1. Helping Students Learn To Be Test Savvy! Improving the Performance of Students Who Are Struggling With Test Taking Skills!

2. Understanding “How” to take a test! Knowing the How is almost as important as knowing the What!

3. Settling In! Students need to be focused, calm, and ready for the test BEFORE they jump in. Focusing Energy & Deep Breathing C~ Close My Eyes 3 ~ Take 3 Deep Breaths S~ Remind myself of the strategies I will use on the test R~ Relax ~C3SR Last thing pick up pencil

4. Attitudes and Expectations / Self Talk Affirmations~ An affirmation is a positive statement asserting that a goal of the speaker or thinker wishes to achieve is already happening Self talk is critical to how a student approaches a test. Positive affirmations will help students achieve their best.

5. Positive Affirmations “I see myself answering every question using all the skills that I have been taught.” “When I get stuck, I do not have to panic. I know how to help myself. I will use my strategies to help me do my best.”

6. Pacing and Mental Fatigue When students don’t understand Pacing they will: Rush through test Not finish the test on time Spend too much time on one item or section of the test Get frustrated and give up

7. Practice Pacing: Use pacing throughout the entire school year ~Set a timer for daily instruction ~ Help students learn to set pacing goals ~Help students learn to use the class clock as a pacing tool (Divide clock into 15 minute intervals to pace themselves when testing)

9. Mini Breaks Provides students with brief periods of rest Increases Students’ “Sustained Attention Threshold” (Length of time you can pay attention before burn out) Best when designed as a routine or procedure that helps students refocus and return to taking the test No Longer than 30 seconds/ C3SR Last thing they do is pick up their pencil

10. Using the Cover Sheet as a Thinking Tool Jot down anything you think you may forget or get confused about as you start getting tired Jot down the number of any skipped questions for quick reference Continue to add information as needed Record ideas that are triggered by questions as they test

11. Cover Sheet Reading Brain Drains Plot/ Mood/ Fact/ Opinion/ Fiction/Nonfiction Author’s Purpose Genre

12. My Reading Scores 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% GradeTitle

13. Math Brain Drain Multiplication Charts (Use Graph Paper to make multiplication chart) Big “G” “Y” Area & Perimeter equations

14. Problems with the Cover Sheet Students do not know how to decide what is important information-they write down everything Visual Clutter- cover sheets are not organized so students can not easily refer back to it for help

15. Managing the Cover Sheet Fold in math to use each block for each problem Everything should have a place Data Storage Center ~ DSC Use as a manipulative tool: Tear it Up! Bubble Sheet Marker & Multiplication Sheet Marker

16. Managing the Bubble Sheet Using a place marker to help reduce mental fatigue Clustering to increase accuracy and reduce mental fatigue: a form of a Mini Break Stop to Bubble after you answer each passage or after each page of the math test. Cluster answers per page! Write answers to the side of each question in capital letters to reduce bubbling errors ~When transferring answers from test booklet to bubble sheet, it should be done from top to bottom not side to side.

17. “Gotcha” Teach students about Sharks in multiple choice test Sharks are terms or phrases that may eat you and make you die on the test. Terms like: not, most likely, however, but, except, all Beat the Shark Shark Bulletin Boards What’s the correct ACTION? Slash and Trash (Eliminating answers 50/50)

18. Test Taking Skills for Reading Comprehension Dissecting the Questions: Revealing the Secrets Four reasons we read: for pleasure, for information, to learn, and to answer questions on the test

19. Restatements and Key Lighting Read questions first Read each question twice (1 st time for fun and the next time to find out what it’s asking you and to key light key words or terms) Use colored markers to box in key words in questions

20. Restatements A restatement requires the reader to translate key terms and phrases from the question into their own language to show they understand what they are reading. Restate key terms in questions and answers and restate as a true statement.

21. Runners Racing Toward Reading Success Read the title, pictures (and any introduction at the top, predict what you think the selection is about. Write your prediction at the top of your paper. Underline the important key words in the questions as you read them. Read the questions first. Now think about what the question is asking you. Now read the selection carefully! Stop and Summarize after reading a few paragraphs. Read the selection twice if it’s a poem. Use reading codes. Each question has answers that can be supported by the text/passage. Highlight the answers to the questions. Re-read the questions; mark out incorrect responses. 50/50 Slash The Trash! Select the best answer!

22. Other Ideas Use of colored overlays If a student reads all over the place, you may want to try using colored overlays. ~ Use of colored paper If students are experiencing handwriting issues. www.dyslexiacure.com

23. For More Information: RAE Educational Services, Inc. Nancy L. Gryder, Ed.S. PO Box 47 Bakersville, NC 28705 Email: raeedu@aol.com