DS not doing well in tests

[deaddei]

Ds is year 6 and they are obviously doing lots of practice tests at the moment.
He's in the top group in both English and Maths but seems to go to pieces in tests- rushes, misses out whole sets of questions etc. He did really badly in a comprehension today.
He's going to a comp with an express stream which I want him to be in, but am getting concerned about what his performance. He is targeted level 5's for English and Maths.

You probably need to help him to relax about the tests. Worth talking to the teacher, too? Don't let him pick up on your anxiety about the express stream!

the single most useful thing to help DCs at school is exam technique

I'd bribe him to do a couple of timed tests at home - get him to do the practice exams for grammar school entrance. Helped DD enormously. She really understands about RTFQ (read the question) and timing.

HTH

well maybe you need to ease up on him!

"an express stream which I want him to be in"

why? maybe he is picking up on how much this all means to you and is getting very worried and stressed by it
life is too short, he's what? 11?? give him a break

Maybe you could ask him if he wants to try some practice tests at home during the easter hols - perhaps at first do them with no set time,just note how long it actually takes, then if he pretty much finishes in the right time unstressed (which I'm guessing he would, if he's in the top sets) that would bolster his confidence - if he takes longer DONT fuss about it.

His sister goes to the girls school and is in mixed ability classes. We have had a nightmare this year with girls in her group being disruptive to the extent of making a teacher cry. This is why I would like him to be in the top group as I have seen how difficult it has been for my daughter. Luckily things have been sorted now, but it has been a long process.

He loves school, likes most subjects, but this year is doing the bare minimum -he is his mother's son!! The teachers at parents evening agreed with this, and said he wasn't performing at his best in practice tests.
I am actually relaxed about it- and really don't want him to do timed tests at home.

Actually Grimma, just tucked him in and he said he'd like to do some comprehension over the holidays. So thanks for your comment.
He's a very laid back lad, just seems to have a mental block in a test situation.
Bloody SATS!!!

Good luck with it - hopefully doing some at home with no pressure will prove to him he can do it.

I've just been saying on another thread that my DD actually enjoys the SATs practice papers, more fun than actual lessons. I'm bloody lucky! And she's won some chocolate for 100% on a maths paper, there's another thought, bribery!

And that's how it should be RubysReturn.
Chocolate may help too.
I am not the pushy mother from hell- far from it. Just want him to be happy at school and do his best-I do hate all this year 6 pressure.

Have you told him that SATS are of no use at all to him? The only benefit of him doing well is to the teachers's CVs

great advice from GrimmaTheNome. I think that he may find doing the tests at home fun, just like Grimma's DD did. My DS likes doing new tests at home, but is not keen on repeating old ones. It's always fun when you start getting 10 out of 10, which will happen after he learns from his mistakes. The more accustomed he becomes to doing tests at home, the less stress he will feel on the real day and he won't go to pieces under real conditions.

'Have you told him that SATS are of no use at all to him? The only benefit of him doing well is to the teachers's CVs'

We're supposed to add our class' SATS results to our cvs? Well, you learn something every day.
Haven't you noticed the campaign to boycott SATS, teacher-led? APP is a much more effective tool.

OP, practice without stress and with discussion and review is a good strategy.