I was doing some research over the break on some different test taking strategies.  One link that I found was extremely helpful.  There is a website called Teacher Tube where they have different videos that you can watch to give you ideas on activities for the classroom.  The link in particular that I was interested in shows a teacher answering some questions about the strategy.  She explains how the system has helped in her school bring up their TAKS scores by 29% in one week!  The students are instructed to go through their test first and cover their answers with a sticky notes, then when they return to the questions to answer them they have to do so without their answer choices.  Once they have written their answer to the side of the question, they remove their sticky and match their answer to one of the answer choices.  If a student still misses a question, then you have a way to understand WHY they missed it.  The problem with most of these strategies is that you don’t get to address what the problem is, or you don’t focus on what will happen if the strategy does not work.  This strategy is different in that aspect.  Hopefully, this will help in my classroom.  If you are a parent reading this blog, please help me with this new strategy as it is important for the students to continue learning at home.  I will be sending home TAKS passages with your child every week as homework.  I will expect him/her to be using the strategies that we have discussed in class.  Thank you for your continued support.

                                                                                                                                            –Maurie Melton

P.S.  Here is the website where I found the video on Teacher Tube. 

http://www.teachertube.com/search_result.php?search_id=test+taking+strategy&search_typ=search_videos