Revisiting the Introductory Challenge

Hopefully this unit gave you some ideas for helping students learn test-taking skills. The Introductory Challenge asked you to think about Tara, or someone you know, who might benefit from learning these skills.

Revisiting that challenge might involve making a plan for Tara—or for a student you know or are working with. List at least one or two things you could do to accomplish each of the four planning tasks below:

  1. Find out if the student really was as well prepared for the test as claimed. (Many students think they studied a lot, but they didn’t study efficiently or with care.) Making this judgment can be tricky, of course.
  2. Find out what test-taking skills were used. (Go over the graded test, asking the student to explain his or her thought processes during the test.)
  3. Then work with the student to decide what test-taking skills to learn prior to taking the next test. Confer with a teacher or other member of your instructional team if you need help.
  4. Finally, provide the student with some opportunities to practice the new test-taking skills.