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Home : 2010 : Dec : 31
Great Book for Test Taking Strategies
By LarkspurLady
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I posted my opinion of this book before. Charles Fuhrken, an actual reading test writer, wrote What Every Elementary Teacher Needs to Know About Reading Tests. As a teacher, we teach all those reading strategies and skills throughout the year, but we know that students still need to learn how to "attack" language arts questions on the BIG TEST. This book has several practice tests included but that is NOT why I love this book. Our district has plenty of practice tests - that doesn't really help students.......In the book, each answer choice is explained, whether validated or eliminated - with the reasoning why - on every single question. Our first week back, I have chosen to focus on author's purpose, sequence of events, and figurative language. I picked out one two-page story from the book (similiar in length to state tests) with 9 questions (on my focus skills of the week). Students will work independently first, then we'll discuss as partners the reasoning behind each choice - with short notes beside each answer when discussed as a group. I have already chosen my questions for each week. We'll use the same two-page story for a whole month - just different questions each week...........I also like the "Test Talk Posters" - google those words.........Scoot is a great game for movement, and I'd love to check out any new cards out there!!!...........One more idea. On my weekly spelling tests, I will now choose a basic level skill for the bonus points. Example: I usually call out a weekly vocabulary word as a bonus word. Next week's bonus will be: "Write this sentence: Most of the children's relatives were coming." The weekly bonus word is "relatives", but I want to additionally focus more on correctly using possessives - always a difficult skill for my lower performing students (a basic level skill on our test). We will practice this every week until May..............I have also determined all of the basic level questions on our practice tests, making sure that these skills are mastered by all students - that's the goal anyway. These basic skills will be the focus during tutoring sessions each week..........................Having said all that, I also have planned several fun activities with snacks, movement, etc... because students really need a break after test review - small chunks at a time.
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