As your child gets ready for their KS2 exams, they may feel anxious and worried. This is the first time they are going to experience real exam conditions. While SATs aren’t about passing or failing, it is still important to help your child prepare with KS2 Maths papers. Read on to discover some top tips on using Maths past papers effectively and other ways to help your child.
KS2 Maths papers are important revision tools, as they give your child a good understanding of what the exam is going to be like. They will know exactly what to expect when they walk into the examination room, and this will not only help them to perform better, but it will boost their confidence too. When doing KS2 Maths past papers with your child, it is important to emulate real exam conditions. There are three different papers: Arithmetic, Reasoning 1, and Reasoning 2. Your child should have 30 minutes for the first paper, and 40 minutes each for the two reasoning papers. When choosing Maths past papers to use, make sure they come with the answers so that you can mark your child’s paper correctly. For top marks, there are certain things the examiner will be looking out for. This includes clear explanations on how to find a solution to a problem when necessary, as well as correct use of measurements and units, correct placement of decimal points, and clear, unambiguous answers.
Aside from using Maths KS2 papers, there are other ways you can help your child prepare for their exams. It is important to listen to any problems they may be experiencing during this time. If your child is experiencing difficulties with certain questions, get them to explain their thinking process. By doing this, you can understand how they are processing the question, and you will be able to determine where they are going wrong. It is also important to pay extra attention to how your child is feeling. If they are stressed and worried, try to take their mind off things. They will only end up burning themselves out if they revise too much and spend all of their time panicking about their exams. Aside from this, make sure you know your child’s exam schedule and that they have everything they need for the exam. For example, for the reasoning papers, they will need a mirror, a protector or angle measurer, a ruler, a sharp pencil, a rubber, and a blue or black pen. If your child gets to the exam and they don’t have everything they need, this will instantly set them into panic mode.
Hopefully, you now feel more prepared regarding helping your child through their KS2 Maths exams. By emulating real exam conditions with KS2 Maths papers, you can make sure they are prepared and ease their worries. However, it is important for them to have time out of studying too.