STAAR testing is right around the corner and that means stressed teachers are in high gear reviewing subject matter for each test category. It also means stressed children are scrambling to retain last-minute information about subjects they feel they perform poorly in. Your child’s teachers may be teaching by the book to meet standardized testing needs, but that does not mean your child is fully prepared for the exams. We’ve identified a few ways you can help your child get prepared for the STAAR. 

Make time for studying. Whether it’s for 30 minutes to an hour every night before bed or a couple of hours multiple times a week, make sure to schedule study time for your child to review STAAR test material. Divide the week into subject matters for a more comprehensive study plan. 

Maintain a well-balanced diet. Eating breakfast is proven to help students perform better in schools, and so does an overall nutritiously-dense and well-balanced diet. Make sure your child gets plenty of milk, fruits, and vegetables to help them stay focused throughout the day. 

Enforce resting and breaks. Your child may feel overwhelmed during testing time leading to lack of rest, crankiness, and stress. Make sure to pull your child away from too much studying. Take him or her out for ice cream and play time. 

Don’t panic. Seeing your child worry about examinations is hard enough. It’s best to calm yourself and your child to avoid panic and burnout. Remind your child that, ultimately, the grade earned does not matter. What matters is that your child made his/her best effort in learning the subject matter and applying it during testing.

If you believe your child is not getting the knowledge and skills he or she needs from school to take on STAAR tests, you might also consider supplemental learning through a local tutoring agency or program.

At Sylvan Learning Centers of the RGV, we personalize our tutoring to provide each child with help where he or she needs it most. It’s not just about teaching the material for the standardized test but also helping students understand the ins and outs of subject topics. We focus on developing valuable test-taking and study skills to promote success and reduce test taking anxiety. We strive to instill confidence in our students so that they take - head on - the challenges of homework and exams. 

Sylvan Learning Center’s approach to tutoring and learning involves a 4-step process that first assesses the academic needs of a student and then provides the tools to meet those needs. The process involves the following steps: 

Assess. Our tutors evaluate your child’s academic strengths and weaknesses to get a better understanding of their individual learning needs. Through a combination of skill assessments and observation, we can measure your child’s attitudes about school and learning, as well as, help them develop new skills to overcome limiting beliefs or behaviors. 

Plan. Every child learns and understands at a different level. That’s why we design a learning program that caters to your child’s unique needs. We provide progressive learning opportunities to ensure your child feels challenged, but never frustrated or bored. 

Teach. We focus on providing every child with the most current tools they want and need to succeed. We blend personal instruction with digital tools in an interactive tutoring program that adapts to a child’s skill level and pace. This method of tutoring helps keep the child engaged and excited about learning. 

Apply. In tutoring, it’s crucial to measure a child’s progress and application of learned skills. This involves open collaboration between the child and his/her teachers, tutors, and parents. We’ve got this practice down to an art. Using specialized monitoring technology, we can work collectively to ensure that your child succeeds academically. 

Our tutoring and test-prep programs get results. For more than a decade, we have partnered with school districts all over the Rio Grande Valley to provide tutoring and supplemental educational services for local students looking to improve in various academic areas. Contact us today to get your child on the road to academic success.