What do you do for standardized test prep?

[monalisa]

Please answer this only if you do standardized testing for your kids. I know this can be a controversial area, and I'm not looking to debate whether testing a good idea.

 

My DD 7 is going to take the Stanford Achievement test for the first time in April. Where I live we either have to test or do a portfolio assessment, and I personally am more comfortable with testing, especially since school is not out of the question for the near future.

 

My question is what do you do to prepare your child to take the test? I don't want to "teach to the test", but I do want her to understand HOW to take a test. I bought a Spectrum test prep book for Grade 1 just to let her practice reading the questions and filling in bubbles. Anything else I should do?

[StephanieZ]

The one time I did standardized test (CAT), the test booklet had a little section on teaching the kid how to fill in the bubbles. I think it took 10 minutes or so. We did that and then went right to the test.

[Matryoshka]

My question is what do you do to prepare your child to take the test? I don't want to "teach to the test", but I do want her to understand HOW to take a test. I bought a Spectrum test prep book for Grade 1 just to let her practice reading the questions and filling in bubbles. Anything else I should do?

 

My kids took the Stanford test last year for the first time. I did exactly what you did - bought a Spectrum test book. We took a week off of school and went through the book, just to get them used to the process.

 

I'm hoping to get them tested again this year, and now they firmly assure me that they know what to do and don't need another test prep book. :)

[2cents]

We've always done standardized testing (SAT). Since we have to order the test from BJU I've also ordered their test prep materials which are helpful but average. This year we are doing the Spectrum test prep. The test review reminds the children about how to take the test and what to be aware for in terms of tricky questions etc. We'll also do a quick review of math. We have an iquest so they will pop in the history and science cartridge and do some review that way. We don't overdo it though because we don't want to make a big deal about it and stress the children.

[Wee Pip]

We are finishing up the IOWA test this weekend. I used Spectrum Test Prep, and we spent 2 weeks going thru the sections and practicing. I noticed that we hadn't covered anything from sci or social studies that was tested in the Spectrum book, so I taught to the test prep book. I'm not sure if that was necessary or not, but I feel like we got a good dose of sci & social studies in a few days time:) These were the important things:

 

1. how to fill in the answer bubble

2. how to make a good guess if you don't know the answer (look back in the paragraph because the answer might be in the text, decide which answers are NOT correct, skip it and move on because the answer might show up in a future question, etc.)

3. how to do the easy ones first, and come back to the hard ones later (basically, using your time efficiently during the timed test)

 

Although we aren't quite finished with the test, I can say that it has been a positive, mind-relieving experience. I put it off for a long time and my fear level kept rising to unrealistic levels. We aren't required to test, this is just for our own personal benefit, but I sure am glad we are testing!! It has been eye opening for me - I'm not such a bad home teacher afterall, and the things that she didn't score as well on can easily be worked on.

[NavyWifeandMommy]

I bought a Spectrum test prep book for Grade 1 just to let her practice reading the questions and filling in bubbles. Anything else I should do?

 

This is what I have done with my daughter.

[G5052]

I actually did nothing to prepare my oldest when he took his 1st grade CAT-E, and he did fine. I figured that if he hadn't done well, I still had time to do a portfolio, which they accepted at the time in my state.

 

For my younger one, I ended up doing the same although I had the best of intentions. I worked out fine.

 

As they've gotten older, we've talked more about strategy and such, but not early on. I was just happy that they could sit still long enough to do it in those early years.

[gingersmom]

I gave my son the Iowa Test for the first time last year (3rd grade). I did zero test prep.

 

I spent about 5 minutes showing him how to fill in the little bubbles.

 

He did fine and I will probably not do any test prep again this year.

[LunaLee]

We're in CA so we do the STAR. Every year about this time they post questions from previous years' tests that you can print up and use as practice for free. That's all we've ever done. Okay, one year I bought a Spectrum book, but we never used it. Also, for this year (thanks to a previous thread around here) I'm going to do some "academic" vocabulary, because I think one of the biggest problems ds has is the test terminology. Evan Moor has a daily academic vocabulary book, but I'm not sure I want to shell out the $30 for it. I'm wondering if I can find a list online somewhere. I also, and this may sound funny, really start making sure ds remembers to read the directions. It's just his own personal thing, but he's always quick to sit down and start without reading the directions and figuring out what the questions are really asking.

[skimerinkydo]

I review through the test booklet because sometimes what we are learning at home does not include every subject on their test. This may be true more for the higher grades. The test booklet is good to review or learn math terms, grammar terms, or literary terms that the child might not remember or did not see in our curriculum.

[gemrae]

Last year was our first year testing (Stanford). We also used the Spectrum Test Prep books. We started in March and added the book to our regular work. I was surprised when her test turned out to be an oral exam (second grade) which I actually think threw her a little as she was used to reading through on her own and answering.

 

Spectrum helped me figure out what we had missed in our studies - mostly some grammar. I think it helped and was enough. She did fine on the test. We are using Spectrum again this year.

[RanchGirl]

For elementary years, I use the Spectrum test books. We also read through "What your nth grader needs to know" for that particular grade in the weeks before the test; this helps to touch on or review things that we might have covered in a different year.

[StillStanding]

We use the Spectrum Test Prep. Books too. I start testing my children in the 3rd grade so I can use it as a spring board to know where they need more help. They take the IOWA test every two years (3rd, 5th and 7th). I have not decided what I will do when we reach High School (provably test them every year). They have always done very well on the tests.

[Julie in MN]

Wow, lots of Spectrum fans. I don't care for those prep books, but apparently it's just me?! There are several other test prep books out there. Look for one that's somewhat close to the test you'll be using.

 

I don't think Spectrum has the separate bubble answer page, so once your kids get to that type of test (around 3rd grade), be sure to practice situations when the bubbles are NOT on the same page as the questions.

 

Another thing that has helped my son is doing some editing of someone else's mistakes. He knew how to punctuate, but scored low because he didn't really believe a "book" could make a mistake that he must find. We did The Great Editing Adventure for a few months one year, and problem solved (now he finds editing errors everywhere!).

 

If you have any choice in which test you use, you might want to get some feedback from users. I think that the Iowa Basics is a good balance. Some test don't have enough questions in each area, so you can get a false result from just one or two questions. Others are more "fact oriented" with naming a part of speech or throwing in a random historical fact -- a student shouldn't be penalized because their teacher didn't cover an individual fact that year (a major cause of teaching to the test). Some tests don't break down the results in different ways, so the scores have limited meaning.

 

We have to test yearly in MN.

Julie