Helping Your Child Prepare for Core Tests and DIBELS
It’s that time of the year already and we have our CRTs (core tests) scheduled. Here is the schedule for our school:
3rd grade: April 30 – May 4
4th Grade May 7 – May 11
5th Grade May 14 – May 18
Third Round of DIBELS May 7 & 8 (all grades)
Most parents have a lot to say about the validity and necessity of standardized tests. Your viewpoint on the subject will not change the fact that your child will soon face the rigors of the end of year exams. Like it or not, the scores and percentiles are quite important to your child’s future. Children are given a vast amount of knowledge throughout the school year, and are expected to be able to recall enough to answer the questions on a seemingly endless battery of tests. Teachers have been preparing their classes all year. Parents can also ready a child for testing by offering emotional encouragement and academic support.
Take responsibility. Tell your child that you and their teacher are going to work together to ensure test readiness.
Practice the format. Make sure your child has a chance to practice the test in the exact format they will see it on testing day. All core testing will be completed on the computers.
Make a plan. Find out if your child has any questions or concerns about testing. What if a question is just too hard? Communicate with the child’s teacher.
Teach relaxation. Share your favorite relaxation techniques with your child. Teach your child to tackle only one question at a time. Teach self-encouragement phrases: “You can do this. That one was hard, but this is a new question.”
Clear the calendar. The night before a test, clear the calendar. Lay out clothes for the next day, and use the rest of the time for the family and stress free bedtime.
Express unconditional love. Express your love and confidence for your child. Even if scores never reach the 99th percentile, make it clear that your love and support will be there 100% of the time.
This is a very important time of the year and we need to support each other in this cause. Please have your students in attendance during their test time and have them rested and ready. They will do much better when they are testing with their classmates and have had a good nights rest. Thanks for your support and continued good works that make McKinley Elementary School such a great place.
Thanks,
Principal Chadaz
