Every parent wants to give their child the best education available. Most schools in Dubai undergo a mandatory child assessment procedure for taking admission. The pre-admission test helps schools evaluate the child’s readiness to go to school and identify the learning needs.
At the time of school admissions, it has become common to see long queues of parents near the gates of the best schools in Dubai. As there is a limit on the number of seats available, only fewer children can get admission. To improve the chances of admissions in the school of your wish, both the child and the parents should get well prepared to get through the admission procedure.
How to prepare your child for admission?
- Make a compulsory physical visit to the school: Most parents are hesitant about visiting the international or CSBE school in Dubai they have shortlisted. More important is taking your child to make them comfortable with the environment. Prior knowledge about their dream school and its facilities is an added advantage for the child during their interview procedure.
- Brief your child for the assessment day: Discuss with your child about the school, their facilities, and various activities they can take part in at the school. For example, knowing about playing grounds, art classes, music rooms, etc. will make your child keen for admission. Brief your child for the admission procedure and prepare them for the probable questions they have to undergo. Allow them to interact with teachers to get them comfortable with the new surroundings.
- Teach them how to greet: An excellent way to make the first impression is how a child greets their elders. Saying ‘Good Morning’, or shaking hands confidently on their first meeting at what you consider the best school in Dubai helps create the right image. It makes a child feel more confident with the interviewer. A child who uses ‘sorry’ and ‘thank you’, generally creates a better impression.
- Guide your child to express themselves: Most children are shy to share their feelings before strangers. Don’t push your child to be an extrovert if they are an introvert. Instead, encourage them to express their feelings and thoughts in clear words without hesitation. Simply talking with your child and listening to them when they talk will help build up the confidence to talk freely and without hesitation.
- Use every opportunity to help them learn: All children have an inborn curiosity to learn from different environments. Make learning fun and interactive by teaching them various things. For example, while in the market, teach them about various fruits and vegetables. Let them understand the difference between Red Light and Green Light at traffic signals. Teach them numbers from the number plates of the cars. Teach them about the different types of vehicles when travelling from one destination to another.
- Don’t stress yourself and your child: When you are nervous, children will also feel stressed. So, the first thing you need to do is – relax. Remain calm before admission as putting too much pressure will cause you stress, which will be passed on to your child. Spread happiness and make your children laugh to feel more relaxed. Always encourage your children to sleep early instead of watching TV or playing games on their apps to keep the mind relaxed. Children ought to perform better when they are happy and under less pressure.
- Prepare mock interviews: Getting your child to participate in mock interviews at home is a great way to help them prepare for the final interview. Ask them some general questions, and note how they respond. Do not correct them in the middle of a sentence. Instead, record their answers and later on discuss the various ways to improve. Correct them to give precise and different answers for the same problems. Teach a child to be more courteous while answering. A well-rehearsed interview will undoubtedly deliver the best results on the admission day, as the way to respond can sometimes be more important than an answer itself.
Different child assessment methods
Most of the child admission tests are informal with standardized testing methods. The basics of these assessments are:
Observations– Observing a child’s activities with minimal intrusion. Teachers observe linguistic, social, emotional and physical activities to help them rate a child accordingly.
Parent Ratings– Education of parents and their interactions with the child’s behaviour is an important aspect, during a school admission test.
Standardized Tests– Assessing cognitive and language ability with overall social development also helps teachers judge children’s ability and learning skills. Specific standardized tests are created to test the performance of a child during the admission process.
Conclusion
A right school is a place where your child will build their career and character for the future. Take the admission procedure seriously and start preparing well in advance.
In the end, it is crucial to stay relaxed. Stay positive and make the overall admission procedure fun for both you and your little one.
