Test Taking Skills

Please welcome Deven Trowers of Trowers Dream Academy.  Today she shares with us tips for test taking.  Feel free to leave any comments or questions below for Deven.  -Adrianne

For many students, taking a test can be very stressful. Often times, students experience a brain freeze or draw a “blank” when they hear the words test, quiz, exam, etc. Why is that?

Well let’s take a look. Truth is it happens to the best of students at times (adults included). It’s natural to feel this way during an exam. In fact, sometimes it can help you get a great start.

This is especially true when students take mid-terms, finals, standardized tests i.e. SAT, ACT, AP exams, CRCT. Students spend so much time preparing for the exam they work themselves up into a nervous fit causing them to forget the answers.

Preparation is the key! But it is also important to sit with your student and explain why tests are necessary. Students often find tests to be of a form of punishment from their teacher rather than a document that evaluates what has been taught in a specific course.

Here are some tips for preparing your student for test day:

1. Study: Make flashcards, create games and get the whole family involved. By studying early it leaves you enough time to ask questions and review those problems you are not too sure about.

2. Get a good night’s rest before and eat a great breakfast the morning of the test. In a scientific study, people who got enough sleep before taking a math test did better than those who stayed up all night studying.

3. Read the directions twice. It is easy to skip over important information when you are nervous and in a rush. Take your time, it’s not a race.

4. P.O.E. Process of Elimination, try your best to eliminate as many questions as you can. Almost every test has an answer that makes no sense at all. For short answer questions be sure to answer the question in its entirety.

5. Show your work! This is especially necessary when taking a math test, showing and checking your work can be your saving grace. Teachers want to see all your work. Even though it may take an additional minute or so it’s worth it!

6. Review your answers twice. Take two- three minutes to review your test answers again. Sometimes, you make the mistake of marking the wrong answer due to reading the question incorrectly or your mind could just be in another place.

It is important to remember that a test can be as stressful as you allow it to be. If you study and prepare yourself you can do anything!  A great quote to remember is one from Alexander Graham Bell, “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success. “

Deven Trowers is the Founder and CEO of Trowers Dream Academy. She is a native of Richmond, California and relocated to Georgia to attend her Alma Mater, Spelman College. Mrs. Trowers has over 10 years of experience in tutoring and mentoring youth. Trowers Dream Academy (TDA) is a comprehensive educational center whose sole focus is to maximize a child’s scholastic success. Their expertise covers everything from homeschool, after school programming, college consulting, individual tutoring to test prep. Located in Douglasville, GA. visit www.trowersdreamacademy.com for more information.  Facebook - Pinterest - Instagram


Do you have a tutor tip you would like to share?  Submit your idea and guest post here.  I would love to hear from you!

Test Prep Product Reviews

Hey all!  I am always on the hunt for good resources to help my students prepare for tests.  They are part of the education process.  Today, I'll be sharing two different types of resources with you.  All of the opinions herein are my own.  I wasn't bribed to bathe them in good light...I just wanted too!

Let's start with Charity of The Organized Classroom Blog's Individual Math and Vocab Lists (grades 3-6).  These are really cool.  I like how she set them up!  Students work on just a few words each week.  I swear half the battle with math sometimes is understanding the language!  If you use this system, your students will have those math vocab words memorized in no time.

You print the vocabulary words trim, hole punch them, and slide them onto a binder ring.  Then you mark the words that you want your students to study with little PostIt flags.  I choose the words that my student is currently working on in class and struggles with on a consistent basis.  In a tutoring session, you would want to model how to study these words a few times with your student.  Find the definitions together.  After a few times, you could send the vocab ring home and give them a mini quiz when they come back for tutoring the next time.

Check out Charity's videos to see how she put them together.





I like that this is a self directed student activity pack with fun games to help them learn these vocabulary words.  If you are interested in purchasing your own copy of all these math vocab words, please visit Charity's shop.
Next up!  

Study Skills from Promoting Success.  I bought this because I want to focus a little each day on test taking strategies with my students.  Inside this awesome pack is a test taking survey and various ideas to help your students get ready for those pesky tests!  I loved that she included resources that I could put to use right away.
Here is what was all included:

• Helping students deal with test anxiety
• What to do before, during and after the test
• Test taking do's and don'ts
• Test taking questionnaire
• Test question strategies 
• Several study skill sheets which are great printables to help students prepare for the next test!

I thought it was worth every penny!  

What test prep materials have you found helpful?

10 Signs Your Child Needs a Tutor

"Something doesn't quite seem right..." is a feeling parents may contemplate from time to time.  Their gut knows that something is going on with their child, but are unsure exactly how to help.  As a parent and tutor, I've been on both sides.  Nothing is more frustrating than feeling like you can't help your child succeed in school.  What warning signs should teachers and parents be looking for?

1.  Avoiding School

“I don’t feel good,” is a phrase you’ll hear from your child who struggles with school.  Going to the nurse’s office or calling home while at school are sure signs your child needs the support of a tutor.

2.  Sour Attitude

Watch for an overwhelming amount of emotion when homework time comes each night.  If your child shuts down or throws a tantrum, your child may need the insight of a tutor.

3.  Test Scores

There are times when your child’s test scores just don’t seem to make sense because it does not reflect your child’s daily performance at school.

4.  Dishonesty

If you are consistently hearing from your child he/she doesn’t have homework, this is a red flag especially for upper grades!

5.  Careless

When your child seems unmotivated to please you or his/her teacher and do class work or testing, there is a reason beneath it and a tutor can help you find it.

6.  Confidence

If your child is consistently beating themselves down because of a poor grade or performance at school, a tutor can help build his/her self-esteem again.

7.  Learning Disabilities

When a child struggles, he/she may have ADD, dyslexia, an auditory processing disorder, etc.  A tutor can help guide you to find a study regiment that works for your child..

8.  Poor Time Management

If homework is taking longer than it really should, your child could benefit from working with a tutor who can help him/her find systems to increase their productivity.

9.  Extreme Anxiety

If your child feels fearful of tests or is even physically sick, a tutor can help your child find test taking strategies to help them conquer his/her fears.

10.  Hopeless

If you or your child have given up because it seems that no matter what you try, it’s just not working.  Contact a tutor today to help you problem solve and come up with a solution that gets your child back on track.

If you are a parent in need of a tutor, look for local tutors on Craigslist, Wyzant.com, Care.com, or TutorsNirvana.com.  All of these companies have tutor directories.

If you are a teacher or tutor, please continue reading below.

I've collaborated with the wonderful professional tutors of The Just for Tutors Facebook group to bring this educational handout to you.  Please use this to educate yourself or to share with parents in your classroom or community.

You can download a PDF version for free below.  This can not be edited!

10 Signs Your Child Needs a Tutor: An Educational Handout

$0.00

If you would like to use this printable as a marketing tool, please purchase my editable version for just $1.00.  The only area that is editable is the lower right corner.  This allows you the space to add a logo, business name, and contact info.

10 Signs Your Child Needs a Tutor: An Educational Handout {EDITABLE}

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TpT Freebies for Tutors #11

Denise of Sunny Days in Second Grade makes these adorable "Bump" games.  They are all free and so much fun to play.  I want to dedicate this whole TpT Freebies for Tutors to her bump games.  Thanks for making such fun stuff Denise!

Halloween Bump Addition

Halloween Bump Multiplication

Gobble Bump Addition

Gobble Bump Multiplication

As I continue to browse through Denises store, it's obvious why she is a top seller!  She makes fantastic free items that are fun and easy to put together.  Don't forget to leave Denise a rating or comment.  She's amazing!

Visit All of Denises FREE resources

Back to School E-Magazine!

April of A Modern Teacher and Melanie of School Girl Style have put together an amazing back to school magazine just for teachers. Inside you'll find great ideas and products for the classroom and also for tutors. It's a must read! Thanks April and Melanie for inviting me to be part of it.

Open publication - Free publishing - More back to school

Submit a Tip!

Calling All Amazing Tutors!

I know there are some amazing tutors out there!  I am always curious and wondering what other tutors do when they are teaching a student one on one.  I want to start up a segment on The Tutor House where other tutors share their ideas.

Do you have a great way to teach fractions?  How about the schwa sound?  What about  motivating a student?  How do you calm a students test taking fears?

Please email me at thetutorhouse@hotmail.com to submit your tip today!

Plans for Summer Learning

My Plans for Summer Learning:

I thought I would give you a little peek into what we are going to do this summer to keep our brains sharp.  Each day, my boys will need to do two chore sticks, two school sticks, read for 30 minutes, and practice piano.  We'll do these things in the morning and then go out during the afternoon to a park or swimming pool.

If I get complaints about doing a school stick (although I highly doubt I will, but better to be prepared) my boys will then have the option of doing my Playing Cards Math Mats.  These are super easy to print out and gather supplies for.  There are mats for younger grades and older grades. 

Adapt for a Tutoring Student:

The great thing about all of these resources is that I can easily adapt them for a math tutoring student.  They are all very simple and quick to put together.  I would pull out my school sticks and begin a session with the math sticks.  Then I would probably do a Playing Card Math Mat, and finish up with a little worksheet with a more focused topic.

Don't even get me started with a reading student!  So much learning to be done this summer.  We will definitely be avoiding the summer slide around here.  What are your plans for the summer?  If you haven't made plans yet, I have some suggestions I would like to share with you.

Make Summer Plans for Learning:

Last week, I did a guest post for Laura Candler about using School Sticks to keep your child smart this summer.  I shared two weeks of School Sticks for free, but I've also made school sticks for PK-K, 1-2, and 3-6.  I thought you may want to hear about them because they are so much fun!

In each set you will find two weeks worth of free School Sticks on my freebies page, but you can also buy enough for the summer on my blog shop page.  However, I didn't do a whole summers worth for PK-K because they don't need as much.  They really just need time to play, pretend, read, and be with their family.

I've got an entire page dedicated to Summer Helps.  On there you'll find a longer description about my School Sticks, videos about card games, and links to great places for reading lists and websites for learning.  There's a button to take you there on the right side of my blog.

Another great resource for summer learning comes from Teachers Notebook.  They are sponsoring a site where amazing teacher authors are putting some of their best free resources up for you to download and use with your kids.  They are calling it Avoid the Summer Slide.  You can visit the page by clicking the button on the right side of my blog.

End of Year Pre-Algebra

There have been a few times that a student will be getting ready for their pre-algebra final and get no help from their teachers as to what will be on that test. A few years ago, I ended up making my own multiple choice test for an overview of pre-algebra. I thought I would share with you.

It has topics in it like ratios, proportions, fractions, probability, stem and leaf plots, area and perimeter, and much more. There are 39 multiple choice tests. In the choices, I would do one correct answer and then some of the other answers I would solve it with common mistakes students make like forgetting to change the sign of the inequality when it's multiplied by a negative.

Get a free copy of my overview of pre-alebra by clicking on the image of it below. It will open in Google Docs and you can save it from there. If you find any errors, please let me know. I've checked it through, but there are times when a calculation gets past me.

As I tutor my student through this test, we talk about strategies to get through the test quicker. I teach them to look over all the answers and estimate what they think the answer would be. They can then cross out which ones they know it couldn't be. I train them to solve the problems backwards if they are unsure where to start. For example, the student could take the answers and plug them into the equation to see if they work.

These are just a few of the ideas I have for teaching test prep for a multiple choice test. What ideas do you have?

Using Foldables

Foldables are a fun and different way to shake things up during a tutoring session.  Today, I am going to do a quick overview of what I've been working on with my reading student this month.  We are using a foldable!  If you are unsure of what a foldable is, check out some of my blogger friends posts about them.  There are TONS of ways to use them.

Teaching in the Early Years 
Corkboard Connections
A Teachers Treasure

Here are a few topics that I think foldables go great with:

Phonics Lessons
Math Vocabulary
Test Prep
Science Vocabulary

Have you used foldables in a tutoring session before?  Tell me how it went!

Pretend Cheat Sheet

One of my favorite ideas for teaching a student how to study for a test comes from Danica McKellar of Math Doesn't Suck.  She teaches you to make up a Pretend Cheat Sheet before a test.  On this paper, you would need to write all the things you need help with on the test.  Make it clear and easy to read with bullet points and headlines.  This should be done about 4 days before a test.  Read this cheat sheet for two nights and then make a Quick Peek Sheet.  This paper is for you to write down the things that you need help with, but a much shorter version.  This would ideally fit on a 3 X 5 index card.  Study that for two nights and try to memorize it.
The day of the test, on a scratch sheet of paper, flip it over and write down a little bit of your Quick Peek Sheet so that the student can focus on the questions and not worrying about formulas or clarifying information.
With my students, I practice this method.  It works for some of them, but not all of them.  Depends on how your student learns best.

Test Vocabulary & Know How

Getting ready for finals and state tests can make any good person loose their head-or at least their patience!  But never fear, Mandy at Cooperative Learning 365 has got just the freebie for you.  This freebie is all about those pesky test vocabulary words.  Sometimes half the battle is just understanding what the question is even asking you.  Click here to visit Mandy's blog and get your Test Vocab Freebie.

CRASH!

CRASH! is one of the most wonderful tutoring games I have ever used.  The best part is that you can pull it out at a moments notice and write what ever you want on it too.  My younger students and even some of my older (middle school) students enjoy playing.  You can use it for any subject!

The great part about this game is that you can make as many cards as you need or as little as you need. Students will feel like their turn is longer too. It's just plain old fun and FREE!

To download, you'll need to visit my other blog's Teachers Notebook Shop or Teachers Pay Teachers by clicking here.

After you download and print the amount of cards you want, laminate them next.  This allows you to write on the surface of it and erase it later to use again and again.

To Play:
Decide which subject you would like your students to practice. IE: addition, subtraction, algebra, rhyming words, spelling words, etc.
Write on one side of the car what you decide in wet or dry erase markers. Spread the cars over a table or on the floor. The first player picks up a car and does the  problem. The same player continues in play until they get a car that says "CRASH!" on the back. The game ends when all cars have been played. The player with the most cars wins!

Test Prep Buddy

Test prep can be so BLAH!  My students roll their eyes as I tell them to study tonight for the test.  I get a lot of sighs and grunts too.  How can we make test prep more fun?
Laura Candler at Corkboard Connections does just that.  She made a freebie called Test Prep Buddy.  In her post, she mentions that Test Prep can be thought of as a subject, something that has to be taught to students.  Go check out her freebie.  It's a sure hit!
Click here to read her full post and get one for you.

In the Beginning...

Welcome to The Tutor House!

This is a brand spankin' new blog written by me, Adrianne Meldrum from Kidscogworks.com. I tutor students from elementary up to middle school. When ever I am tutoring, I find myself hunting the internet for tips and helps on teaching concepts to my students.

I find great stuff, but I wanted somewhere central that other tutors like me could find them. So here it is, I began The Tutor House.

My goal here at The Tutor House is to provide you with tips and minilessons for you and your students. This blog is mainly aimed at tutors, but can also be a wonderful place for homeschoolers and teachers needing a little bit of help teaching a concept they are unfamiliar with.

The blogging schedule for this blog will hopefull go as follows:

Monday: Brain Tower

Tuesday: Reading

Wednesday: Math

Thursday: Science

Friday: Test Prep

Saturday: Motivation Techniques

There also is a page where you can submit a tip for teaching any of those subjects. All you have to do is fill out the form and I will notify you by email when the post is going to go up. For example, if you have a catchy song or a clever way to teach integers...this would be a great place to share that tip.

As I hunt the internet and make connections with other great teachers, I will pass on the information! I also welcome guest bloggers. All you have to do is shoot me an email!

Thanks for coming by today! \