a helpful mindset to have when taking tests. In a more presented, which will give them a richer understanding
general way I’m really trying to rehabilitate kids’ sense of it. And the better you understand something, the
of themselves as competent learners.” harder it will be to stump you.
Learning strategies to bolster your confidence going
Think about possible questions. Predicting and
into the test is a good approach. Often that starts with answering questions ahead of time helps kids gain more
changing how you study. Dr. Cruger says that 90% of mastery over the material and feel more confident. But
the students he works with don’t have an effective try to think flexibly. “We like our tests to require people
model of studying. “What they end up doing most to solve the problem, but often not in the way we
often is rely on their memory of what they heard in taught them the problem,” warns Dr. Cruger. So if you
class, or review their notes by reading them over,” he know you will have some essay questions to answer, try
says. He helps them try other more active methods that to predict what the topics might be and practice writing
give them more mastery over the material. your answer ahead of time. If you know there will
Better study strategies
Know the test format. “Imagine if you took the
SAT but you never did any SAT prep. That could
happen to a kid all the time,” says Dr. Cruger. “They
studied the content but they didn’t know what the
be some word problems, think about how the things
you’ve learned in class might be turned into a word
problem. Look at the word problems that already came
up on homework assignments.
During the test
format was going to be, so they don’t feel like they are Even after having done all you can to prepare, it’s still
prepared.” So kids should try to find out what format good to be armed with some strategies for getting
the test will be. Multiple choice? True or false? Essay? A through the test and putting the brakes on any anxiety
combination? Just knowing the format will help them you might start feeling in the moment.
feel more prepared and take away the shock they might
feel when they are handed the test. And if it is possible
to take some practice tests, do it.
Reorganize the material. Try to think about what
the main ideas are in what the class has been studying.
Have a plan: Dr. Schuster says that kids who learn
and use basic test-taking strategies tend to feel more
confident. For example he recommends:
Don’t spend too much time on any one question.
Outline the big events and issues, and think about the If it’s a multiple choice test, read each answer and
themes that unite them. This is a more active style of then cross out the ones you know aren’t right to
studying that helps kids think about what they have help yourself narrow it down.
been learning in a different way from how it was
“
PREDICTING AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS AHEAD
OF TIME HELPS KIDS GAIN MORE MASTERY OVER THE
MATERIAL AND FEEL MORE CONFIDENT. ”
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