The Coolest Test Taking Strategy Yet!

Carol Brewer
Aug 04, 2008

OK, we use Lesson Essential Questions and Summarizers with each Acquisition Lesson, but have we made the connections to Test Taking Strategies? Well let's look at how to make these connections for the students, because if we do not make connections for the students, they will not make them on their own! 

One suggestion is to create a,b,c,d, answers for the Lesson Essential Question.  For example, the Lesson Essential Question is:
 How does the reader identify the comparison between the two characters?
a.    The two characters are both concerned about the results.
b.    The two characters are both intelligent.
c.    The two characters are both naïve about the situation.
d.    The two characters are both willing to change.

Another suggestion is to make the connection from the Lesson Essential Question to the Summarizer. Many states have written response questions on their State test. Connecting the Summarizer to this writing response will strengthen this understanding, but again, teachers need to make the connection for the students, because they will not make it on their own. For example, the Lesson Essential Question is:
How does the reader identify the comparison between the two characters? The Summarizer for the lesson is a "Ticket Out The Door". The students will write their summary of how the two characters compare.  
   
Making connections from instruction to assessments should be made every day by the teachers for the students.