Talbert's Test Taking Tips :)

Reading Assessment

Tips

THE BEST TEST ADVICE YOU COULD EVER ASK FOR -
IS YOURS... HERE AND NOW...
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Open Ended

Prior knowledge: Before we begin, what test-taking strategies do you know or have tried? Use your brain. Not the internet. Answers will be shared with the class and non-serious ones will be removed.

Here are a few assessment strategies that will help you on this upcoming FAST and any other test or assessment.

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Test-taking tips that work!

Get a good night's rest the night before. Snack on healthy "brain food" and drink plenty of water. Vegetables, fruit, and peanut butter help. Don't overdo it on caffeine.

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#1 - BEFORE:

SLEEP! DRINK & EAT!

​the basics

Movement and stretching in the morning will get your brain alert and ready to tackle the long test. Walk, dance, stretch... move your body!

This is especially helpful to burn off adrenaline if you have test anxiety.

​#2 Before:
Move, dawg

​www.unco.edu/tutoring/pdf/study-skills-resources/Understanding_Anxiety.pdf

​Adrenaline (aka epinephrine)
is the "fight or flight" hormone.

Multiple Choice

What is adrenaline?

• A hormone your adrenal glands make to help you prepare for stressful situations.

• A helpful drink that you take before a test to stay awake.

• A type of flower that is only found in the Amazon rainforest

• A chemical released by the body to help you fall and stay asleep.

Participants exposed to the aroma of peppermint and peppermint oil experienced enhanced memory, increased alertness and increased processing speeds, according to the International Journal of Neuroscience.

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• www.canr.msu.edu

​#3
Peppermint

​have mints before the test begins!

Breathe deeply and often. Breathing keeps your body and brain oxygenated. There will be a short break.
Take your time to stretch and relax for a bit during this break.

​#4 - During:

Breathe & Take a short Break when you must

The assessment is here and there is no avoiding it. Just focus on the task before you, take your time.

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#5 - During:

Accept it.

​If you have intrusive thoughts, place them in "the backrooms" of your mind and lock the door. This is called "compartmentalizing," which is when you put distractions aside and get hyper-focused on the task ahead of you.

Multiple Choice

What do you do with intrusive thoughts during a test?

• Place them in the backrooms and lock the door.

• only focus on them and not the test.

Multiple Select

Do you know who else compartmentalizes to hyper-focus before an important event? (Hint: choose all)

• Athletes before a game

• Musicians & singers before a performance

• Actors before a rehearsal, play or filming a scene.

• Speakers before a big speech.

• Business people before a big presentation.

FAST Progress Monitoring assessments allow you to highlight the text digitally.
Remember to highlight:
- Character names
! Significant Events (drama, death, etc.)
- Words of interest
- Words you don't know
?- Parts that you question
- Parts you think are important

#7 - During:

Highlight!!!!

• The test is 90 minutes long PLUS extra time if needed. A short break is included.

• There is no need to rush.

• No electronics or talking! Tests will be investigated and scores will be invalidated by the State.
  
  
  

Facts about the FAST ELA Test:

Genre Balance:
50% Fiction
50% Informational

Facts about the FAST ELA Test

Read all of the questions
& Reread the Text

Read questions one at a time without answering them first.
Look out for keywords, phrases, and/or names in the question.

PLEASE go back to the text to re-read!

​Please

Read all the answer choices before choosing an answer. Don’t get fooled by distractors.
Some of the types of distractors used are:

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Analyze the Answer Choices...

Find the sneaky ones!

• ​Answer choice is too general

• Answer choice is a minor detail

• Answer choice uses the same words as in the article, but has the opposite meaning

• Answer choice cannot be supported by facts from the article

​I know better than to fall for the sneaky test tricks thanks to Mrs. Talbert's Test Taking Tips!

When the test is over, you can put your head down or doodle quietly until everyone is finished. Then, I will collect the testing materials.
At the end of the day, go do something fun.
You earned it!

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Reward yourself!

​When it is

all over...

You got this!!!

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​Remember to
breathe
deeply :)

Now, you will need to:

​RESTART/
UPDATE YOUR
LAPTOPS