5 Lessons for ISEE Parents

In our 10th season at Hammer Prep, the ISEE doesn't get any easier. It's often the first time parents learn how their child compares to other top students throughout the country. And for many--especially those who have invested heavily in education--the scores are disappointingly low, especially when compared to scores on state exams.

Here are 5 lessons for parents of ISEE students.

#1 - Parents, even though your child does great in school, don't expect him to ace this test. A strong memory doesn't take you very far on this exam--in fact, I'd argue that dependence on memory will lower a score.

#2 - Ignore the results of your child's friends. I know that I'm asking parents to do something almost impossible; however, if parents spend less time worrying about how their child stacks up and more time focused on how they can address their child's weaknesses, the student would experience less stress and more progress.

#3 - Building skills take time; the development process, in fact, never ends. Most of our students meet with us for 8 to 10 weeks in preparation for the ISEE--that's not much time. While our prep process leads to better results, realize that skills are just beginning to take shape. It's important to keep working at it.

#4 - Address weaknesses now! Once this exam is over, keep tutoring. Students need to build on the momentum. If your child is doing great in math at school but struggling with ISEE questions, chances are your child relies too heavily on rote memorization. ISEE questions combine reading and math--, not just the math facts.

#5 - This is a reading test. Great test-takers are skilled readers. Work with your child to build his or her reading skills.