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Health & Fitness

Preparing Your Child for State Tests...Part 1

State tests are as eminent as spring and warm weather. How you can support your child at home. Part 1.

Despite the appearance of this late in season snowstorm, parents are all too aware that their children’s state standardized tests are coming just as surely as spring and warmer weather. As an educator in an elementary school, I am all too familiar with this time of year. Teachers and administration are beginning to panic, forgoing class trips for extra time in the classroom. Extended day tasks are being taught extensively, and Saturday classes are being held to increase academic success.  Questions are creeping into normally confident minds: “Did we cover enough informational texts? Do the students fully understand this math concept? Are we REALLY prepared?”  This year, as an added bonus to this stress, my daughter is preparing to take her state tests for the first time. This has opened up a whole new point of view into this often-criticized practice of the ever-dreaded STANDARDIZED TESTS.

 

From the start of 3rd grade, the eminent tests have been on Juliet’s mind. “Mommy, did you know I have 2 big tests this year?” “Mommy, what happens if I don’t pass the tests?” “Mommy, I had a practice test in math today! Look how I did…” Now, Juliet is quite high in academics, and I didn’t think too much about the conversations. I assured her that she would do well, and that the tests wouldn’t really affect her in any negative way. As the comments became more frequent, I realized that she was, in fact, quite anxious about the looming exams.

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“Mommy, I am scared. Because the tests are so long! Days long!” she told me on the train. And then there were fractions. “I just don’t get how to simplify fractions! How do I know if I simplified enough?” Coming from a child who has rarely scored below a 100% on a test and can read on a 7th grade reading level, I knew that I wasn’t the only parent hearing such worries from their children.

 

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The purpose of standardized tests, as I understand them, is to assure that your child is at the level that they need to be to progress to the next grade. Have they been taught the standards that are common across the states? Have they mastered the content? Mike Barrett wrote, “Test scores are basically a common yardstick by which all applicants can be measured consistently (http://www.testingiseasy.com/standardized-test-purpose).”  Taking out the variable of teacher opinion, the test purpose is to show your child’s abilities in a non-judgmental forum. As we all know, there is a load of controversy surrounding the issue of state and standardized testing, but my purpose is not to discuss these opinions. The truth of the matter is that your child is required to take these tests, and there are ways for you to help them.

 

In this series of blogs, I will be suggesting ways to help your child. I will give you my “teacher tips” for home enrichment in ELA and Math, but I will also be beseeching you to support your child emotionally, and prepare them in other ways.

 

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