The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, commonly referred to as its acronym STAAR (/st??r/ STAR), are a series of standardized tests used in Texas public primary and secondary schools to assess a student's achievements and knowledge learned in the grade level.

STAAR tests are given in the spring. The number of tests your child takes each year will depend on what grade he or she is in. Most students will have two to four testing days during the 180-day school year.

STAAR are given to all students enrolled in public school for grades 3-8, following are the test kids take based on their grade level:

• Reading and Mathematics, grades 3–8.
• Writing at grades 4 and 7.
• Science at grades 5 and 8.
• Social studies at grade 8.
• End-Of-Course (EOC) assessments for English I, English II, Algebra I, biology and U.S history.

In preparation for Spring and the season of standardized testing, we want to make sure you and your children are as prepared as possible for what is to come.

A Little Bit About STAAR…

The purpose of these standardized assessments is to measure how well each student has learned state curriculum standards in their grade and to determine if they are ready for the next grade. Assessments are taken in the core subjects of mathematics, reading, writing, social studies, and science.

By giving these tests, schools can see if each individual student is getting their educational needs met. Schools, parents, and the community can then come together to ensure that each child is given the best chance at academic success.

Test Preparation Tips…

Photo Credit: Alberto G. from Flickr

Here are some great tips to ensure that your child is ready for STAAR this year:

Know what to expect. Most teachers send home some sort of info about the format, length, and types of questions on each test. Go through this with your child so neither of you are surprised on test day.

Get a good night’s sleep. It is recommended that children get, at the very least, eight hours of sleep. For younger students, 3-6 graders, 10-12 hours of sleep each night is needed for healthy brain function.

Eat a good, healthy breakfast. This is not the morning for sugary cereals or Pop-tarts. Instead, eat yogurt with fruit or granola and toast. Something light that will fill your child up and ensure they are able to focus and not crash after a sugar high.

Be positive and encouraging. These tests cover topics your child has already been taught and should know. If she has a tendency to get nervous, teach her to count to ten slowly or give her deep breathing tips to relax during the test.

Be physically prepared. Have pencils, erasers, calculators, paper, etc. all laid out the night before, ready to go when the time is right. If he wakes up feeling poorly that morning, let him stay home. He will be able to retake it at a later date when he is at his best.

Encourage good study habits.If you have helped your child consistently with homework and daily activities, these tests should simply be a review for her. Encourage reading whenever possible and ask him to talk about it often to develop healthy thought processes.

At Best Brains of Pearland, academic success is our passion for each and every child. Every year we offer STAAR test preparation course for Reading, Writing and Mathematics, We teach test-taking strategies necessary to ace any test. Our course comprise of 10 one-hour sessions plus 4 practice tests. If you are interested more details, please contact us today.