Skills for School Success . . . Test Taking Skills

When I begin tutoring students I always ask them what study skills they have been taught;  they tell me that they are told to study for a test but never instructed on how to study for a test or how to actually take a test (with exception to the end of the year standardized tests). However when I talk to teachers they tell me that they teach students test taking strategies. I don't know what the disconnect is - but with your help your student can succeed.

When I taught middle and high school I found that most parents thought that because their child was older that keeping up on homework assignments and studying was their responsibility. This is a mistake, your child still needs you (especially in middle school) to check their homework, quiz them on the information that they are learning, and check their backpacks once a week. The internet has made it is easier to keep track of your child's school assignments, grades, etc. as school districts have online accounts for parents, and students. I have access to my students accounts, this information allows me to prepare for tutoring sessions in advance, use tutoring time more efficiently, and keep on top of their progress. I also communicate with the teachers regularly, and suggest you contact your child's teacher(s) if you have questions or concerns. If your child tells you that they are getting all their homework done at school and they have A's and no missing assignments than this is likely the case, however, if they have missing assignments or not earning A's than they need to spend more time studying. Which leads me to the topic of this post . . . Test Taking Skills.

1. Come Prepared and Arrive Early

Bring all allowable materials you might need, such as; pencils, pens, a calculator, a dictionary, and a watch. This will help you focus on the task at hand.

2. Stay Relaxed and Confident

Remind yourself that you are well-prepared and going to do well. Don't let yourself become anxious. If you feel anxious before or during a test, take several slow, deep breaths to relax. Don't talk to other students before a test; anxiety is contagious. 

3. Be Comfortable but Alert

Use the restroom before you find your seat. Choose a good spot to take the test. Make sure you have enough room to work. Maintain an upright posture in your seat. 

4. Preview the Test (if it not timed)

Spend 10% of your test time reading through the test carefully, marking key terms and deciding how to budget your time. Plan to do the easy questions first and the most difficult questions last. As you read the questions, jot down brief notes indicating ideas you can use later in your answers.

5. Answer the Questions in a Strategic Order

Begin by answering the easy questions you know, then those with the highest point value. The last questions you answer should be the most difficult, take the greatest amount of time writing, or have the least point value.

First, eliminate answers you know are wrong. Always guess when there is no penalty for guessing or you can eliminate options. Don't guess if you are penalized for guessing. Don't change your answers unless you are sure of the correction.

 Essay Tests

6. Think Before You Write

Create a brief outline for your essay by jotting down a few words to indicate ideas you want to discuss. Then number the items in your list to indicate the order in which you will discuss them.

7. Get Right to the Point

State your main point in the first sentence. Use your first paragraph to provide an overview of your essay. Use the rest of the essay to discuss these points in more detail. Back up your points with specific information, examples, or quotations from your readings and notes.

8. Reserve 10% of Your Test Time for Review

Review your test; resist the urge to leave as soon as you have completed all the items. Make sure you have answered all the questions. Proofread your writing for spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Check your math answers for careless mistakes (e.g. misplaced decimals). Match your actual answers for the math problem against your preliminary estimates.

9. Analyze Your Test Results

Each test can further prepare you for the next test. Decide which strategies worked best for you. Identify those that didn't work well and replace them. Use your past tests to review when studying for final exams.

10. Be Positive

Develop a positive attitude towards schoolwork including tests. All aspects of school are important for your long term goals. Get to know your teachers - they will help you.

Students are under a lot of pressure to do well and school/tests can be stressful but always remember that you are so much more than a test. As with any skill, test taking takes practice and over time you become better.

All the best,

Debra

Collaboration, communication, creativity, the "New Common Core State Standards" are not new they have evolving for over the past 20 years.

What does it mean to be an education person? This is a question philosophers, teachers, and parents have been pondering since the beginning of mankind. The idea behind the Common Core State Standards is that there is common core set of knowledge that all students in the U. S .should master at each grade level. They're designed to help children to think, explore, experiment and analyze - not just memorize - and build on knowledge from year to year.  The theory behind the standards is that if you live in one state and move to another state you get the same skills/knowledge. In the past standards have been developed at the state level.

I first read the read the Common Core State Standards in the mid-nineties and they have been refined over that period. My first objection was, who standards are these? Does it take away local control, and what are the implications for democracy? Having a voice, having the debate, and having the opportunity to develop the standards was important to me. But after reading the standards I soon discovered the content was nothing I could object to and there is opportunity for academic freedom. That means that teachers can develop units that incorporate the standards. An example of this is a unit I developed, On Your Own, a financial boot camp that helps teenagers learn the ABC's of financial responsibility. Students do not receive financial know how classes in public education before graduation. I saw a need and taught this unit teaching math concepts and improving English language arts skills.

The Common Core State Standards were developed by a bipartisan group of governors, school chiefs, and teachers who believed their own standards were too low, leaving students unprepared and businesses without qualified workers. They are far more rigorous than the vast majority of what they replace. The bipartisan group also relied on the guidelines and standards from many prominent and respected educators and organizations including the National Teacher's of Mathematics.

Some people object to the standards because they are determined by politicians, but this has always been the case. Local school boards are elected officials and policies have always dictated what a teacher can do in her/his classroom. That is one of the reasons I have always encouraged teachers to be involved in politics. And that parents engage on all levels, from volunteering in classrooms, PTA, and electing those who hold the same values. Many of those whom oppose the Common Core Standards have been misinformed and are using them promote the dismantling of pubic education, although they are not forthcoming about their agenda it is focused on privatizing the school system and promoting the tea party's  ideology. They also have little or nothing to say about the content of the standards. The National  Federation of Teachers is calling for a moratorium on the Common Core Standards not because they object to the content but because teachers need time to learn the Standards and how to implement them. TNTF do have a valid concern about the nation's reliance on high - stakes standardized tests, and that teacher's evaluations will be based upon their students test scores is a recipe for disaster.

The thing to remember is that these are only standards. Each state must develop curricula to teach to the standards and to ensure that students are learning the material. Districts and schools are doing some of this work, with lots of pubic discussion. Some states have already begun testing; California is scheduled to start in 2014-2015. Concerns about curriculum  and testing are worth public discussion. This is an opportunity to to be part of the discussion and help determine what it means to be an educated person. That is why states like California have a transparent process with public participation (go to cde.ca.gov/cc/to find out more).

Everything goes in cycles in education and many long - term educators (myself included) adopted the standards twenty years ago. Do you remember collaborative learning, thematic teaching, hands-on projects, portfolios, teachers creating or using "replacement units" instead of textbooks? That the role of your teacher was to facilitate learning, so the students were responsible for their own learning?

To back track a little, The No Child Left Behind Act was implemented and many teachers succumbed to pressure and abandon best teaching practices, and new teachers were not trained to teach using such methods as collaborative learning.  But the exciting news is that the standards of teaching are changing again. Common Core Standards are being adopted by most school districts in the nation. Instead of trying to teach everything, teachers are being asked to focus on the fundamentals. Teachers always complained that the curriculum was a mile wide and an inch deep. Now, they can go in depth on concepts and ensure their students fully understand the material.

It's about time! Twenty years ago, politicians decided that we were losing the education race. They demanded that more skills be taught earlier. Educators spoke loud and clear that many of the requirements were developmentally inappropriate, unfortunately they weren't listened to and a whole group of students have suffered the negative consequences.Teachers who taught middle school math were expected to focus on algebra instead of pre-algebra.

This meant that all eight-grade students, regardless of their ability were required to take algebra, which was normally taught in high school. Not surprisingly, many students failed. And, of course, those students assumed they were awful at math.

The real tragedy: Years, and years of students who sold themselves short because bureaucrats made  poor decisions. Students who, with the right teachers and classes could have been scientists and engineers, have opted for less challenging careers.

But there is hope on the horizon. Social scientist are studying the relationship between knowledge of math fundamentals and success in algebra .I wrote an in-depth essay about this topic - number sense last week. Two groups of students were compared: Those who did well on math fundamental test and those who did well on algebra readiness test. Surprising, the students who excelled in math fundamentals did better in algebra.

For decades, teachers have been reinforcing the math fundamentals in middle school and introducing algebra in high school. And that wasn't done arbitrarily; it was done after years of experience of teaching mathematics. Algebra is abstract and is difficult to learn it you don't have a solid grasp of the fundamentals of math, that is number sense. Doing anything well requires practice and competency requires apply math skills to other academic disciplines and "real-life" situations/problems.

Today, we have more options for good teaching: excellent tutorials on the Internet and computer-guided individual pacing of lessons. Teachers have more tool in their toolbox. However children's brains still learn the same way: with patience and practice.

If there are any any lessons to be learned from the "No Child Left Behind Act", it is we left a lot children behind by trying to teach too much, and focusing on high stakes tests. We need to focus on the basic skills that are developmentally age-appropriate and let children be successful. The Common Core Standards seem sensible and are a great step toward that success.

Post Script:

"House Republicans voted Friday to dismantle the troubled No Child Left Behind law..."

The day after I wrote this essay there was an article (AP) in my local newspaper about the House voting to replace the "No Child" law. This is an summary of that article and my analysis.

The House voted to dismantle the "No Child" law for evaluating students and schools, saying states and local school districts rather than Washington should be setting the rules for ensuring that children are getting a good education,

The legislation would eliminate federally required testing of students, which has been controversial from the start. The measure passed with no Democratic support and drew a veto threat from the Obama administration, which said it would be a "step backward" in efforts to better prepare children for colleges and careers as well as bringing improvements to low - performing schools.

Democrats in the Senate are working on their own bill. It would also give states greater flexibility is designing school improvement standards.  But it would maintain the authority of the federal education secretary to approve those plans. A Senate vote on the legislation is expected in the fall.

The House bill, which Republicans named the Student Success Act, passed 221-207, with every Democrat and 12  Republicans voting against it. The partisanship comes against a background in which nearly everyone agrees that No Child Left Behind, while achieving some successes in improving achievement levels, is too inflexible and needs a major overhaul. The law created a lot of problems in schools, including teachers "teaching to the test" and standardized tests given too much weight in measuring student performance.

The specifics of the new law were not in the newspaper article and I am doing research to find out the content of the legislation. However, I suspect that the bill is a method to undermine the Common Core State Standards, not because it's a bad system, but because President Obama backs it.

Tea party worries are primarily the result of opposition to Obama and irrational fears of festering tyranny. State, school officials, educators, parents, and concerned citizens need to get beyond them and focus the hard work of raising educational achievement for children.

Don't Procrastinate! Teach Your Child Time Management And Skills For School Success !

As a busy parent, you may be thinking: Teach my child to manage her time? I can't even manage my own! Then it's decided. There is no better time to start than the new school year. And while teaching your child how to best manage her time, you may just learn a trick or two about becoming more productive yourself.

Time management is really just a fancy way of describing balancing more than one responsibility or opportunity at once. Like any other skill, it takes practice. But while most parents make it a point to teach their kids how to brush their teeth of show them dozens of times how to wash their hands properly, few drill them in organizing the hours in their day. By teaching your child child early on how to manage her time, you are instilling a skill she can use long after she's donned her college cap and gown. This is a skill she can use for life.

Didn't get an early start? It's never too late to teach kids how to organize their week and prioritize their "to-do" list. Time management is essential for everyone. But if you can get your child to learn the main principles, that's a tool they can use forever. Time management is a principle that impacts children's emotional, social, mental, physical, financial, and spiritual lives. It is a skill every child needs to thrive. If we don't train them in good habits while they are young, they will spend the rest of their lives trying to shake a bad habit.

Here are some tips for teaching children the importance of time management:

* Help your child make the distinction between what is important and what is urgent. Important means it will help them obtain the quality of life most valuable to them. Urgent just means it needs immediate attention. Encourage them to work on the things that are most important first.

* Help your child make a hierarchy of priorities they can use as a master checklist to make better time management decisions. For example, prioritize the following values: Family, Health & Fitness, Personal Development, School, Community, Friends. Add or eliminate values here depending on what is important to you and your child.

* Within each value, prioritize activities to perform. For instance, under School, she may have, 1) complete homework assignments, 2) study for tests, 3) work on large projects, etc.

* Have your child practice using  the hierarchy of priorities when making decisions about how to use her time. Give her different scenarios and let her consider what should be done first, second, and third. For example, if she wants to go to a friend's house, but also has to read the next 3 chapters of her science textbook, ask her to weigh her options. If she does the assignment now, she may be able to stay at her friend's house for dinner. If she chooses to do the assignment later, she has to be home before dinner so she's not up late doing schoolwork. Work with her to figure out the best use of her time. I also recommend, especially for younger children, having a specific time set each day for homework.

* Each evening have your child list on paper or a daily planner everything she needs to do, and use her hierarchy of priorities checklist to her choose the top five or six priorities for the following day.

Managing time well is a learned thing. And it only gets harder as life goes on. The fact is, there are more opportunities in life then there is time to do them. Start kids early at learning how to weigh their options. Not every task is equally important and not every task is equally urgent. Help your child determine what things can or cannot wait, and then, depending upon what they choose to tackle first, discuss how that will effect the rest of her time that day. She'll start to learn how much time she needs to allocate to certain responsibilities and will improve her productivity too.

Don't forget to absorb some of these lessons yourself. Create some of your own checklists and priorities. Hopefully, teaching your child to do the same. Here is a copy of a hand-out I give my students:

Organize your week and prioritize your "to-do" list.

Use a planner and calendar:

1) Distinguish what's " important", "urgent" or "both".

2) Prioritize activities to perform. 1) homework, 2) study for tests, 3) work on projects,etc.

3)  Make a to do list (write it in your planner) and prioritize what has to be done 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. If an assignment isn't due the following day be sure to also write it in your calendar.

4)  Each day make a list of everything you need to do  (include homework, extra curricula activities, etc.)  and use your hierarchy of priorities checklist to choose the top 6 priorities and then list them in order of importance.

5) Cross off items from the list when completed. Reflect on how you feel (this is an important step).

6) Determine how much you need to allocate for each task (this takes practice and you get better at it over time).

Goal setting, prioritizing, and scheduling:

Goals---you can determine that amount of time needed by creating a "to-do" list.

Create a chart of prioritized goals with categories labeled, "important", "urgent", "both". Put tasks or assignments that will take a long time, such as a research paper under "important". Tasks or assignments that need to be done the next day, or before other tasks (maybe that need to be in the next couple days) go under "urgent". "Both", are long term tasks or assignments that are almost complete and are due in the next day or two. For large tasks or assignments break them down into smaller parts. For example, for a research project/report you need to make a plan, find materials, read, take notes, outline, write rough drafts, and then the final paper.

Calendar:

1) Prioritized tasks/assignments

2) Write tasks under the days you want to have them completed.

3) Mark off the days on the calendar and write what you have done and what you still need to do. This will keep you focused and help you keep track of how many days you have left before the due day. It also helps you adjust the time you need spend each day if needed. Sometimes things take less or longer time than we think.

4) Check your calendar each day, this helps you focus.

Eliminate distractions:

1) Turn off your cell phone.

2) Let people know the times you are available and unavailable.

3) Keep track of distractions and write down the distraction - person (or whatever) the date and the time.

4) After one week go back and check your calendar/planner and check which distractions were valid and invalid.

Although this seems like a lot of work and it's time consuming it helps you focus and become more "aware" of how you are using your time. And in the long run it will actually will help you use your time more effectively thus saving you time!

Best,
Debra

Moving On Up ----- Middle School

Moving on up to middle school ----

Starting middle school means big changes and big opportunities! Exited? Not surprising! Middle school has a lot to offer. You may be looking forward to:

*Meeting new people and making new friends.

*More independence.

*Different classes and teachers.

*Learning new things.

*Exploring new activities.

Nervous? You are not alone. But most worries are soon forgotten --- as you discover how enjoyable middle school can be! The "strange" things about middle school will soon feel normal!  Moving up to middle school means moving up in life.

What changes can you expect? Here's a sneak peek!

Lots of NEW things.

*Classes-Each class may be in a different room or building. Some classes may be longer than others.

*Rules-You may have new rules on how to dress or behave, for example. Learn and follow them.

*Expectations-Each teacher may have different standards or expectations, for example, some don't accept late work or others may have special requirements for late work. It's your job to ask the teacher(s) if you don't understand something. Remember they can't read your mind and some may have a total of 300 students or more. Teachers are there to help you and they want to help you too!

*Schedules-Yours may be busier than ever before. And it's up to you to get to each class on time.

*Lockers-A place to keep your stuff! Ask a teacher if you need help navigating! Some schools have 8th grade peers to assist you also.

MORE of other things.

*Classmates-The same students may not be in every class. You may see a lot of new faces.

*Teachers-You may have a different teachers for each subject. Remember they are there to help you, not just to teach. They are someone you can trust!

*Choices-You may join extracurricular (after-school) activities, for example.

*Homework-It helps you sharpen new skills and succeed in school.

TWO Keys to ACADEMIC SUCCESS

1. Stay Organized.

*Use and assignment or agenda book or planner - to keep track of upcoming homework, projects and tests.

*Keep your locker neat - so you can quickly find what you need.

*Create a system for taking notes. Teachers usually have a system they want you to follow but if you are unsure ask them for advice. Try using a different section of a binder for each class, or a different-colored notebook for each class.

2. Use Time Wisely.

It may take some practice at first, but it's worth it!

*Set a regular time for homework - and work in a quiet, well-lot space.

*Get a jump-start on the morning -  by getting your clothes and backpack ready the night before.

*Break up big projects - use your calendar and planner to help you organize and manage your time. For example, a research project may require you to locate books one week, take notes the next, and begin writing the third week. It is helpful to work backwards, write the date the project/assignment is due, then write the dates you will have each element of project done by. It's helpful to make a daily to-do list and check your calendar/planner daily to help you focus and stay on task.

*Ask for help when you need it! Your teachers WANT to help succeed!

The Best Friendship Advice.

Get Involved. Like to exercise your voice, mind, creativity, or body? Chances are, there's a middle school activity or club for YOU-- and new friends who share your interest.

Be friendly, and a good friend. Flex your smile muscles! Be the first to say hi. And always treat others the way you want to be treated!

Understand Negative Peer Pressure.

It can come on fast and fierce-and cloud your judgement. Steer clear of people who:

*Cheat on tests or homework.

*Skip school.

*Use alcohol and other drugs.

*Fight, bully or carry weapons.

YOU'VE got better things to do!

The real deal on cliques (groups). Sure everyone wants to fit into a group. But if a group disrespects others? Forget it! Feeling the heat of peer pressure? Keep cool-say no and walk away. Ask a trusted adult for more advice.

How To Keep Yourself SAFE.

Stay alert. A bigger school with bigger kids doesn't have to mean trouble! But keep your eyes and ears open, so you know what's going on around you. If you EVER feel unsafe at school, or on your way to or from school tell an adult.

Report bullying.

Being mean to people on purpose STINKS - and it has no place in school. If you:

*See bullying, don't laugh or join in. Show that you're not coll with it - and encourage others to speak up, too. Then tell an adult about what happened.

*Are bullied, calmly tell the person to stop. Then walk away. It's always OKAY to ask a trusted adult for help.

If the person who is bullying has a weapon or you're afraid for your safety, don't argue or fight back! Tell an adult immediately.

Most students DON'T support bullying!

Middle School --- it's a sweet opportunity to grow!

During middle school, your world will change in more ways than you ever imagined. Okay, so you miss recess a little at first. But there's so much else going on! There will be more experiences to share with friends, new skills to learn and more to discover about YOURSELF!

Let others in on your world. Feeling stressed? Have a problem you can't fix? Talk to someone you trust, such as a:

*Parent or another adult family member.

*Teacher or coach.

*School counselor.

*Crisis hotline listed in your phone book. Or goggle it.

Learn. Laugh. Grow. Your middle school adventure awaits!