Test Taking Tips

For high-school students, final exams are just around the corner. And, like it or not, third- through eighth-graders are getting ready to take federally mandated standardized tests.

Following are some best practices to help your student get the most out of testing:

Prepare in advance

• Help students continue to build and maintain good homework and study habits.
• Stay on top of school performance and communicate regularly with teachers.
• Discuss good test-taking strategies, including: understand instructions, answer questions you know first, and be sure to review your answers if you finish early.

Know what to expect

• Request information about the test schedule and format, how students are being coached at school, and what is being measured.
• Find out if results could affect future placement.
• Ask about test-taking strategies and how students can prepare or practice at home.

Keep testing in perspective

• Consider that standardized tests are only one measure of academic achievement.
• Try not to transfer your concerns or put too much emphasis on testing; children may become anxious if they are worried about disappointing a parent.
• Be mindful that test results help identify strengths as well as areas in need of improvement.

Get ready the day before

• Encourage students to follow instructions, relax, and do their best.
• Make sure children are well rested, eat a healthy breakfast, and pack nutritious school snacks.
• Pack-up the night before so you can have a relaxed morning and arrive early to school.

Interpret test results and build skills

• If you are not sure how to read test-result data, request help from the school.
• Ask teachers about discrepancies between school performance and test scores.
• Provide additional opportunities for children to enhance learning in low-scoring areas.
• Continue to build good homework and study habits; these skills support successful test taking.

Many schools have a no-homework policy during test weeks. Tutors are eager to help students use these stress-free afternoons to catch-up, revisit missed concepts, and even get ahead!

Working Memory Problems Affect Grades

"Defects in working memory -- the brain's temporary storage bin -- may explain why one child cannot read her history book and another gets lost in algebra, new research suggests," according to a Reuters story.

Working memory allows people to hold and manipulate a few items in their minds, such as a telephone number. For adults, the basic box size is thought to be three to five items.

"Since there is this limit, it is important to put in the right thing. Irrelevant information will clutter up working memory," said Nelson Cowan, a cognitive psychologist at the University of Missouri.

The question many researchers are struggling with is how to help people with this problem, which appears to be closely tied with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.

There is a question as to whether working memory can be improved. But there can be ways to help children work around it, including learning to take notes.

English, Science, and Math Tutors Come to Seattle-Tacoma Homes

Today...

Home tutoring company, TeamUP! Tutors, offers families throughout the Seattle-Tacoma area access to qualified private tutors to help improve grades and build confidence for all school subjects.

Read the announcement of our tutoring service in Seattle.

Put Away the Toys! Free Play Builds Skills

The ability of children to self-regulate is developed in make-believe play. And self-regulation is related to executive function; "a better predictor of success in school than a child's IQ. Children who are able to manage their feelings and pay attention are better able to learn."

NPR's Morning Edition has an interesting story on how "old-fashioned play builds serious skills." The story explains how children's play has changed and the effect that has had on children's development. And on the web site, they provide suggestions to help you help your child gain self-regulation skills.

Boys Want Relationships

Boys want relationships more than just sex with the girls they date .

Reported in the New York Times, a paper published in Journal of Adolescence says the "overall findings are contrary to cultural beliefs that boys are interested primarily in sex and not relationships."

“Let’s give boys more credit,'’ said study author Andrew Smiler, an assistant professor of psychology at the university. “Although some of them are just looking for sex, most boys are looking for a relationship. The kids we know mostly aren’t like this horrible stereotype. They are generally interested in dating and getting to know their partners.'’

As a parent of a teenage boy, I appreciate the advice in the article:

Dr. Smiler said parents should talk to boys and girls and try to teach them about both romantic and platonic relationships, how to develop and maintain them, how to deal with ups and downs and how to forgive and regain trust.

Why You Need SAT Prep Help

If you're getting ready for the SAT, then you know there's a lot to learn. In addition to the material -- the math, the vocabulary, and the writing -- there's the vagaries of the test itself. Taking the SAT is not like taking a test at school.

• The SAT lasts over three hours
• On the SAT, easy and hard questions are scored the same
• No partial credit

"Look, there's just no way you're going to do anywhere near your best unless you prepare for the SAT; that just stands to reason." But practicing isn't enough. After all, "if you're practicing the wrong way, all you're doing is getting really good at doing the wrong things."

Want to learn more? Check out this list of articles at FamilyEducation.com. And if you want to get serious about preparing for the SAT, contact us at teamuptutors.com.

Print Your Own Graph Paper

For my son's math homework tonight, he needed "dot paper," not "graph paper" (as he repeated since I am getting dafter everyday... just ask him!).

I used http://incompetech.com/graphpaper/ where I could specify the scale, color and a few other attributes and then download my custom pdf file to print at home.

Read with a Purpose

Many psychologists think that the best way to remember what you read is to follow the PQ4R method. PQ4R is a mnemonic device for:

Preview,
Question,
and four R's: Read, Reflect, Recite, Review.

If you are reading a chapter in your biology book, for example, you should start by skimming the whole chapter for an overview. Then create some questions to concentrate on while you study, such as "How does photosynthesis work?" Then read the chapter.

After you've finished, reflect--think about how the chapter has answered your questions. Recite the answers back to yourself, explaining the information in your own words. Finally, go back through the book, skimming again for the main points.

Sound like a lot of work? It may take longer than a quick skim, but it's also a great way to make sure you retain what you are reading, rather than just sitting in front of the book and turning pages.

Check out Encarta for more homework memory tricks.

Some Math Better Explained

I came across Better Explained, a blog that takes a straight forward approach to explaining a few math and programming problems. The math sections are great! There are just a handful of topics covered, but it is refreshing to see some gnarly problems explained simply and directly.

Studying probability & statistics? Or perhaps you're wrestling with applications of the pythagorean theorem. If so, I believe you'll find Better Explained helpful.

"I am the greatest . . . "

"It's amazing what can happen to underachievers when someone believes in them and is willing to help," said private tutor and former teacher Jennifer Dutkiewicz. Of course just chanting "I am the greatest..." isn't going to help most children, but your involvement can. The Arizona Republic article continues:

"If your child is having a hard time with school, it is imperative that you get involved in their education," said Lauren Malone, a former elementary school teacher. "Go straight to the teacher and ask how you can help your child and what the teacher is willing to do to help them succeed in the classroom. Inquire about tutoring at school. Let your child know you are involved and that their education is important to you."

Parents' Guide to Report Cards

Do you know how you'll respond when your child's report card comes home? Whether or not grades meet our expectations or our child's, our response can help motivate our child and provide a chance to learn. Are social skills an issue? Does you son's lack of organization and poor study skills translate into lower grades? Perhaps he is struggling only in one subject.

All these scenarios are considered and tips provided in Parents' Custom Report Card on FamilyEducation.com.

Perhaps, for example, your child works very hard, but her grades are low or she's not working to her potential:

If your child's report card doesn't jibe with his ability, you may need to do a bit of detective work to figure out why. A lack of motivation can come from frustration at not being able to do schoolwork. Rather than admit they can't do it, some children will just give up or pretend not to care. Lack of motivation can also be an indicator of other problems.

• Ask your child what's going on out on the playground, in class, and at lunch.
• Ask him if the work seems too hard, but be on guard -- you may not get an honest answer.

You're the expert on your child. Through caring questions, you can find the underlying reasons for unsatisfactory grades.

Some problems can be addressed with outside help. Individualized tutoring is successful for many; for some students, it is recommended by pediatricians.

Tutors Can Help Students Get Up to Speed

"If your child is beginning to fall behind in a certain academic area, it is important to take action as quickly as possible to help her or him get back up to speed," writes high school teacher Ruth Dalisay in the Honolulu Advertiser. "A tutor may be able to help your child by accelerating the learning process in an intimate, one-on-one setting. A tutor also can help compensate for anything that your child has missed in the classroom by offering individualized attention and teaching."

There are signs that can serve as an early indication that your child might benefit from tutoring. For example, your child may make excuses as to why they have not done their homework as a way to avoid a subject he or she is struggling with.

Ms Dalisay offers some tips for finding the right tutor:

• Ask friends and your child's teacher for recommendations
• Research alternative organizations. Several organizations offer informal tutoring services, often for less money.
• Check credentials carefully.

Making Homework Work for You, Part II (ages 6 - 9)

Involved parents make a big, positive difference in children's education. If you want to make homework work for your family, here are some ideas from MVParents.com of what you can do, organized by age.

For parents with children ages 6 - 9

• Establish a consistent homework routine at a time that works for your family; stick with it as often as possible. Make sure lighting is bright and the seating is comfortable. Turn off TVs, radios, MP3 players, phones, organizers, and hand-held electronic games to encourage your children's concentration. Create a nightly electronics-free zone, and unless children need to use a computer for schoolwork, turn it off.
• Sit near your children when they're doing homework, and do work of your own: write a letter, pay bills, balance your checkbook, or read work-related material. Continue this routine as children grow older.
• Keep all commonly used school supplies in one place, including markers, crayons, pencils, paper, stapler, tape, glue sticks, scissors, and a dictionary. Buy several sheets of posterboard at a time and keep them on hand for periodic school projects. Kids enjoy choosing a variety of poster colors.
• Encourage children who participate in after-school childcare programs to do at least some of their homework there so that you have more family time in the evenings.