5 Ways Improve Your Child’s ISEE Test Score

The ISEE test is used in many private and independent schools to judge the children that are admitted to their school. Therefore it is absolutely essential that you prepare your child well for this test – their future education depends on it. Therefore I have described 5 ways below to help your child prepare for the test.

The most important tip I can give is to get some practice questions! There are a few ISEE preparation books which have practice questions, there are also some websites offering interactive practice tests. Both of these will help your child discover what kind of questions will be asked as well as judge how much preparation they need.

Secondly, in the ISEE exam your child is required to write an essay demonstrating their writing abilities. A hint in general for all exams is to practice writing the essay within the required time limit of 30 minutes. If your child finds they are too slow – they know to speed up for the exam.

Furthermore the ISEE test contains a section titled ‘Reading Comprehension’. Questions will be about the passages in this section of the test. Since the passages can be a variety of topics I suggest that you allow your child to read widely – both fiction and non-fiction books.

Another tip is to ensure that your child’s metal arithmetic is up to scratch since no calculators are allowed. Again they must also be quick since there is limited time available.

Finally I would say that the best preparation is to get a good nights sleep before the test. Being nervous is actually a good thing since the nerves quicken the thinking process.

Well-Rounded Students Are Happy Students

When many of us think about our childhood, we hopefully think about lots of carefree fun. Childhood was well before we had the sorts of responsibilities that adults must shoulder. When you’re young, you don’t have to worry about keeping a job to pay the mortgage, you don’t need to think about health problems, and you don’t need to worry about having to look after children of your own. You’re worried about playing baseball, riding your bike, and hanging out with your friends. Maybe your parents got you involved in a weekly karate class or an art program that involves ceramic pottery kilns. But the sorts of things that you’re responsible for are things like remembering your jacket when it’s cold and getting to the school bus on time. Life was simpler.

When you get to college, the stress level goes up for a lot of kids. No longer does school seem so carefree. You’re paying to go to class, so grades seem a lot more important. And studying goes from every once in awhile to hours on end almost every day of the week. It’s almost like you have a full time job, and even though there’s lots of time for partying, some of that carefree spirit is lost. Unless you’re doing some fun education on the side like taking a photography course or learning how to work with clay bodies, chances are all your courses are very serious subjects that involve lots of work and brainpower. But it’s good to get a break and learn something just because you want to, not because you have to.

Many will say students that take these types of courses will end up happier over the long run. If they take a bowling class or a music appreciation class, they’ll be able to get a break from the courses that will determine their major and simply enjoy the time spent learning. That’s not to say that learning about the laws of physics can’t be fun, but many would rather learn how to use a clay extruder or learn how to use a bow and arrow than how to measure the impact force of a ball dropped from a roof. So the next time you have to sign up for classes, you might want to leave a little room for a fun class. Think about what you would want to do if all you had to consider was your enjoyment, and then just take that course. You might just find you’re happier and more refreshed when it comes to studying for your “serious” courses!