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Other Books in the Get Ready! Series: Get Ready! for Standardized Tests: Grade 1 by Joseph Harris, Ph.D. Get Ready! for Standardized Tests: Grade 2 by Joseph Harris, Ph. D. Get Ready! for Standardized Tests: Grade 3 by Karen Mersky, Ph.D. Get Ready! for Standardized Tests: Grade 4 by Joseph Harris, Ph.D. Get Ready! for Standardized Tests: Grade 5 by Leslie E. Talbott, Ph.D. Get Ready! for Standardized Tests: Grade 6 by Shirley Vickery, Ph.D. Get Ready! for Standardized Tests: Math, Grade 1 by Sandy McConnell Get Ready! for Standardized Tests: Math, Grade 2 by Kristin Swanson Get Ready! for Standardized Tests: Math, Grade 4 by June Heller Get Ready! for Standardized Tests: Reading, Grade 1 by Molly Maack Get Ready! for Standardized Tests: Reading, Grade 2 by Louise Ulrich Get Ready! for Standardized Tests: Reading, Grade 3 by Joanne Baker Get Ready! for Standardized Tests: Reading, Grade 4 by Kris Callahan
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T E S T P R E P A R A T I O N S E R I E S Get Ready! F O R S TA N DA R D I Z E D T E S T S M AT H , G R A D E T H R E E3 Susan Osborne Carol Turkington Series Editor McGraw-Hill New York Chicago San Francisco Lisbon London Madrid Mexico City Milan New Delhi San Juan Seoul Singapore Sydney Toronto
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McGraw-Hillabc Copyright © 2001 by The McGraw-Hill Companies. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. 0-07-138683-1 The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: 0-07-137403-5. All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than put a trademark symbol after every occurrence of a trademarked name, we use names in an editorial fashion only, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark. Where such designa- tions appear in this book, they have been printed with initial caps. McGraw-Hill eBooks are available at special quantity discounts to use as premiums and sales promotions, or for use in corporate training programs. For more information, please contact George Hoare, Special Sales, at george_hoare@mcgraw-hill.com or (212) 904-4069. TERMS OF USE This is a copyrighted work and The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (“McGraw-Hill”) and its licensors reserve all rights in and to the work. Use of this work is subject to these terms. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976 and the right to store and retrieve one copy of the work, you may not decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, reproduce, modify, create derivative works based upon, transmit, distribute, disseminate, sell, publish or sublicense the work or any part of it without McGraw-Hill’s prior consent. You may use the work for your own noncommercial and personal use; any other use of the work is strictly prohibited. Your right to use the work may be terminated if you fail to comply with these terms. THE WORK IS PROVIDED “AS IS”. McGRAW-HILL AND ITS LICENSORS MAKE NO GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES AS TO THE ACCU- RACY, ADEQUACY OR COMPLETENESS OF OR RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED FROM USING THE WORK, INCLUDING ANY INFORMA- TION THAT CAN BE ACCESSED THROUGH THE WORK VIA HYPERLINK OR OTHERWISE, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY WAR- RANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. McGraw-Hill and its licensors do not warrant or guarantee that the functions contained in the work will meet your require- ments or that its operation will be uninterrupted or error free. Neither McGraw-Hill nor its licensors shall be liable to you or anyone else for any inac- curacy, error or omission, regardless of cause, in the work or for any damages resulting therefrom. McGraw-Hill has no responsibility for the content of any information accessed through the work. Under no circumstances shall McGraw-Hill and/or its licensors be liable for any indirect, incidental, spe- cial, punitive, consequential or similar damages that result from the use of or inability to use the work, even if any of them has been advised of the pos- sibility of such damages. This limitation of liability shall apply to any claim or cause whatsoever whether such claim or cause arises in contract, tort or otherwise. DOI: 10.1036/0071386831
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To my daughter Charlotte and my aunt Patricia Bigg for encouraging me to undertake this project; my husband John for his unfailing support throughout; and all the third graders I have had the pleasure to teach over the past thirty years and from whom I have learned so much. Susan Osborne
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M A T H , G R A D E T H R E E Contents Skills Checklist ix What Tests May Ask 17 Practice Skill: Addition 17 Introduction 1 Types of Standardized Tests 1 Chapter 4. Subtraction 19 The Major Standardized Tests 2 What Third Graders Should Know 19 How States Use Standardized Tests 2 What You and Your Child Can Do 19 Valid Uses of Standardized What Tests May Ask 20 Test Scores 3 Practice Skill: Subtraction 21 Inappropriate Use of Standardized Test Scores 3 Chapter 5. Multiplication 23 Two Basic Assumptions 4 A Word about Coaching 4 What Third Graders Should Know 23 How to Raise Test Scores 4 What You and Your Child Can Do 24 Test Questions 5 What Tests May Ask 25 Practice Skill: Multiplication 25 Chapter 1. Test-Taking Basics 7 What This Book Can Do 7 Chapter 6. Division 27 How to Use This Book 7 What Third Graders Should Know 27 Basic Test-Taking Strategies 8 What You and Your Child Can Do 28 On to the Second Chapter 8 What Tests May Ask 29 Practice Skill: Division 29 Chapter 2. Basic Number Facts 11 Practice Skill: Division with Remainders 30 What Third Graders Should Know 11 What You and Your Child Can Do 12 Chapter 7. Fractions and What Tests May Ask 13 Decimals 31 Practice Skill: Basic Facts 13 Fractions 31 Chapter 3. Addition 15 What Third Graders Should Know 31 What You and Your Child Can Do 32 What Third Graders Should Know 15 What Tests May Ask 32 What You and Your Child Can Do 16 Practice Skill: Fractions 33 vii Copyright 2001 The McGraw-Hill Companies. Click Here for Terms of Use.
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M A T H , G R A D E T H R E E Decimals 33 What Tests May Ask 60 What Third Graders Should Know 34 Practice Skill: Problem Solving 60 What You and Your Child Can Do 34 What Tests May Ask 34 Appendix A: Web Sites and Practice Skill: Decimals 34 Resources for More Chapter 8. Place Value, Number Information 63 Sense, and Money 37 What Third Graders Should Know 37 Appendix B: Read More Missing Numbers 37 about It 67 Ordinal Numbers 38 Rounding 38 What You and Your Child Can Do 39 Appendix C: What Your Child’s What Tests May Ask 40 Test Scores Mean 69 Practice Skill: Place Value, Number Sense, and Money 40 Appendix D: Which States Chapter 9. Geometry 43 Require Which Tests 77 What Third Graders Should Know 44 What You and Your Child Can Do 44 What Tests May Ask 45 Appendix E: Testing Practice Skill: Geometry 46 Accommodations 87 Perimeter, Area, and Volume 47 What You and Your Child Can Do 48 What Tests May Ask 49 Glossary 89 Practice Skill: Perimeter, Area, and Volume 49 Answer Keys for Practice Skills 91 Chapter 10. Measurements 51 What Third Graders Should Know 51 Sample Practice Test 93 What You and Your Child Can Do 52 What Tests May Ask 54 Practice Skill: Measurement 54 Answer Key for Sample Practice Test 122 Chapter 11. Problem Solving 57 What Third Graders Should Know 57 What You and Your Child Can Do 59 viii
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M A T H , G R A D E T H R E E G S K I L L S C H E C K L I S T MY CHILD … HAS LEARNED IS WORKING ON BASIC NUMBER FACTS ADDITION WITHOUT REGROUPING ADDITION WITH REGROUPING ESTIMATION SUBTRACTION—TWO-DIGIT NUMBERS SUBTRACTION—THREE-DIGIT NUMBERS SUBTRACTION WITH REGROUPING MULTIPLICATION FACTS MULTIPLYING ONE-DIGIT NUMBERS MULTIPLYING TWO-DIGIT NUMBERS SIMPLE DIVISION WITHOUT REMAINDERS SIMPLE DIVISION WITH REMAINDERS FRACTIONS: ADDING FRACTIONS: SUBTRACTING DECIMALS PLACE VALUE MISSING NUMBERS ORDINAL NUMBERS ROUNDING MONEY TWO-DIMENSIONAL FIGURES THREE-DIMENSIONAL FIGURES LINES AND ANGLES PATTERNS PERIMETER AREA VOLUME STANDARD MEASUREMENTS METRIC MEASUREMENTS WORD PROBLEMS ix Copyright 2001 The McGraw-Hill Companies. Click Here for Terms of Use.
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M A T H , G R A D E T H R E E Introduction Almost all of us have taken standardized tests While there is a great deal of controversy in school. We spent several days bubbling-in about whether it is appropriate for schools to answers, shifting in our seats. No one ever told use standardized tests to make major decisions us why we took the tests or what they would do about individual students, it appears likely that with the results. We just took them and never standardized tests are here to stay. They will be heard about them again. used to evaluate students, teachers, and the Today many parents aren’t aware they are schools; schools are sure to continue to use stu- entitled to see their children’s permanent dents’ test scores to demonstrate their account- records and, at a reasonable cost, to obtain ability to the community. copies of any information not protected by copy- The purposes of this guide are to acquaint you right, including testing scores. Late in the school with the types of standardized tests your chil- year, most parents receive standardized test dren may take; to help you understand the test results with confusing bar charts and detailed results; and to help you work with your children explanations of scores that few people seem to in skill areas that are measured by standardized understand. tests so they can perform as well as possible. In response to a series of negative reports on the state of education in this country, Americans Types of Standardized Tests have begun to demand that something be done to improve our schools. We have come to expect The two major types of group standardized tests higher levels of accountability as schools face are criterion-referenced tests and norm-refer- the competing pressures of rising educational enced tests. Think back to when you learned to expectations and declining school budgets. tie your shoes. First Mom or Dad showed you High-stakes standardized tests are rapidly how to loosen the laces on your shoe so that you becoming the main tool of accountability for stu- could insert your foot; then they showed you dents, teachers, and school administrators. If how to tighten the laces—but not too tight. They students’ test scores don’t continually rise, showed you how to make bows and how to tie a teachers and principals face the potential loss of knot. All the steps we just described constitute school funding and, ultimately, their jobs. what is called a skills hierarchy: a list of skills Summer school and private after-school tutorial from easiest to most difficult that are related to program enrollments are swelling with students some goal, such as tying a shoelace. who have not met score standards or who, Criterion-referenced tests are designed to everyone agrees, could score higher. determine at what level students are perform- 1 Copyright 2001 The McGraw-Hill Companies. Click Here for Terms of Use.
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M A T H , G R A D E T H R E E : G E T R E A D Y ! ing on various skills hierarchies. These tests and there are far too many of them to go into assume that development of skills follows a detail here about specific tests. However, chil- sequence of steps. For example, if you were dren prepare for them in basically the same way teaching shoelace tying, the skills hierarchy they do for norm-referenced tests. might appear this way: A very small pool of norm-referenced tests is used throughout the country, consisting primar- 1. Loosen laces. ily of the Big Five: 2. Insert foot. • California Achievement Tests (CTB/McGraw- 3. Tighten laces. Hill) 4. Make loops with both lace ends. • Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (Riverside) 5. Tie a square knot. • Metropolitan Achievement Test (Harcourt- Criterion-referenced tests try to identify how Brace & Company) far along the skills hierarchy the student has • Stanford Achievement Test (Psychological progressed. There is no comparison against any- Corporation) one else’s score, only against an expected skill • TerraNova [formerly Comprehensive Test of level. The main question criterion-referenced Basic Skills] (McGraw-Hill) tests ask is: “Where is this child in the develop- ment of this group of skills?” These tests use various terms for the academ- Norm-referenced tests, in contrast, are typi- ic skills areas they assess, but they generally cally constructed to compare children in their test several types of reading, language, and abilities as to different skills areas. Although mathematics skills, along with social studies and the experts who design test items may be aware science. They may include additional assess- of skills hierarchies, they are more concerned ments, such as of study and reference skills. with how much of some skill the child has mas- tered, rather than at what level on the skills How States Use Standardized Tests hierarchy the child is. Ideally, the questions on these tests range Despite widespread belief and practice to the from very easy items to those that are impossi- contrary, group standardized tests are designed bly difficult. The essential feature of norm-ref- to assess and compare the achievement of erenced tests is that scores on these measures groups. They are not designed to provide can be compared to scores of children in similar detailed diagnostic assessments of individual groups. They answer this question: “How does students. (For detailed individual assessments, the child compare with other children of the children should be given individual diagnostic same age or grade placement in the develop- tests by properly qualified professionals, includ- ment of this skill?” ing trained guidance counselors, speech and This book provides strategies for increasing language therapists, and school psychologists.) your child’s scores on both standardized norm- Here are examples of the types of questions referenced and criterion-referenced tests. group standardized tests are designed to answer: The Major Standardized Tests • How did the reading achievement of students at Valley Elementary School this year com- Many criterion-referenced tests currently in use pare with their reading achievement last are created locally or (at best) on a state level, year? 2
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I N T R O D U C T I O N • How did math scores at Wonderland Middle Valid Uses of Standardized Test School compare with those of students at Scores Parkside Middle School this year? Here are examples of appropriate uses of test • As a group, how did Hilltop High School stu- scores for individual students: dents compare with the national averages in the achievement areas tested? • Mr. Cone thinks that Samantha, a third grad- • How did the district’s first graders’ math er, is struggling in math. He reviews her file scores compare with the district’s fifth and finds that her first- and second-grade graders’ math scores? standardized test math scores were very low. Her first- and second-grade teachers recall The fact that these tests are designed primar- episodes in which Samantha cried because ily to test and compare groups doesn’t mean she couldn’t understand certain math con- that test data on individual students isn’t use- cepts, and mention that she was teased by ful. It does mean that when we use these tests other children, who called her “Dummy.” Mr. to diagnose individual students, we are using Cone decides to refer Samantha to the school them for a purpose for which they were not assistance team to determine whether she designed. should be referred for individual testing for a Think of group standardized tests as being learning disability related to math. similar to health fairs at the local mall. Rather • The local college wants to set up a tutoring than check into your local hospital and spend program for elementary school children who thousands of dollars on full, individual tests for are struggling academically. In deciding a wide range of conditions, you can go from sta- which youngsters to nominate for the pro- tion to station and take part in different health gram, the teachers consider the students’ screenings. Of course, one would never diagnose averages in different subjects, the degree to heart disease or cancer on the basis of the which students seem to be struggling, par- screening done at the mall. At most, suspicious ents’ reports, and standardized test scores. results on the screening would suggest that you need to visit a doctor for a more complete exam- • For the second year in a row, Gene has per- ination. formed poorly on the latest round of stan- In the same way, group standardized tests dardized tests. His teachers all agree that provide a way of screening the achievement of Gene seems to have some serious learning many students quickly. Although you shouldn’t problems. They had hoped that Gene was diagnose learning problems solely based on the immature for his class and that he would do results of these tests, the results can tell you better this year; but his dismal grades contin- that you should think about referring a child for ue. Gene is referred to the school assistance a more definitive, individual assessment. team to determine whether he should be sent An individual student’s group test data to the school psychologist for assessment of a should be considered only a point of informa- possible learning handicap. tion. Teachers and school administrators may use standardized test results to support or ques- Inappropriate Use of Standardized tion hypotheses they have made about students; Test Scores but these scores must be used alongside other information, such as teacher comments, daily Here are examples of how schools have some- work, homework, class test grades, parent times used standardized test results inappropri- observations, medical needs, and social history. ately: 3
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M A T H , G R A D E T H R E E : G E T R E A D Y ! • Mr. Johnson groups his students into reading to learn what skill areas the tests measure, groups solely on the basis of their standard- what general skills your child is being taught in ized test scores. a particular grade, how to prepare your child to • Ms. Henry recommends that Susie be held take the tests, and what to do with the results. back a year because she performed poorly on In the appendices you will find information to the standardized tests, despite strong grades help you decipher test interpretations; a listing on daily assignments, homework, and class of which states currently require what tests; tests. and additional resources to help you help your child to do better in school and to prepare for the • Gerald’s teacher refers him for consideration tests. in the district’s gifted program, which accepts students using a combination of intelligence test scores, achievement test scores, and A Word about Coaching teacher recommendations. Gerald’s intelli- This guide is not about coaching your child. gence test scores were very high. When we use the term coaching in referring to Unfortunately, he had a bad cold during the standardized testing, we mean trying to give week of the standardized group achievement someone an unfair advantage, either by reveal- tests and was taking powerful antihista- ing beforehand what exact items will be on the mines, which made him feel sleepy. As a test or by teaching “tricks” that will supposedly result, he scored too low on the achievement allow a student to take advantage of some detail tests to qualify. in how the tests are constructed. The public has come to demand increasingly Some people try to coach students in shrewd high levels of accountability for public schools. test-taking strategies that take advantage of We demand that schools test so that we have how the tests are supposedly constructed rather hard data with which to hold the schools than strengthening the students’ skills in the accountable. But too often, politicians and the areas tested. Over the years, for example, many public place more faith in the test results than rumors have been floated about “secret formu- is justified. Regardless of whether it’s appropri- las” that test companies use. ate to do so and regardless of the reasons This type of coaching emphasizes ways to help schools use standardized test results as they do, students obtain scores they didn’t earn—to get many schools base crucial programming and eli- something for nothing. Stories have appeared in gibility decisions on scores from group stan- the press about teachers who have coached their dardized tests. It’s to your child’s advantage, students on specific questions, parents who then, to perform as well as possible on these have tried to obtain advance copies of tests, and tests. students who have written down test questions after taking standardized tests and sold them to Two Basic Assumptions others. Because of the importance of test securi- ty, test companies and states aggressively pros- The strategies we present in this book come ecute those who attempt to violate test securi- from two basic assumptions: ty—and they should do so. 1. Most students can raise their standardized test scores. How to Raise Test Scores 2. Parents can help their children become Factors that are unrelated to how strong stu- stronger in the skills the tests assess. dents are but that might artificially lower test This book provides the information you need scores include anything that prevents students 4
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I N T R O D U C T I O N from making scores that accurately describe • providing lots of fun ways for parents to help their actual abilities. Some of those factors are: their children work on the skill areas that will be tested. • giving the tests in uncomfortably cold or hot rooms; • allowing outside noises to interfere with test Test Questions taking; and The favorite type of question for standardized • reproducing test booklets in such small print tests is the multiple-choice question. For exam- or with such faint ink that students can’t read ple: the questions. 1. The first President of the United States Such problems require administrative atten- was: tion from both the test publishers, who must A Abraham Lincoln make sure that they obtain their norms for the tests under the same conditions students face B Martin Luther King, Jr. when they take the tests; and school adminis- C George Washington trators, who must ensure that conditions under D Thomas Jefferson which their students take the tests are as close as possible to those specified by the test pub- The main advantage of multiple-choice ques- lishers. tions is that it is easy to score them quickly and Individual students also face problems that accurately. They lend themselves to optical can artificially lower their test scores, and par- scanning test forms, on which students fill in ents can do something about many of these bubbles or squares and the forms are scored by problems. Stomach aches, headaches, sleep machine. Increasingly, companies are moving deprivation, colds and flu, and emotional upsets from paper-based testing to computer-based due to a recent tragedy are problems that might testing, using multiple-choice questions. call for the student to take the tests during The main disadvantage of multiple-choice make-up sessions. Some students have physical questions is that they restrict test items to those conditions such as muscle-control problems, that can be put in that form. Many educators palsies, or difficulty paying attention that and civil rights advocates have noted that the require work over many months or even years multiple-choice format only reveals a superficial before students can obtain accurate test scores understanding of the subject. It’s not possible on standardized tests. And, of course, some stu- with multiple-choice questions to test a stu- dents just don’t take the testing seriously or dent’s ability to construct a detailed, logical may even intentionally perform poorly. Parents argument on some issue or to explain a detailed can help their children overcome many of these process. Although some of the major tests are obstacles to obtaining accurate scores. beginning to incorporate more subjectively Finally, with this book parents are able to scored items, such as short answer or essay help their children raise their scores by: questions, the vast majority of test items con- tinue to be in multiple-choice format. • increasing their familiarity (and their comfort In the past, some people believed there were level) with the types of questions on stan- special formulas or tricks to help test-takers dardized tests; determine which multiple-choice answer was • drills and practice exercises to increase their the correct one. There may have been some skill in handling the kinds of questions they truth to some claims for past tests. Computer will meet; and analyses of some past tests revealed certain 5
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M A T H , G R A D E T H R E E : G E T R E A D Y ! biases in how tests were constructed. For exam- In Chapter 1, we provide information about ple, the old advice to pick D when in doubt general test-taking considerations, with advice appears to have been valid for some past tests. on how parents can help students overcome However, test publishers have become so testing obstacles. The rest of the book provides sophisticated in their ability to detect patterns information to help parents help their children of bias in the formulation of test questions and strengthen skills in the tested areas. answers that they now guard against it aggres- sively. Joseph Harris, Ph.D. 6
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C H A P T E R 1 Test-Taking Basics At some point during the 12 years that your help you work together with the school as a children spend in school, they’ll face a stan- team to help your child succeed. Keep in mind, dardized testing situation. Some schools test however, that endless drilling is not the best every year, and some test every other year—but way to help your child improve. While most chil- at some point your child will be assessed. How dren want to do well and please their teachers well your child does on such a test can be relat- and parents, they already spend about 7 hours a ed to many things—did he get plenty of rest the day in school. Extracurricular activities, home- night before? Is he anxious in testing situations? work, music, and play take up more time. Try to Did he get confused when filling in the answer use the activities in this book to stimulate and sheets and make a mechanical mistake? support your children’s work at school, not to That’s why educators emphasize that a child’s overwhelm them. score on a standardized test shouldn’t be used as Most children in third grade are eager to the sole judge of how that child is learning and learn. There’s certainly nothing wrong with developing. Instead, the scores should be evalu- working with your child, but if you’re trying to ated as only one part of the educational picture, teach the same skill over and over and your together with the child’s classroom performance child just isn’t “getting it,” you may be trying to and overall areas of strength and weakness. teach something that your child just isn’t ready Your child won’t pass or fail a standardized test, for. Remember that not all children learn things but you can often see a general pattern of at the same rate. What may be typical for one strengths and weaknesses. third grader is certainly not typical for another. You should use the information presented in What This Book Can Do this book in conjunction with school work to help develop your child’s essential skills in This book is not designed to help your child arti- mathematics and numbers. ficially inflate scores on a standardized test. Instead, it’s to help you understand the typical How to Use This Book kinds of skills taught in a third-grade class and what a typical third grader can be expected to There are many different ways to use this book. know by the end of the year. It also presents lots Some children are quite strong in certain math of fun activities that you can use at home to areas but need a bit of help in other areas. work with your child in particular skill areas Perhaps your child is a whiz at adding but has that may be a bit weak. more trouble with telling time. Focus your atten- Of course, this book should not be used to tion on those skills which need some work, and replace your child’s teacher but as a guide to spend more time on those areas. 7 Copyright 2001 The McGraw-Hill Companies. Click Here for Terms of Use.
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M A T H , G R A D E T H R E E : G E T R E A D Y ! You’ll see in each chapter an introductory You can practice this by reading the directions explanation of the material in the chapter, fol- to each question to your third grader. Sometimes lowed by a summary of what a typical child in the instructions are so brief and to the point that third grade should be expected to know about they are almost too simple. In some cases, teach- that skill by the end of the year. This is followed ers are not permitted to reword or explain, they in each chapter by an extensive section featur- may only read what is written in the test manu- ing interesting, fun, or unusual activities you al. Read the directions as they have been given can do with your child to reinforce the skills pre- on the practice pages, and then have your child sented in the chapter. Most use only inexpensive explain to you what they mean. Then you’ll both items found around the home, and many are be clear about what the tests actually require. suitable for car trips, waiting rooms, and restau- rants. Next, you’ll find an explanation of how Before the Test typical standardized tests may assess the skill Perhaps the most effective thing you can do to in question and what your child might expect to prepare your child for standardized tests is to be see on a typical test. patient. Remember that no matter how much We’ve included sample questions at the end of pressure you put on your children, they won’t each section that are designed to help familiar- learn certain skills until they are physically, ize your child with the types of questions found mentally, and emotionally ready to do so. You’ve on a typical standardized test. These questions got to walk a delicate line between challenging do not measure your child’s proficiency in any and pressuring your children. If you see that given content area—but if you notice that your your child isn’t making progress or is getting child is having trouble with a particular ques- frustrated, it may be time to lighten up. tion, you can use that information to figure out Don’t Change the Routine. Many experts offer what skills you need to focus on. mistaken advice about how to prepare children for a test, such as recommending that children Basic Test-Taking Strategies go to bed early the night before or eat a high- protein breakfast on the morning of the test. It’s Sometimes children score lower on standardized a better idea not to alter your child’s routine at tests because they approach testing in an ineffi- all right before the test. cient way. There are things you can do before the If your child isn’t used to going to bed early, test—and that your child can do during the then sending him off at 7:30 p.m. the night test—to make sure he does as well as he can. before a test will only make it harder for him to There are a few things you might want to get to sleep by the normal time. If he is used to remember about standardized tests. One is that eating an orange or a piece of toast for break- they can only ask a limited number of questions fast, forcing him to down a platter of fried eggs dealing with each skill before they run out of and bacon will only make him feel sleepy or paper. On most tests, the total math component uncomfortable. is made up of about 60 items and takes about 90 minutes. In some cases, your child may Neatness. There is an incorrect way to fill in an encounter only one exercise evaluating a partic- answer sheet on a standardized test, and if this ular skill. An important practice area that is happens to your child, it can really make a dif- often overlooked is the listening element of the ference on the final results. It pays to give your tests. Most of the math questions are done as a child some practice filling in answer sheets. group and are read to the students by the proc- Watch how neatly your child can fill in the bub- tor of the test, who is almost always the class- bles, squares, and rectangles on the following room teacher. page. If he overlaps the lines, makes a lot of 8
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T E S T - T A K I N G B A S I C S ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ erase marks, or presses the pencil too hard, try sometimes give the most important clues to the having him practice with pages of bubbles. You correct answer. can easily create sheets of capital O’s, squares, Read Carefully. In their desire to finish first, and rectangles that your child can practice fill- many children tend to select the first answer ing in. If he gets bored doing that, have him that seems right to them without thoroughly color in detailed pictures in coloring books or reading all the responses and choosing the very complete connect-the-dots pages. best answer. Make sure your child understands During the Test the importance of evaluating all the answers There are some approaches to standardized before choosing one. testing that have been shown to make some Skip Difficult Items; Return Later. Many chil- degree of improvement in a score. Discuss the dren will sit and worry about a hard question, following strategies with your child from time to spending so much time on one problem that time. they never get to problems that they would be Bring Extra Pencils. You don’t want your child able to answer correctly if they only had left spending valuable testing time jumping up to enough time. Explain to your child that he can sharpen a pencil. Send along plenty of extra, always come back to a knotty question once he well-sharpened pencils, and your child will have finishes the section. more time to work on test questions. Use Key Words. Have your child look at the Listen Carefully. You wouldn’t believe how questions and try to figure out the parts that many errors children make by not listening to are important and those which aren’t. instructions or not paying attention to demon- Eliminate Answer Choices. Just like in the strations. Some children mark the wrong form, wildly successful TV show Who Wants to Be a fill in the bubbles incorrectly, or skip to the Millionaire, remind your child that it’s a good wrong section. Others simply forget to put their idea to narrow down his choices among multi- names on the answer sheets. Many make a ple-choice options by eliminating answers he mark on the answer sheet without realizing knows can’t possibly be true. whether they are marking the right bubble. Read the Entire Question First. Some children On to the Second Chapter get so excited about the test that they begin fill- Now that you’ve learned a bit about the test- ing in bubbles before they finish reading the taking basics, it’s time to turn your attention to entire question. The last few words in a question the first of the math skills—number basics. 9
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