From time to time I will have a parent call Excel Achievement and explain that they are worried because their child seems to know information the day before the test, but then takes the test and does poorly. When I asked this parent how the child studied for the test, she stated that she quizzes her son and he then gives her the correct response. Therefore, he can recite the information orally, but seems to struggle with getting the information out in written form. Here was my suggestion:
Have your child practice by writing the answers instead of speaking the answers. After all, this is what he/she will have to do this for the test. A good analogy would be the marathon. When people train for a marathon, they don’t ride a bike…they run! In the same way, when we are taking a written test, we MUST practice for it by writing. This will give your child confidence and reduce any unnecessary anxiety.
Another great tip is to make sure that your child looks at each question from several different angles. For example, if he is learning about photosynthesis, have him study the question in two formats.
Format 1: What is photosynthesis?
Format 2: What do we call it when a plant uses sunlight to produce its own food?
Again, the more that your child can visualize and prepare for the actual task at hand, the better!
