Tips for Standardized Test Success

Eyes on the Clock! Much of life is about meeting deadlines, and so is test-taking. Both high and low learners tend to waste time on tests. Reinforcing time management can be as simple as asking your child to choose what he or she wants for lunch within 60 seconds or less. It's hard for small children to answer questions in a finite time period. Help them learn how by playing games that use timers for short tasks.

Following Rules. Kids can't succeed on tests unless they can follow rules. Set up group game playing for your child and friends (so the kids are the taskmasters). Games like Simon Says, Red Rover, Duck Duck Goose and Mother May I are the right idea.

True or False? Multiple choice questions have one true answer and three false answers. Good test-takers can identify the nuances that make only one answer true. True or false questions can be sheer fun. They also plant the seeds for raising a 90th percentile child. Example: "True or false - at dinner tonight we had something from all six food groups." (Your child knows there are only five food groups.)

Get Organized! It's hard to teach organization to small children, but they need organized thought to do well on tests. Give your child toys (or anything) to organize or ask your child to set up his or her daily, weekly and monthly calendar. This will help your child develop organizational skills that are essential to school success.

Following Written Directions. Whether your kids do well or poorly on tests often depends on their ability to read and follow directions. The fastest and easiest way to improve this skill? Give your child a brand new toy with written directions and leave the room. Try leaving notes for directions you usually give verbally. ("Make your bed before you take a shower, please.") Set up a fun Treasure Hunt where following the written clue directions is critical to winning the prize.

It’s a Pattern. Being able to identify and follow patterns is a key component of learning and is sure to be a part of the tests. You can improve this skill by encouraging craft projects, playing with blocks, playing board games, and even video games.

There’s a Sequence. Half of logical thinking is knowing what comes first, what comes second, etc. Kids use it when they play together. ("You can't do this before you do that") You can improve sequencing skills when your child plays alone by asking sequencing questions. Examples: "Did the black car or the red car go first? What did Barbie do before she got in her airplane?"

Which One Doesn't Belong? - Many tests say "find the best answer," which means each answer is a little bit right. Remember back to early learning and play family games that pick out the one that doesn't belong from a group of similar things - it's the right reinforcement for this skill.

Logical Thinking - The right answer isn't usually about remembering facts. It's usually about thinking through the answer choices. Games and puzzles are great activities for developing logical thought without that "heavy homework" feeling.

Thoroughness - Middle schoolers love to take shortcuts, but they're the short route to poor test scores. Help your child develop thoroughness by asking follow-up questions to daily decisions. Reward thoroughness. "If you clean up your room today, you get an hour of computer time. But if you clean up your room every day for two weeks you get to go to that concert you've been talking about."

You are skeptical? You want to “drill and kill” your child into a high achiever. As such you are on your way to purchase all of the test preparation materials that have been made for the grade level (and 2 above) that your child is in. That leads us to the burning question; test preparation materials: are they right for your child?

There’s no cut and dry answer. Test prep materials (workbooks, practice tests, software and online quizzes) are exactly what some kids need in every circumstance, what some kids need in some circumstances and not at all what some kids need until they are older (think SAT, LSAT, GMAT). Let’s look at these one at a time - here are a few circumstances where it is:

Just What the Doctor Ordered.

• Your child is in a super competitive school and high stakes testing factors into placement in ways outside of promotion from grade to grade.

• Your child knows grade level material but is still in jeopardy of not achieving proficiency on the end of the year tests - and will be held back as a result of test scores.

• You know that your child needs extra help and you use your child’s performance on practice tests to see where to start reviewing subjects and reinforcing skills. Teachers do the exact same thing and it is a great way to use the materials.

• Your child is preparing for a test that determines eligibility for entrance into a school.

• You, I mean your child, is a full-fledged control-freak that needs to take a practice test or two before you, I mean he or she, can sleep at night.

It’s a Coin Toss.

• Your child is a bit nervous about the testing process and you think that seeing what a test is like while at home will relax him or her. This should be a method of last resort when it comes to helping your child relax. If your child is anywhere under 8th grade then he or she is young enough to reflect back the feelings to you that you show your child. In other words, you may be the one that is freaked out, not your child.

• You and your child haven’t spent as much time as you should have on homework and school assignments this year. Test prep materials can help you make up for some lost ground but like a crash-diet, this isn’t a long term solution.

Not For My Child Yet.

• Your child will achieve proficiency on the end of the year tests and there is currently no tangible consequence by scoring higher. You and your school district may be happier with a higher score, but that should probably be addressed next year through increased academic assistance instead of stressing your youngster out by showing a ten year old how to cram for a test.

• You want your child to get the highest score possible because you are an overachiever and it has rubbed off on your child.

The increased emphasis on testing in schools and in more (earlier) grade levels is disconcerting. It is hard for schools, which now have to work it into the schedule and demonstrate improvement in scores each year. It’s hard for teachers who feel restricted in what they can teach for fear of not covering a tested topic. It’s hard on the kids who are now the focus of so much testing attention and its hard on parents that don’t know how much importance to place on the tests or how best to help their children. So no one can blame you for being concerned.

Testing isn’t all bad though. It is certainly helping us all keep better tabs on achievement levels and that helps us target instruction from all angles – school, home and materials.

So getting ready for testing can be an extreme sport, but slow and steady wins the race and this is a marathon, man…