1. Helping Your Child Prepare for MCAS  M-C-A-S. These four letters can spell anxiety for some parents and students.  This PowerPoint provides some helpful tips and strategies to better prepare your children for these upcoming tests.  Please be assured that your children are learning all that they can during their school day at FVMMS.

2. What is the MCAS?  The MCAS stands for the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System. It is a series of standardized tests designed to measure what students have learned in a given year and subject area.  The tests consist of multiple choice, open response, and short answer questions (Math), plus a writing prompt for the ELA composition.

3. Tips to Help Your Child Prepare for MCAS:  1. Encourage your child to read, read, read. No activity is linked to academic success as much as reading.  2. Make sure your child gets enough sleep, eats properly, and gets to school on time. During test time, make this a special effort.  3. Review the Massachusetts Department of Education guide at:  http://www.doe.mass.e du/mcas/parents/. http://www.doe.mass.e du/mcas/parents/.

4. The Day of the Test:  Make sure that your child is well rested and eats breakfast.  See that your child arrives to school on time and is relaxed.  Make sure that your child is in comfortable clothing.  Encourage your child to do the best work possible and have a positive attitude.

5. The Day of the Test: (continued):  Encourage your child to listen/read carefully to all test-taking directions and to ask questions if any directions are unclear.  Remind your child not to get stuck on any one item.  Encourage your child to check their answers for accuracy.

6. To Reduce Test Anxiety:  Talk about the test in a positive way.  Encourage best efforts, but have realistic expectations.  Encourage your child to focus on his or her strengths, such as a good memory or strong analytical skills.  Assure your child that the test is only one measure of academic performance.

7. ELA MCAS Resources: These links will take you to MCAS Open Response practice. Read the selections with your child and review the responses that scored a 4. Pay attention to how the open responses use details and quotes from the selection to help answer the question  Grade 6:  http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/st udent/2013/question.aspx?GradeID =6&SubjectCode=ela&QuestionID= 26786 http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/st udent/2013/question.aspx?GradeID =6&SubjectCode=ela&QuestionID= 26786  http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas /student/2009/question.aspx?Gra deID=6&SubjectCode=ela&Ques tionTypeName=Open Response&QuestionID=6442 http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas /student/2009/question.aspx?Gra deID=6&SubjectCode=ela&Ques tionTypeName=Open Response&QuestionID=6442  http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas /student/2012/question.aspx?Gra deID=6&SubjectCode=ela&Ques tionID=21465 http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas /student/2012/question.aspx?Gra deID=6&SubjectCode=ela&Ques tionID=21465

8. ELA MCAS Resources:  Grade 7:  http://www.doe.mass.edu/m cas/student/2013/question.a spx?GradeID=7&SubjectCod e=ela&QuestionID=26812 http://www.doe.mass.edu/m cas/student/2013/question.a spx?GradeID=7&SubjectCod e=ela&QuestionID=26812  http://www.doe.mass.edu/m cas/student/2012/question.a spx?GradeID=7&SubjectCod e=ela&QuestionID=21483 http://www.doe.mass.edu/m cas/student/2012/question.a spx?GradeID=7&SubjectCod e=ela&QuestionID=21483  http://www.doe.mass.edu/m cas/student/2011/question.a spx?GradeID=7&SubjectCod e=ela&QuestionID=15394 http://www.doe.mass.edu/m cas/student/2011/question.a spx?GradeID=7&SubjectCod e=ela&QuestionID=15394  Grade 8:  http://www.doe.mass.edu/m cas/student/2013/question.a spx?GradeID=8&SubjectCod e=ela&QuestionID=26826 http://www.doe.mass.edu/m cas/student/2013/question.a spx?GradeID=8&SubjectCod e=ela&QuestionID=26826  http://www.doe.mass.edu/m cas/student/2012/question.a spx?GradeID=8&SubjectCod e=ela&QuestionID=21513 http://www.doe.mass.edu/m cas/student/2012/question.a spx?GradeID=8&SubjectCod e=ela&QuestionID=21513  http://www.doe.mass.edu/m cas/student/2010/question.a spx?GradeID=8&SubjectCod e=ela&QuestionID=10784 http://www.doe.mass.edu/m cas/student/2010/question.a spx?GradeID=8&SubjectCod e=ela&QuestionID=10784