The Bottom Line
By Thomas E. Scruggs and Margo A. Mastropieri; 139 pages. From the book cover: "Training test-taking skills aims to improve the validity of the test. It makes scores more accurately reflect what students really know by making sure that students lose points only because they do not know the information, not because they marked an answer choice incorrectly or misinterpreted the test directions."
If you've ever uttered the phrase "My child doesn't test well," you'll understand the need for books like this.
Pros
- Short and easy to get through
- Answers questions about why kids need test-taking skills
- Helps you assess your child's test-taking problems
- Gives tips for both standardized and classroom tests
- Includes sample problems
Cons
- No one strategy is going to be right for every student
- Students can get as overwhelmed by strategies as they can by tests
- Written for teachers conducting test-taking skill classes
- Sample questions appear to be for older students, not elementary level
- You'll need to pick and choose what to work on with your child
Description
- Chapter 1: Why Teach Test-Taking Skills?
- Chapter 2: Assessing Test-Taking Skills
- Chapter 3: General, All-Purpose Test-Taking Skills
- Chapter 4: Taking Standardized Tests
- Chapter 5: Taking Classroom Tests
- Chapter 6: The Test-Taking Skills Curriculum
- Bibliography for Test-Taking Skills
- Appendix: Test-Taking Skills Test Items
- Index
Guide Review - Book Review: Teaching Test-Taking Skills - Helping Students Show What They Know
Show what you know. That's the problem, isn't it? Even if kids with learning disabilities can get the information into their heads, unless they can get it back out again in a way that's understandable to others it may be all for naught. It may be possible to get your child accommodations that help him or her pass tests in class, but with the tyranny of standardized testing on the rise, an inability to take a test in a way that reflects knowledge is still a major liability.
No test-taking skill works for every child, and finding something your learner can understand and implement may be a challenge. Still, a good place to start is with books like this one, that offer a lot of options and possibilities and let you pick the ones to teach your child. Although the book was written for teachers, it's interesting reading for parents. Learning about how tests are structured, and the ways in which a right answer can sometimes be guessed or identified -- not to mention the tricks test-writers sometimes use to make that harder -- can help you guide your child through studying and conduct effective practice tests.
All these strategies can be overwhelming. A child who has trouble with learning may also have trouble keeping a mental checklist of things to look out for. Maybe the best use of this book is to raise your child's overall level of confidence and lower the level of pre-test panic. Sometimes feeling prepared is as good as actually being prepared.
