn best when they’re using the real thing. For instance, you can expose them to kindergarten test that involves numbers by using fruits, crayons, or sticks for counting. They’ll have fun learning because they get to manipulate real objects. This also makes it easy to fit test prep into your everyday life – when you’re at the grocery store, you can turn your routine shopping trip into an opportunity to practice the skills that will be measured on the test. Have your child sort foods by group, color – be creative! You can do the same at the gas station, the doctor’s office, or while driving or walking around town!
• Use appropriate reading materials- as much as possible, read to your children stories which they can relate to. Kindergarten testing also tests your child’s listening and comprehension skills. You can practice by reading to him or her stories about other children, fairytales, or animals.

As parents, you can make your child look forward to your regular kindergarten testing practice by providing reinforcements. For instance, you can promise to treat your child to ice cream after answering a practice test or buy him or her a toy after working on some kindergarten readiness materials.

Making Kindergarten Testing Less Boring, Stressful

Is your child preparing to undergo kindergarten testing? You can help improve his or her chances of acing the kindergarten readiness exam through review and exposure to similar kindergarten tests. 

But we all know how short children’s attention span is. They get easily bored and distracted. So how do you ensure that your child will perform well in kindergarten testing? The key here is to make your review and practice in kindergarten readiness more fun. Here’s how:

Use attractive materials: A black and white practice kindergarten test is unappealing for children to answer. Make them more interested by providing materials with lots of colors and pictures like those found at this site. It’s also helpful, at least some of the time, to use games and puzzles so that preparing for the test doesn’t feel so much like “work.” Get your child involved and make him or her feel like you’re playing a game together!

Use real objects: Children learn best when they’re using the real thing. For instance, you can expose them to a kindergarten test that involves numbers by using fruits, crayons, or sticks for counting. They’ll have fun learning because they get to manipulate real objects. This can make a big difference when compared to using worksheets or other conceptual materials.

Use appropriate reading materials: As much as possible, read stories that your children can relate to. Kindergarten testing also tests your child’s listening and comprehension skills. You can practice by reading to him or her stories about other children, fairytales, or animals.

As parents, you can make your child look forward to your regular kindergarten testing practice by providing reinforcements. For instance, you can promise to treat your child to ice cream after answering a practice test or buy him or her a toy after working on some kindergarten readiness materials. Just don’t make this the primary reward – make your child look forward to preparing for kindergarten testing, not dread it!