The Iowa Assessments (previously known as the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills -ITBS) will be held soon. The district-wide testing window is Monday, Nov 7 -Friday, Nov 18, 2011. All testing, including make up testing is required to be completed by Wednesday, November 30, 2011. As a parent, there are a few tips that may help your student prepare for testing.

The night before:

-Help your child get to bed on time. Research shows that being well-rested helps students do better.

-Help children resolve immediate arguments before going to bed.

-Keep your routine as normal as possible. Upsetting natural routines may make children feel insecure.

-Mention the test to show you’re interested, but don’t dwell on it.

-Plan ahead to avoid conflicts on the morning of the test.

The morning of the test:

-Get up early to avoid rushing. Be sure to have your child at school on time.

-Have your child eat a good breakfast but not a heavy one. Research shows that students do better if they have breakfast before they take tests.

-Have your child dress in something comfortable.

-Be positive about the test. Acknowledge that tests can be hard and that they’re designed so that no one will know all of the answers.

After the test:

-Talk to your child about his or her feelings about the test, making sure you acknowledge the effort such a task requires.

-Discuss what was easy and what was hard; discuss what your child learned from the test.

-Discuss what changes your child would make if he or she were to retake the test.

-Explain that performance on a test is not a condition for you to love your child. You love your child just for the person he or she is.