If you want to raise test scores, students must plan for success

A lot of common suggestions for raising test scores focus on test preparation, getting a good night’s sleep before an exam, and eating a good breakfast before heading for the test. And while these are great and important suggestions, the key to raising test scores starts long before the exam is scheduled.

Students need healthy habits to learn well all year long.

There will always be days when your student is up too late or dashes out the door for school with just a toaster pastry in hand. But on the whole, make those days outliers. Establish healthy habits early that will help your student learn well each and every day.

Getting a good night’s sleep before a test is certainly important, but if your student is running on a sleep deficit every other day, they may not have learned the test material from the start. Research suggests that sleep impacts individuals’ memory, and lack of sleep can impact an individual’s mood, complicating the learning process. Encourage your student to get adequate sleep on a routine basis. And when you can, start their day with a protein-rich breakfast that will help them stay full until lunch to keep their mind on their classwork and not their stomach.

Stay on top of assignments and establish good study habits.

No student wants their parent to hover over their classwork, but depending on your child’s age and maturity, parents may need to be more or less involved. Classwork and homework should be geared toward helping students learn the material and ultimately be able to recall it on an exam. If a child is missing a lot of assignments, they are also likely missing out on those opportunities to learn.

Help your child establish good study habits by finding one that works best for your student. Being quizzed by a parent, copying notes, making flash cards—all are good ways to help them review material. Even these more advanced study methods can be adapted to fit your students’ age.

When appropriate, set up practice tests. If your student’s teacher does not offer one, make one for your student if it would help. In other cases, and for many assessment tests, practice tests can be scheduled or purchased.

Check in with your student about how classes are going.

And maybe ask the teacher, too. Is your student understanding the material? Is the classroom conducive to learning? These are questions you can ask of both your student and his teacher. Concepts like reading comprehension, which are often the focus of standardized assessment tests can’t be studied for the night before, so you want to make sure your child is adequately learning the appropriate skills throughout the school year.

In some cases, you may find that your child needs extra support or tutoring to master some skills. In others, you may find that the classroom culture doesn’t lend itself well to learning. Talk to your teacher, and if necessary, your school’s administration, to make sure both your student and his teacher are set up for success.

Test scores are, no doubt, important. But at the end of the day, a test is just that: a test. And if your student has been working hard all year to learn and retain material in the best ways possible, you can take a deep breath and know that he or she has done their best. If there’s room to improve in the future, see that as a continued opportunity to help your child grow.