Fall 2006

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Dear Paul,

My students do poorly on tests because they make so many silly errors. How can I help them?

Test Giver

Dear Test Giver,

There is something about a test that can make most experienced learners uneasy. Frequently, inexperienced students write without thought and do poorly because:

1. Didn’t finish – insufficient time

2. Discouraged – the first question stumped them

3. Overconfident – rushed through and didn’t check their answers

4. Other excuses or reasons

Like any other skill, test taking must be taught, practised and reinforced until mastery is obtained.

I taught a five-step method to test taking which all students recorded in their notebooks. On a regular basis we took a few minutes to review the strategy in class. We used all modalities—kinesthetic/tactile by writing, auditory by reciting as a group and visual by reading from our notes. The students were advised that this would be the first question on all tests worth some marks, only if perfectly recorded—no partial marks.

Question #1
List the 5 steps to test-taking.

Answer
1. Read all questions first.

2. Notice how much time is allowed, and the value of questions.

3. Make a check mark beside those you know instantly. Smile.

4. Re-read and answer all the questions you know.

5. Re-read and underline key words of remaining questions.

Merely writing these five steps gave students the confidence of having answered the first question correctly and reminded them of the steps in test taking, which resulted in better test scores.

Paul

Paul Ruta, M.Ed., Licenced Instructor/Consultant, Certified by the Educational Kinesiology Foundation, Ventura CA.
www.braingymcanada.com