Top 5 mistakes parents make in year 3

NAPLAN preparation and how to avoid them

Introduction

Every parent wants their child to feel confident and ready for Year 3 NAPLAN, but preparation can sometimes feel like a maze. Between work, home, and school demands, you might feel unsure how much practice is enough or what kind of activities actually help. Many parents in Western Australia share this same uncertainty. Some rely on long worksheets. Others focus too heavily on practice tests. A few even worry that they have started too late.

The truth is that effective preparation for Year 3 NAPLAN is not about doing more. It is about doing what matters. At this age, your child’s learning is still developing. Their attention span is short, their curiosity is high, and their confidence is fragile. The way you guide them during this stage will shape not just their performance in NAPLAN, but their attitude toward learning in general.

This blog will help you understand how young children learn best and reveal the most common mistakes parents make during NAPLAN preparation. Most importantly, it will show you gentle and realistic ways to avoid those mistakes. By the end, you will know exactly how to make your child’s preparation calmer, simpler, and far more effective.

Understanding how young learners prepare

Before we discuss the common mistakes, it is important to understand what year 3 learners really need. At this age, children learn through repetition, connection, and encouragement. They need time to absorb new ideas, and they thrive when they receive praise for their effort rather than correction for their errors.

Year 3 NAPLAN tests reading, writing, language conventions, and numeracy. But underneath those skills lies one bigger goal: the ability to think clearly and stay calm under guidance. Many parents try to treat NAPLAN like an exam that needs intense practice, but Year 3 NAPLAN is actually a learning checkpoint designed to show growth.

When you understand this, you start focusing less on volume and more on approach. A few minutes of practice each day, done in a warm environment, builds much more progress than long study blocks filled with pressure. Children at this stage learn through discovery, not drills. When learning feels natural, they remember what they learn.

Here is where most parents go wrong

Even with the best intentions, parents can unintentionally follow approaches that do not actually support Year 3 NAPLAN growth. Below are the top five mistakes that many parents make during preparation, and the gentle ways you can avoid them.

Mistake 1: relying on heavy worksheets and long study blocks

Many parents believe that success in NAPLAN depends on how many worksheets their child completes. While worksheets can provide short bursts of practice, they should never be the foundation of your preparation plan. Young children do not learn effectively through endless sheets of repetitive tasks. Instead, they need balance, movement, and conversation.

When children sit for long periods completing worksheet after worksheet, their focus naturally fades. They begin rushing, guessing, or memorising patterns instead of thinking. This turns learning into a chore rather than an experience. Long sessions also lead to frustration, especially after a full school day.

To avoid this mistake, limit worksheets to short sessions. Use them to reinforce concepts, not to replace real understanding. Let your child complete a few questions, then discuss the reasoning together. Ask them to explain their thought process. When they verbalise how they reached an answer, comprehension grows naturally.

Encourage hands-on activities too. Read short stories aloud and talk about them. Use puzzles or number games to strengthen numeracy. Even five to ten minutes of focused engagement each day is more valuable than hours of passive work.

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Mistake 2: focusing on too many practice tests

Practice tests are helpful, but only when used purposefully. One of the biggest mistakes parents make is giving their child too many practice tests. It is natural to think that more practice equals better results, but for year 3 students, the opposite is often true.

Too many practice tests create fatigue and anxiety. Children may start believing that every test measures their worth. Over time, they may even resist practice altogether. Too much testing also limits real learning because it focuses only on test taking rather than skill development.

Instead of filling every week with practice papers, focus on a few short sessions. Two short tests each month are enough for most year 3 students. During these sessions, the goal should be familiarity, not perfection. Help your child understand how questions are structured and what they need to look for.

After each session, discuss what went well and what can improve. This discussion is more valuable than the test itself. When children understand their mistakes gently, they learn to think differently next time. This mindset leads to stronger long term progress and calmer confidence during NAPLAN week.

Mistake 3: Overlooking vocabulary and comprehension habits

Reading and language understanding are the foundation of year 3 NAPLAN success, yet many parents focus more on test mechanics than on vocabulary building. A child who reads regularly and understands what they read will automatically perform better than one who memorises answers.

Children with limited vocabulary often find comprehension difficult. They may read a passage but fail to grasp its meaning. They may know individual words but miss the overall message. The key to solving this is not more reading alone — it is interactive reading.

To avoid this mistake, make reading an active part of daily life. Read aloud together, pause at interesting words, and ask what they think the word might mean. Relate those words to their real experiences. Encourage your child to ask questions about the story or the characters.

Introduce new vocabulary naturally. When you encounter a new word in a story, discuss its meaning and use it later in conversation. This helps children connect vocabulary with context, which deepens comprehension. Over time, their understanding becomes instinctive.

Children who talk about what they read develop confidence in expressing ideas, which supports both the reading and writing components of NAPLAN.

Mistake 4: ignoring numeracy in daily routines

Numeracy can often seem intimidating, so many parents leave it to worksheets or structured exercises. But numeracy is everywhere in daily life. When parents ignore these natural learning opportunities, they miss the simplest way to strengthen their child’s number sense.

Children understand numbers best when they see them in action. Cooking, shopping, and measuring objects at home all teach mathematical thinking. Counting fruits, comparing prices, or checking the clock helps children apply what they know. These experiences make abstract concepts concrete.

To avoid this mistake, invite your child into your everyday routines. Ask them to measure flour while baking, count change while shopping, or calculate how many minutes until bedtime. Ask them to estimate quantities before measuring. This practice builds reasoning and estimation skills, which are critical for numeracy success.

When numeracy becomes a normal part of life, it loses its fear factor. Children begin to enjoy solving small problems. This habit naturally improves their performance in NAPLAN numeracy tasks.

Mistake 5: creating pressure without realising

The final and most subtle mistake parents make is creating pressure without realising it. You may never raise your voice or use strict schedules, yet small actions can still create pressure. Children can sense worry even when it is unspoken.

For example, saying things like you must focus or you should get full marks can make a child anxious. Comparing their performance to others also adds unnecessary stress. Even frequent questioning about progress can feel like pressure.

Children perform best when they feel emotionally safe. Pressure reduces focus, lowers motivation, and makes learning mechanical. Calm encouragement has the opposite effect. It builds curiosity and resilience.

To avoid this mistake, shift the focus from results to effort. Praise your child for staying consistent rather than for getting every answer right. Tell them that making mistakes means they are learning. When your child feels accepted for trying, they approach learning with more joy and confidence.

Keep routines light. Choose short study periods with play or relaxation in between. Your calm attitude matters more than any resource. A relaxed environment builds confidence, and confidence builds performance.

Conclusion

Avoiding these five mistakes helps you support your year 3 child in a calmer, more effective way. When preparation becomes balanced, your child begins to enjoy learning rather than fearing it. The goal is never perfection. It is progress.

Champion Tutors follows this same belief. Our Year 3 NAPLAN programs in Western Australia focus on confidence-building through small steps. Each session encourages children to think, question, and reason rather than memorise. The tutoring process is nurturing, consistent, and free of pressure.

Children are guided to strengthen comprehension, vocabulary, and numeracy through real understanding. This method ensures that they not only perform well in NAPLAN but also develop lasting academic confidence.

If you feel your child could benefit from extra guidance, you can reach out to Champion Tutors for a free consultation. A personalised learning plan ensures your child receives focused attention in the exact areas they need. The result is calm readiness and stronger overall growth.

Ready to get started?

Book a free trial Class

Experience a full week of
NAPLAN tutoring at no cost.

Helpful links for parents

NAPLAN information for parents
https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan

NAPLAN demonstration site
https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/public-demonstration-site

ACARA parent resources
https://www.acara.edu.au/resources

Western Australia Department of Education numeracy and literacy support
https://www.education.wa.edu.au

Cluey Learning parent practice papers
https://www.clueylearning.com.au/naplan-practice-tests-past-papers

Resources used

ACARA NAPLAN parent guide
https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan

NAPLAN demonstration materials
https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/public-demonstration-site

Matrix Education preparation advice
https://www.matrix.edu.au

Cluey Learning NAPLAN preparation guide
https://www.clueylearning.com.au

Western Australia Department of Education curriculum and learning framework
https://www.education.wa.edu.au