In a recent online chat and Education Week Commentary, teachers Amy H. Greene and Glennon Doyle Melton discussed the test-preparation approach they used at their Virginia elementary school.
The two educators wove test-taking strategies and skills—such as specific test vocabulary—into their regular reading lessons, rather than creating a separate “test-prep program.” As a result, they say, students were more engaged in the material and more confident on test day.
“When it comes to teaching test-taking, many of us abandon everything we know about children as learners and ask students to sit silently at their desks while they read passage after passage and answer question after question,” they write.
What do you think? Can test-taking skills be enhanced as a part of regular coursework?
