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Should 12-Year-Olds Take the SAT?
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| Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 | Emily Halevy | CWK Producer |
“I think that is probably one of the key issues - is their expectation from having taken the PSAT or the SAT, is for them to understand that there's a lot of material on the SAT that they haven't covered yet, because they're not in high school”
– Erin Mason, 8th Grade Counselor
Would you like to know what profession best suits your 12 or 13 year old child? According to the Journal Psychology Science, one way is to have your kids take the SAT test. If they do well in the math portion, the study suggests they think about becoming an engineer or scientist. In fact, if they score 700 or better, it is likely that one day they'll get a Ph.D. But, for most kids, is taking the SAT in middle school too much too soon?
Middle schoolers like 13-year-old Madison Bajc are already thinking about the future. "I've really looked into Michigan University 'cause that's where my mother went," she says, "and I'm interested in law."
She's already taken the PSAT and plans to take the SAT next year.
Experts say that for some younger kids, a college entrance exam gets them thinking about college – and, in turn, they take school a little more seriously.
"There are signs everywhere that the bar is being raised," says eighth grade counselor Erin Mason, "and I don't think that that is necessarily a bad thing, because I think that there are a lot of students who are very capable and just need to be pushed."
She says taking the test can help middle schoolers in a number of ways. Some magnet high schools or programs for gifted students, for example, require it.
It's also a way to get middle school students ready for the next few years. "If you're taking it because you just want the experience of taking it, and you kind of want a sneak preview of what's going to be ahead when they get to high school," says Mason, "I think that's a perfectly good intent for taking the SAT."
On the other hand, she says, some 12-year-olds take the test for the wrong reasons.
"And those kinds of reasons would be things like, you know, just wanting to take it to try to rev up the score, to improve the score, to compare themselves to other students – or, you know, if mom and dad feel like they have something to prove."
Experts say young kids need to be reminded that their scores will probably be low -because they haven't studied most of what's on the test. And they need to relax.
As Madison says, "don't stress out about it, just be well prepared - and I know that they always say 'have a good morning breakfast,' but that really does help."
According to Duke's Talent Identification Program (TIP), many gifted children simply do not reach their full potential because they hide their talents, underachieve or exhibit behavioral problems. The behavior problems are sometimes due to what is known as "asynchronous development." (Asynchrony means being out of sync, both internally and externally.) Gifted children develop cognitively much faster than they do physically and emotionally, which poses some interesting problems for parents. The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) Clearinghouse says it is important for parents to become aware of the inherent developmental differences of their gifted children so they can prepare themselves to act as their children's "advocate."
Unfortunately, just identifying whether or not your child is gifted can be difficult. ERIC offers these early signs of giftedness:
- Unusual alertness in infancy
- Less need for sleep in infancy
- Long attention span
- High activity level
- Smile or early recognition of caretakers
- Intense reactions to noise, pain, frustration, etc.
- Advanced progression through the developmental milestones
- Extraordinary memory
- Enjoyment and speed of learning
- Early and extensive language development
- Fascination with books
- Curiosity
- Excellent sense of humor
- Abstract reasoning and problem-solving skills
- Vivid imagination (e.g., imaginary companions)
- Sensitivity and compassion
If you notice a majority of these characteristics in your child, you may wish to have him or her assessed by an experienced examiner to find out if he or she is gifted. Early identification is recommended (ages 3 through 8) because it allows for early intervention, which is as important for gifted children as it is for any other children with special needs.
What We Need To Know
If your child is planning to take a college-level entrance exam at an early age, preparation is essential. Superkids, a publication that reviews and rates educational software, recommends taking these steps to help your child tackle the SAT:
- Encourage your child to read. This will pay off on the SAT verbal section and help your child throughout college.
- Use the free guide from the Educational Training Service. The guide is free, and it is written by the same people who wrote the test.
- Buy an SAT preparation book or software. The practice tests and explanations will increase your child's familiarity with the test, help him or her save time on the test and reduce anxiety. Choose software if your child needs a more attention-grabbing study tool, or choose a book if your child lacks the necessary computer skills or just likes to learn by reading.
- Use vocabulary flashcards. Whether you make or buy these is irrelevant. If your child doesn't know the words, there's a limit to how far a great guessing strategy will carry him or her. There's no downside to this activity; the worst thing that can happen is that your child will have a better vocabulary!
Resources
- Duke University
- Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) Clearinghouse
- Journal Psychology Science
- Superkids
