You are here

Preparing Students for Testing and Doing Better in School
Share
Share

Preparing Students for Testing and Doing Better in School

Foreword by P. David Pearson



January 2008 | 200 pages | Corwin

"Teachers will want to run—not walk—to get a copy of this book. Test preparation is an important real-life skill, and this book provides step-by-step guidance to help students learn how to prepare for tests and demonstrate what they know."
—Linda B. Gambrell, Distinguished Professor of Education
Clemson University

"If you want to help students become test-smart, this is the book for you. Rona Flippo is masterful at making a potentially difficult task—taking tests—easy to teach."
—Richard T. Vacca, Professor Emeritus
Kent State University

"All teachers and parents should read this book! It is one of the best I've read about practical approaches to test taking and studying in the current high-stakes era."
—Rosalie Fink, Professor of Literacy
Lesley University

Help students master test taking through preparation strategies that lead to academic success!

As the stakes on high-profile student tests such as the SAT continue to rise, student preparedness is becoming increasingly important. As a result, helping students do well on tests and succeed in school has become a top priority for teachers. This indispensable guide responds to this need by providing resources to promote content learning and test-taking abilities in middle and secondary school students.

This practical text provides charts, checklists, Internet resources, and sample exercises for teachers to use with students, plus a final test covering content from each chapter. Using research-based practices, educators will be able to help students develop

  • Strategies for dealing with test anxiety
  • Effective time management and organizational skills
  • Note-taking and study techniques applicable across content areas
  • Methods for taking essay and objective tests

Use these proven tools and strategies to help your students develop the skills and confidence that lead to positive academic experiences.


 
Foreword by P. David Pearson
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Author
 
How to Use This Book
 
Note to the Teacher
 
Note to the Student
 
Introduction
 
Part I. Doing Better in School
 
1. How to Avoid Test Panic
Preparing Mentally and Physically

 
Organizing Your Course Content

 
Chapter Summary

 
 
2. How to Develop a Game Plan
Master Test Schedule for the Term

 
Planning for Each Test

 
Test Analysis

 
Study Schedules for Each Test

 
Planning Test-Study Time

 
Game Plan Checklist

 
Chapter Summary

 
Part II. Preparing for All Tests

 
 
3. Strategies for Test-Study
Memorizing

 
Organizing Resources

 
Making Study Notes

 
Condensing Study Notes

 
Memorization Techniques

 
Chapter Summary

 
 
4. Preparing for Essay Questions and Tests
Predicting Questions

 
Short-Answer Questions

 
Long-Answe "Trace" Questions

 
Long-Answer "Compare and Contrast" Questions

 
Long-Answer "Discuss" Questions

 
Practicing Answers

 
Improving Answers With Library Research

 
Chapter Summary

 
 
5. Preparing for Objective Questions and Tests
Practicing Multiple-Choice Questions

 
Practicing Matching Questions

 
Practicing True/False Question

 
Practicing Completion Questions

 
Group Study for Objective Tests

 
Standardized Tests

 
Chapter Summary

 
 
Part III. Taking Tests and Doing Better
 
6. Getting It Together on Test Day
On the Way

 
In the Test Room

 
Before Starting to Answer

 
Chapter Summary

 
 
7. Taking the Essay Test
Budgeting Time

 
Reading the Question Carefully

 
Outlining the Answer

 
Writing Out the Answer

 
Re-Reading Answers

 
Making a Final Check

 
Chapter Summary

 
 
8. Taking the Objective Test
Test-Taking Steps

 
Test Question Cues

 
Answering Multiple-Choice Questions

 
Answering Matching Questions

 
Answering True/False Questions

 
Answering Completion Questions

 
When and How to Guess

 
Chapter Summary

 
A Final Word

 
 
Resources
 
Appendix A: A Preparing Students Final Test, Answers to Test Prep Exercises, and Answers to Final Test
 
Appendix B: Forms for Test Preparation and Study
 
Appendix C: Resources for Additional Test Preparation Assistance
 
Appendix D: Glossary
 
References
 
Index

"Teachers will want to run—not walk—to get a copy of this book to help students do better in school. Test preparation is an important real-life skill, and this book provides step-by-step guidance to help students learn how to prepare for tests and demonstrate what they know."

Linda B. Gambrell, Distinguished Professor of Education
Clemson University

"All teachers and parents should read this book! It is timely and important and includes powerful, research-based strategies that will help students learn more and succeed on tests throughout the challenging years of middle school, high school, and college. Each chapter reveals superb, practical tips that every student should know, including ways to avoid test panic and to prepare for every kind of test imaginable. This is one of the best books I’ve read about practical approaches to test-taking and studying in the current high-stakes testing era."

Rosalie Fink, Professor of Literacy
Lesley University

"If you want to help students become test-smart, this is the book for you. Rona Flippo is masterful at making a potentially difficult task—taking tests—easy to teach. She provides teachers with an instructional road map that will not only help students get organized for test-taking, but will also show them how to study for and answer essay and objective questions."

Richard T. Vacca, Professor Emeritus
Kent State University

"While written for teachers, this book contains much practical knowledge on how students can adequately prepare for and successfully complete the many different types of assessments they face each day in school."

Richard Robinson, Professor
University of Missouri-Columbia

"Testing is an important part of school life. Some students do not do well on tests—not because they don't know the subject matter, but because they don't know how to effectively take or study for the test. This book will help with both of those problems. You can count on the author’s solid advice."

Ed Fry, Professor Emeritus, Rutgers University
Author of The Reading Teacher's Book of Lists

"Rona Flippo has done it again—given teachers and students a wonderful gift in the form of a book that demystifies this phenomenon we call testing! We should all be grateful that Flippo cares as much as she does about the plight of students and the goals of teachers committed to helping them become the type of students they would like to be."

From the Foreword by P. David Pearson
Key features
  • Presents interactive strategies for teachers that include research-based practices to use with students
  • Describes how teachers can help students assess their school assignments and develop time-management and organization skills
  • Offers techniques for teachers to prepare students for studying, note-taking, tests, and high-stakes assessments
  • Provides teachers with the information, activities, and materials they need to help students succeed in their classes, do better in school, and thrive on future tests
  • Shows teachers how to guide their students towards becoming independent learners
  • Includes reproducibles, charts, and checklists and a resource section that contains Web sites and books to help students prepare for tests

Sample Materials & Chapters

Introduction

Chapter 1


Purchasing options

For large school/district orders, volume discounts, availability and shipping times contact customer service at 800-233-9936
or order@corwin.com.

contact corwin

Please select a format:

ISBN: 9781412953740
CAD$ 56.95
ISBN: 9781412953733
CAD$ 122.95

For large school/district orders, volume discounts, availability and shipping times contact customer service at 800-233-9936
or order@corwin.com.

For instructors

This book is not available as an inspection copy. For more information contact your local sales representative.