Helping Students Helping Students Learn To Be Test Learn To Be Test

Savvy!Savvy!

Helping Students Helping Students Learn To Be Test Learn To Be Test

Savvy!Savvy!Improving the Performance of Students Improving the Performance of Students

Who Are Struggling With Who Are Struggling With Test Taking Skills!Test Taking Skills!

Understanding “How” to take a test!

• Knowing the How is almost as important as knowing the What!

Settling In!Students need to be focused, calm, and ready for the test BEFORE they

jump in.• Focusing Energy & Deep Breathing• C~ Close My Eyes• 3 ~ Take 3 Deep Breaths• S~ Remind myself of the strategies I

will use on the test

• R~ Relax• ~C3SR• Last thing pick up pencil

Attitudes and Expectations / Self Talk• Affirmations~ An affirmation is a positive

statement asserting that a goal of the speaker or thinker wishes to achieve is already happening

• Self talk is critical to how a student approaches a test.

• Positive affirmations will help students achieve their best.

Positive Affirmations• “I see myself answering every

question using all the skills that I have been taught.”

• “When I get stuck, I do not have to panic. I know how to help myself. I will use my strategies to help me do my best.”

Pacing and Mental Fatigue

• When students don’t understand Pacing they will:

• Rush through test• Not finish the test on time• Spend too much time on one item

or section of the test• Get frustrated and give up

Practice Pacing:Use pacing throughout the

entire school year~Set a timer for daily instruction~ Help students learn to set pacing

goals~Help students learn to use the class

clock as a pacing tool(Divide clock into 15 minute intervals

to pace themselves when testing)

Mini Breaks• Provides students with brief periods of

rest• Increases Students’ “Sustained

Attention Threshold” (Length of time you can pay attention before burn out)

• Best when designed as a routine or procedure that helps students refocus and return to taking the test

• No Longer than 30 seconds/ C3SR Last thing they do is pick up their pencil

Using the Cover Sheet as a Thinking Tool

• Jot down anything you think you may forget or get confused about as you start getting tired

• Jot down the number of any skipped questions for quick reference

• Continue to add information as needed

• Record ideas that are triggered by questions as they test

Cover Sheet Reading Brain Drains

• Plot/ Mood/ Fact/ Opinion/ Fiction/Nonfiction

• Author’s Purpose• Genre

My Reading Scores100%

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Grade Title Title Title Title Title Title Title Title Title Title Title

Math Brain Drain• Multiplication Charts(Use Graph Paper to make

multiplication chart)• Big “G”• “Y”• Area & Perimeter equations

Problems with the Cover Sheet

• Students do not know how to decide what is important information-they write down everything

• Visual Clutter- cover sheets are not organized so students can not easily refer back to it for help

Managing the Cover Sheet

• Fold in math to use each block for each problem

• Everything should have a place• Data Storage Center ~ DSC• Use as a manipulative tool:

Tear it Up!Bubble Sheet Marker & Multiplication

Sheet Marker

Managing the Bubble Sheet

• Using a place marker to help reduce mental fatigue• Clustering to increase accuracy and reduce mental

fatigue: a form of a Mini Break• Stop to Bubble after you answer each passage or

after each page of the math test. Cluster answers per page!

• Write answers to the side of each question in capital letters to reduce bubbling errors

• ~When transferring answers from • test booklet to bubble sheet, it should • be done from top to bottom not side to• side.

“Gotcha”• Teach students about Sharks in multiple

choice test• Sharks are terms or phrases that may eat you

and make you die on the test. • Terms like: not, most likely, however, but,

except, all• Beat the Shark• Shark Bulletin Boards• What’s the correct ACTION? • Slash and Trash (Eliminating answers 50/50)

Test Taking Skills for Reading

Comprehension

• Dissecting the Questions: Revealing the Secrets

• Four reasons we read: for pleasure, for information, to learn, and to answer questions on the test

Restatements and Key Lighting

• Read questions first• Read each question twice (1st time

for fun and the next time to find out what it’s asking you and to key light key words or terms)

• Use colored markers to box in key words in questions

Restatements • A restatement requires the reader to

translate key terms and phrases from the question into their own language to show they understand what they are reading.

• Restate key terms in questions and answers and restate as a true statement.

RunnersRacing Toward Reading Success

Read the title, pictures (and any introduction at the top, predict what you think the selection is about. Write your

prediction at the top of your paper. Underline the important key words in the

questions as you read them. Read the questions first.

Now think about what the question is asking you.

Now read the selection carefully! Stop and Summarize after reading a few

paragraphs. Read the selection twice if it’s a poem. Use reading codes.

Each question has answers that can be supported by the text/passage. Highlight

the answers to the questions.Re-read the questions; mark out incorrect responses. 50/50 Slash The Trash!Select the best answer!

Other Ideas• Use of colored overlaysIf a student reads all over the place, you

may want to try using colored overlays.~ Use of colored paperIf students are experiencing handwriting

issues. www.dyslexiacure.com

For More Information:For More Information:For More Information:For More Information:RAE Educational Services, Inc.RAE Educational Services, Inc.

Nancy L. Gryder, Ed.S.Nancy L. Gryder, Ed.S.PO Box 47PO Box 47

Bakersville, NC 28705Bakersville, NC 28705Email: raeedu@aol.comEmail: raeedu@aol.com