The Myth of “Poor Test Takers”
Have you noticed that there seems to be an epidemic of “poor test takers” who routinely get A’s on their homework but fail miserably on quizzes and tests? Yup! We have a glut of them in every class. Parents are dumbfounded by this phenomenon and shrug their shoulders as they accept this excuse for what really is simply a lack of knowing the material. I wrote an article The Myth Behind “Poor Test Taking” that describes in great detail why students fail on tests; and here is the “Spark Notes” version.
Teachers are vulnerable to administrators demanding high standardized test scores and parents who complain about too much homework and low grades. With so much at stake, teachers spend too much time preparing students for exams by drilling them in class, giving repetitive homework, and providing “study guides” so students know exactly what to study — or memorize.
On the surface, this looks great because the kids only memorize what they need to learn for the tests and the teachers can control what is taught and what is tested, creating a formula that appeases the administration and pleases the parents. But, this doesn’t give the students what they really need to fully understand the concepts — the breadth AND the depth — that they need to demonstrate that they undoubtedly know the material.
In other words, they don’t have a comprehensive understanding of the material to apply their knowledge to select the correct answer. So, when they are faced with showing their mastery of the subject, they bomb out. Without their cheat sheets and study guides, they can’t answer any question that is not formatted exactly the way it was presented in class. THEY JUST DON’T KNOW THE MATERIAL!
Unless your child has learning differences (disabilities), getting A’s on tests and quizzes is simply a matter of rethinking HOW to STUDY. Most students study for tests the night before — or even the morning of — the test. They claim that they’ll forget everything if they prepare any earlier than that. If I got a dollar every time I heard that, I’d be a zillionaire! So when should a student study? Four days before the test. Block off 30 minutes to an hour each day to re-read the piece, make flashcards, take a practice quiz, and write notes. Because their lives are busy, they should write down their plan in a planner so they can refer to it — throughout the day. By studying for four-consecutive days, they’ll interface with the material and ACTUALLY LEARN IT! Their brains need time to absorb the concept and see it in many different contexts. This gives them plenty of time to meet with their teachers or use a tutor to get clarification over confusing concepts. By using this simple plan, you’ll see an uptick in your kids’ test scores.
After each test or quiz, students should save their notes and tests. Don’t let them throw them out because they’re done with the short-term test. Review them once per week, say a Saturday when they’re more relaxed, to keep these concepts fresh and to build an even stronger collective knowledge about the subject area. When finals week arrives, your child will not be cramming like the others because he’ll already know the concepts. That weekly review now replaces the insanely crazy “dead week” at the end of the semester when students are cramming to prepare for final exams in all of their classes. Who needs the stress? With a solid foundation and comprehensive understanding of the material, your child will ace their final exams!