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Year 6 SATs tests issues

liloctoplot

Hi,

I am  1:1 TA for a year 6 child. We are having major issues with timed tests and in particular the thought of SATs test with the child I work with. just the thought of a test involving any time limit or constriction sends the child into an uncontrollable melt down for the rest of the day. We have been trying to get help for the last year and have been promised help but nothing is being done. We are getting increasingly worried and so is the childs parents as we now have under 5 months in order to prepare for the tests. Ive tried stamping my feet and have sent loads of emails to both the Educational Psychologist and our Sensory lady but am not getting the promised goods or actions.

Like I've said just the thought or mention of a test sends the child into a huge melt down. I personally don't see how we can put the child through the level of stress and anxiety for a whole week but being a mianstream school, getting no response from agencies it looks like we have no option.

In the past when we have managed to get the child to sit a desk and start a test, we've made it as far as question 3 at the most before the tesat is in multiple peices and the child is in full melt down for hours.

Is there any advice people can give us? What are other schools doing for children with similar issues?

We know the child can get an increase in time, but that isn't enough. Its the actual time constriction the child can not deal with.

Thanks

Katie

 

Parents

  • My child had this very issue with testing.  In some cases it was solved, in another it led to a complete destruction of self esteem, which in the long run having gone through it, may have actually helped (but this could be me trying to find a reason for it.)

    So my first question is, how bad is it.  There comes a point when, even if the child is a high acheiver, the testing process can be so toxic to them as to not be worth it and there would need to be bravery about withdrawing them from testing for their mental health.  In the test that led to my child ending up in CAHMS, I wish I had been brave enough beforehand to demand they not take it because even though the school could not see they were not handeling it, I did.  My point here is that depending on the child, there are going to be some tests that they will never be able to handle and the consequences are not worth it.  There is an option to disapply to SAT's if you can show the harm it is doing.

    On the other hand, with my child, they have been able to successfully get over anxiety with other tests (where the mere mention had brought on tears) in two ways.  One was to allow them to step away from taking tests and come back to it when they were ready (this took about a year).  The other was lots and lots of practice (this is what was done on the SAT's because at my child's school they did them yearly with increasing frequency in years 5 and 6.)  The practice gave them a familiarisation with the process that took away the nerves about time because they learned through experiance that there was enough time to finish.

    You seem to know the child quite well, so you may be able to judge whether this is something the child should learn to get over, or is not worth it.  Just remember, that in adult life, the skill of taking time tests is not required.  And even if you are able to get them over SAT anxiety, that does not mean that all future tests will be fine as each test is different and can come with new anxiety.

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  • My child had this very issue with testing.  In some cases it was solved, in another it led to a complete destruction of self esteem, which in the long run having gone through it, may have actually helped (but this could be me trying to find a reason for it.)

    So my first question is, how bad is it.  There comes a point when, even if the child is a high acheiver, the testing process can be so toxic to them as to not be worth it and there would need to be bravery about withdrawing them from testing for their mental health.  In the test that led to my child ending up in CAHMS, I wish I had been brave enough beforehand to demand they not take it because even though the school could not see they were not handeling it, I did.  My point here is that depending on the child, there are going to be some tests that they will never be able to handle and the consequences are not worth it.  There is an option to disapply to SAT's if you can show the harm it is doing.

    On the other hand, with my child, they have been able to successfully get over anxiety with other tests (where the mere mention had brought on tears) in two ways.  One was to allow them to step away from taking tests and come back to it when they were ready (this took about a year).  The other was lots and lots of practice (this is what was done on the SAT's because at my child's school they did them yearly with increasing frequency in years 5 and 6.)  The practice gave them a familiarisation with the process that took away the nerves about time because they learned through experiance that there was enough time to finish.

    You seem to know the child quite well, so you may be able to judge whether this is something the child should learn to get over, or is not worth it.  Just remember, that in adult life, the skill of taking time tests is not required.  And even if you are able to get them over SAT anxiety, that does not mean that all future tests will be fine as each test is different and can come with new anxiety.

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