Apology Biology and Exploring Government - Do your students actually learn it all?

[Naturalmama2]

My son reads and completes the assignments fine.  But, he just doesn't seem to learn the material.  When I orally quiz him to help him prepare for the test, he only seems to know about half of the information.  If I go over the test to make sure he knows the information that will be on the test, he makes an A or B.  If I just go over his study questions and then give him the test, he fails the test.  He is in 9th grade.  So, I am wondering if this is normal.  He was like this in science for the past two years.  This is the first year that we have had tests for social studies.  He does not appear to have any learning issues.  His yearly SAT test results are all well above grade level.  I'm thinking it could be rushing through the material or lack of study skills.  Any ideas?

[Naturalmama2]

Thanks for the help!  I will work on doing those things with him. 

[EndOfOrdinary]

Apologia is notorious for not having enough physical problems to work in order for the student to really be able to perform well. Finding other practice problems online has been crucial in my son really getting it with Apologia. If he can answer the outside questions which are presenting the same concepts in a different format, then he can normally do well on the tests.

[Greta Lea]

That is totally normal and he has to learn how to study for a test.  For Apologia, he needs to go through the chapter and make a study guide for himself.  Then he has to go through his homemade study materials and explain the chapter to you.  Then he needs to make himself a sample test.  Wait and then take the test and see what he missed and study that.  He could also explain things orally to himself.

 

Thank you for the idea to make their own sample test using their notes and then to wait and take the test they made. I could see how this would work GREAT with my son.

 

My older ds, who is now in CC full time, does well studying by orally explaining (teaching/narrating) everything in his notes to someone. Since he still lives at home, he often will ask me to go out to a LONG lunch with him and then teaches me everthing in his notes. He's met more people in his classes this year at CC, so I'm encouraging him to organize study groups with these folks so he can teach them (and they can teach him right back:)

[Greta Lea]

My son is taking Apologia Biology this year in an outside class. He's only had one test so far this year. Although he's taking this with a class, they still take the tests at home. He just took Mod.1 test last week. I allowed him to use his notes he took while reading to answer the test questions. I wanted him to see how important it is to take GOOD notes. He made an A (not a 100...he missed partial questions on 3 of them).

 

I had him take notes while reading, do all the OYO ?s, do the study guide and the module summary before he took the test. I had him complete the study guide and module summary also using only his notes from reading. Then I checked it and let him use the book for any that he missed.

 

Oh, and before he writes any of his notes while reading, I have him underline the key words in the textbook that he needs to copy into his notes. And he uses a highlighter to highlight the vocabulary (the parts that are set apart from the regular paragraphs).

 

For his next test it will be closed book/notes. But for any he misses on that test I will have him make corrections for 1/2 credit using only his notes.

 

HTH