Back to: Module: Helping with Instruction
This unit talks about how parapros can help students get better at taking tests. What would you do to help a student who does poorly on tests even though the student knows how to study?
Think about Tara, for instance. She’s a hard worker, but still she didn’t do as well as she wanted to on a recent test. She even tried out some new study skills, but they didn’t seem to work. Imagine that Tara comes to you because she feels comfortable asking you for help.
Tara says that she felt good before she took the test. She tells you that she studied hard for it. But she felt less and less confident as she moved through the items on the test. She says she knew so much more than she was able to show in her answers to the test questions. The score she got was so low that she felt like crying. You know that Tara does have good study habits (see Unit 8), and you don’t want her to become discouraged. You don’t want her to stop studying and working hard!
As you read and listen to the ideas in this unit, keep Tara—or a student you know—in mind. Try to make a plan for what you could do and say to help make the next testing situation go a lot better. Think about what you can do to help Tara (or your real student) gain confidence with testing situations.