Trouble taking written tests!

[Hollie]

Just wondering if anyone else's children ever have trouble taking written tests? And what can be done about it?

[Chefzhat]

What kind of trouble? Freezing up? Not able to focus????

Age makes a big difference, also sex. Boys tend to be better test takers, but rush through. Girls tend to freeze first, then focus and finish.

Sometimes it helps to review test taking skills such as reading each question twice, answer the ones you know first, then go back and work on the ones that you're unsure of. Some teacher recommend that kids answer the first question and the last question, then go back and fill in the rest. Something about breaking the ice and having questions answered to take the pressure off.

Also strips of paper can be used to "block" the rest of the test and only focus on one question at a time. And it's always good to breathe deeply, get lots of water, and have lots of rest before any testing.

Hope this helps,

Debie

[Hollie]

I guess not able to focus. He knows the stuff but hates written tests; dreads it and does bad!

[Cookin4Love]

How old is he? Are you talking about essay tests--such as a 3-5 paragraph essay response?

In any extended response, I encourage my junior high students to follow all the steps of the writing process:

1. Brainstorm. Freewrite, web, chart, graph...whatever you can do to throw some information out in front of you.

2. Sort and categorize. Look at the information you have. Think about how it can be grouped to provide supporting details for main points. Is there anything you feel is missing from your answer?

3. Outline--even a quick, sketchy outline can help, as it will provide some writing structure and prevent rambling, out of place details, or left-out information.

4. Skip the rough draft unless you have a LOT of time and extra pages to write. Go straight to a "final." Most teachers understand that students do not have the luxury of time to carefully edit and revise essay responses, and grade accordingly (at least I do--and the teachers I work with). I don't hold students to the same level of accountability for structure, mechanics, and spelling as I would if they were turning in an essay they had time to let grow cold and reread.

It also might help your son to improve note-taking or study skills before the test. How does he learn best? Is he a visual learner? If so, color-coding notes (either different colored pens or different colored notecards) can help him subconsciously organize his thoughts while he studies. If he's auditory, reading his notes out loud, even reading his textbook out loud, can help. Kinesthetic is harder--I've never been great at figuring that one out!

A couple of important things to remember about how we process information:

Summarizing is a powerful tool. Recapping the main points, either in writing or verbally, helps cement it into memory.

Talking about information is another key. We now know that it is important to give kids some oral processing time to master difficult concepts. Have him explain them to you, or talk about them together. It is best if this can be done on a regular basis, and not just before the test.

Review notes regularly. It takes multiple repetitions to get information into short-term memory. Last-minute cramming is NEVER effective, and ALWAYS stressful!

Hope something in there helps.

[BakerJane]

I agree, outlining is most important. Even if it is just a one paragraph answer, writing down 3 word outline for the three sentences he's going to write should help him out. Look at the question, find three things that you need to mention in the answer and write down the three words. Then turn each word into a sentence and the answer is done.

[badunnin]

Can you give us more info? Age? Is he seeing essay type stuff where the outlining, etc is important, or is it more regurgitation type tests?

My favourite technique that I teach my kids is a "brain dump". When he gets his test, have him write down everything that he knows on the subject. Have him ask the teacher for an extra sheet of paper if he can't write on the test. This gives him a reference sheet that he can use. I love seeing all kinds of formulas and info on the sides of the tests/quizzes that I grade. Little grammar charts, verb conjugations, SohCahToa.... Leaves me feeling all warm and fuzzy. ;)

[fci5767]

SohCahToa....


What???? Probably something pretty obvious but I've been away from the older kids for a long time and can't figure it out.

Nevermind. I did a search online (gotta love Google.) For others as clueless as myself. SOHCAHTOA is a mnemonic device for remembering the properties of the sine (sin), cosine (cos), and tangent (tan) functions.