NAPLAN tests have become big business

This education expert insists NAPLAN is NOT a test of your child’s intelligence and should not cause so much stress. Do you support the test? Vote in our online poll.

NAPLAN is not a test of your child’s intelligence.

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In recent weeks students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 undertook NAPLAN tests over three days.

The assessments are a snapshot of how each student is progressing in the foundational areas of literacy and numeracy.

NAPLAN provides parents with individual data about their children, and over time, it provides schools and authorities with important trend data on what is working and not working when it comes to literacy and numeracy. It helps schools identify and plan targeted intervention programs that might be required to assist students.

Like coaching clinics, NAPLAN has become big business with whole sections of bookstores dedicated to testing and preparation strategies.

This is counterproductive and not what NAPLAN was supposed to be about.

It’s understandable that some parents are concerned by the additional pressure that surrounds preparing for and sitting NAPLAN. Although this is the eighth year, there are still parents who refuse to allow their child to sit the exams because they feel it is too stressful or not relevant to their child’s learning.

Having children coached to do better in NAPLAN was not what the test was meant to be about.

It Is important that parents and schools are able to put NAPLAN into context. It is only one measure of a child’s progress in literacy and numeracy.

It is also important that we are mindful when it comes to our own responses and reactions to NAPLAN.

If we allow ourselves to get caught up in the emotion of it, there’s a good chance students will as well and become stressed at the prospect at not doing well.

Parents should be calm about their child’s NAPLAN results.

The best preparation for NAPLAN this week is to stay calm and keep things in perspective.

I say again: NAPLAN is just one measure of progress at a particular period of time.

My advice for parents is to trust what the school is doing when it comes to preparing students for the week. Above everything else, keep in mind that NAPLAN isn’t the be-all or end-all of schooling.

It’s also not a measure of your child’s intelligence.

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