Doing Your Best on Tests
To be successful, students obviously must know
how to be good and effective learners. But, they also must know how to be good
and effective test-takers. Tests-standardized achievement tests, aptitude
tests or teacher-made tests-have one basic purpose: to help us improve your
child's education. Test results can help us determine whether or not your
child is ready to move on to the next level of study, what your child's
weaknesses and strengths are or how your child's performance compares to other
students.
With this knowledge-along with the information
obtained from day-to-day observations and the quality of the work your child
consistently turns out-your child's teacher is better able to select teaching
material and plan your child's personal education program.
Lessening the Stress
You may not be surprised to learn that stress
and anxiety contribute more to low scores than lack of information or ability,
particularly on standardized tests. But what do you think causes most of
this stress in young children? It's the fear that poor test results will
disappoint their parents.
That's something you can control. Make
it clear to your child that you believe in him or her and that you won't
withdraw your affection if he or she fails to produce top scores. Your
love isn't dependent on school performance.
There are other ways to lessen the
tension. You could conduct a few mock test-taking drills at home.
When your child is studying or doing homework, call out "Test-Taking
Position!" and have your child clear his or her work space and be poised
with a pencil ready to go.
Your child will chuckle a little when the same
procedure is enacted in school, and test-taking will be less threatening.
Test-Taking Strategies
You can also suggest some specific test-taking
strategies:
*Answer the easier questions first; then
return to the tough ones.
*If there's a reading passage followed by
questions, read the questions first; then skim the passage looking for specific
answers. With math items, use estimation to find the
most sensible and reasonable answer.
*Make sure your child understands that he or
she has every right to request that the instructions be made clear before he or
she begins the test-or at any time during the exam.
*The directions for certain parts of
standardized tests may say that guessing will be penalized. In most cases,
though, it's wiser to make a thoughtful guess than is to leave an answer blank.
"We Can Make a
Difference"