Spring is the time of year when parents come to us asking for study tips or a higher-intensity session plan, eager to prepare their student for the assessment-heavy period ahead.
In Litchfield Park and neighboring Goodyear, we're currently preparing elementary and middle schoolers for the AASA in Mathematics and the state-aligned math assessment for high school juniors.
Today, we'll share 5 tips that really matter in math test prep, so whether you're planning to visit us or support your student at home, you know exactly what to prioritize.
Before diving into preparation strategies, let’s set the stage.
The tips you will see today are applicable to any standardized math exam, but we’ll prioritize them for the ones our students are preparing for this spring.
Arizona's Academic Standards Assessment (AASA) in Mathematics: Taken by all Arizona public school students in grades 3–8, typically in late March through mid-April. The AASA is tied to the Arizona Mathematics Standards and covers grade-level content from multiplication and fractions in elementary grades to ratios, algebraic thinking, and data interpretation in middle school. Scores inform placement decisions and signal where students may need additional support.
ACT® Math Assessment: High school juniors (grade 11) take the ACT® as Arizona's primary state-aligned college-readiness exam, with the math section covering algebra, functions, statistics, and applied reasoning. Testing takes place during a spring window centered around late March through mid-April, the same period as the AASA.
With those dates approaching, here is how parents can help their students show up to each one feeling ready.
📕 You May Also Like: Math Test Prep: How to Help Your Child Succeed on Exams
Effective test preparation comes down to giving your child the right tools, at the right time, in the right order. The tips we’re sharing are practical, research-backed, and tailored to the specific assessments students in Litchfield Park and Goodyear are facing this spring.
Get to know the test format and content well. It’s easy to do: simply visit the official website of the organization that administers it and search for math test documentation.
For example, the AASA tests grade-level Arizona Mathematics Standards, and the content progresses from grade to grade. You can find their sample items here.
Grades 3–5: Multiplication and division fluency, fractions, and multi-step word problems are heavily weighted. If your child can explain why a fraction \(\Large\frac{3}{4}\) is bigger than \(\Large\frac{1}{2}\) and not just recite it, they're on solid footing.
Grades 6–8: The focus moves to ratios, percentages, early algebra, and interpreting data in real-world contexts. Questions are often multi-step and framed around everyday situations.
Grade 11: Students encounter algebra, functions, statistics, and applied reasoning tied to college- and career-readiness expectations.
Ask the teacher which specific standards will be emphasized at their grade level. That one conversation can help you focus your at-home review where it matters most.
📕 You May Also Like: How Parents, Teachers, and Tutors Can Empower Math Success
Students who struggle on state math tests are often missing one or two key foundational concepts, not an entire year's worth of content. Identifying those specific gaps and addressing them directly is far more effective than a general review.
If you’re not sure how, there are several ways to go about it:
Consult the teacher
Review the past few tests to identify recurring errors
Or, schedule a free diagnostic assessment at our center, and we will help you pinpoint the knowledge gaps, as well as recommend the ideal learning plan at our center
When it comes to state test prep, early and consistent review is where it all begins. Learning research on distributed practice consistently shows that short, consistent sessions spread over several weeks produce far stronger retention than cramming does.
For state test prep, that means starting now. Aim for 15–20 minutes of focused math review, 3–4 times per week, rather than one long, stressful session the night before.
At our center, sessions are typically an hour long, but strategically designed to maximize engagement and retention. We use a variety of learning tactics and tools to keep students motivated and to help them observe (and celebrate!) the progress they make.
This is important to highlight because if you feel strongly that longer sessions would bring better results, it’s perfectly fine to follow your instinct, but be sure to focus on keeping your student engaged and making the whole experience feel rewarding.
In addition to working with real test-style questions, try to simulate the testing environment so it feels familiar and manageable on the test day.
For example, ACT math is famously fast-paced. Students have 45 multiple-choice questions (41 scored and 4 not scored) to complete in 50 minutes. That is approximately 67 seconds per question.
When they face it for the first time, this format may seem intimidating to the student. But, as with anything, frequent exposure will help them get used to the pace and find the strategy that works best for them.
But when you are assessing their test, don't just check answers. Research on math learning shows that working on real‑style problems and focusing on why procedures work (not just the steps) supports stronger performance on unfamiliar questions than rote memorization alone.
So, when your child gets something wrong, ask:
"What does this problem want you to find?"
"Which step got tricky?"
📕 You May Also Like: Why Parents Should Teach Kids to Embrace Math Mistakes
Math anxiety is real and has measurable effects on performance. A landmark review of 60 years of math anxiety research (Ashcraft & Moore, 2016) found that timed, high-stakes tests tend to amplify anxiety and cause students to underperform relative to their actual ability.
A few things that genuinely help:
Put the test in perspective. Remind your child that the AASA shows what they know and that it is not a verdict on how smart they are.
Protect sleep. Cognitive performance on math tasks is meaningfully affected by the lack of sleep. Test week is not the week for late nights.
Keep routines steady. Predictability reduces anxiety. If your child has a calm morning routine, protect it in the weeks leading up to testing.
Celebrate effort, not just outcomes. A child who stuck with a hard problem and got it wrong learned more than one who guessed correctly.
The goal is to help your child walk into the testing room feeling steady, and small and consistent habits at home can make a bigger difference than any last-minute review session.
Mathnasium tutors use personalized learning plans to help students tackle the specific skills and concepts they'll face on spring math assessments.
Mathnasium is a math-only learning center dedicated to helping K–12 students of all skill levels learn and master math.
Sometimes effort alone isn't enough, and when that's the case, the right support changes everything. Behind our test preparation is not a one-size-fits-all program but a proprietary teaching approach we call the Mathnasium Method™.
It begins with a diagnostic assessment that uncovers exactly where knowledge gaps exist and which concepts need attention before test day. From those insights, we build a personalized learning plan targeting the specific skills and content areas relevant to each student's upcoming assessments.
With the plan in place, our specially trained tutors focus on teaching for understanding using a mix of verbal, visual, mental, tactile, and written techniques to help students make sense of the math they're learning. Our tutors also weave relevant test-taking strategies into every session, so students arrive at assessments feeling both knowledgeable and prepared.
And the results speak for themselves:
94% of parents report an improvement in their child's math skills and understanding
93% of parents report an improved attitude toward math after attending Mathnasium
90% of students saw an improvement in their school grades
With over 1,100 centers across North America, Mathnasium brings premium value tutoring close to families nationwide.
In Goodyear, AZ, Mathnasium of Litchfield Park & Goodyear is a trusted local resource with years of experience helping students build true math readiness ahead of assessment season. The center has earned over 100 glowing Google reviews and has been recognized as a multi-year winner of Best of the Desert in the Tutoring / Learning Center category.
If your child needs support heading into spring assessments, there's no better time to get started. Schedule a free diagnostic assessment and let us build a plan that gets them ready.
📅 Schedule a Free Assessment at Mathnasium of Litchfield Park and Goodyear
Not near our center?
Mathnasium of Litchfield Park is a math-only learning center for K-12 students in Goodyear, AZ. Trusted by over a million parents, Mathnasium uses personalized learning plans and the proprietary Mathnasium Method™ to help students catch up, keep up, and get ahead on their math journey.
Our specially trained tutors deliver face-to-face instruction in a supportive and fun small-group environment, working with students both in center and online to develop a deep understanding of math, build confidence, and improve academic performance.
Schedule Free Assessment
(623) 213-8653
(623) 213-8653
