Many parents and teachers have strong opinions about the value of testing students. The testing schedule for the Federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) now requires yearly testing for all children in grades 3 through 8. Your 6th Grader will be taking the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test – CRCT - (Reading, Eng/LA, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies) April 21 – May 1, 2009. Throughout the school year they will take the Performance Series; ACCESS Test for English Language Learners only; and the Georgia Alternate Assessment – GAA.
The question is “what can parents do to help prepare children for testing?” Learning to prepare for tests is an important middle school skill. Remember these points as you help your child get ready for tests:
Choose your study style — Different students develop different styles for studying. You need to develop techniques that work for you. Maybe you should study alone. Maybe your parents should help by asking you questions to help you review. You might study best with a friend. You might want to make charts or flashcards. Try several methods and pick the one that's best for you and the test you're preparing to take.
Ask your teachers for suggestions — Your teachers can help you learn how to effectively prepare for tests. As you prepare to study (several days before the test), ask your teacher if the materials you plan to review are the right ones. The day before the test or the morning of the test, go to school early and ask any last-minute questions.
In addition:
- Get a good night's sleep
- Eat a good breakfast
- Listen to the teacher's instructions
- Read all directions carefully before starting the test
- Budget your allotted time — Work as quickly as you can, but don't rush. You won't get an "A" for finishing first
- Use good strategies when completing the test:
- Answer the questions you're sure about first
- Next complete the sections of the test that are
worth the most points
- For true/false questions, remember the trick about
watching out for words like "never" and "always."
Frequently such statements are false
- Read each question carefully
- For multiple choice questions, try to recall the
answer before you look at the choices.
Use the process of elimination to help you
on the tough ones.
Last, but not least, don't turn in your test the minute you finish
- If you finish the test before time is up, take a few minutes to review your answers
- It's easy to make a mistake when you're rushing
- When teachers say it's a good idea to "go over the test," they're right.
