Final Tips to Prepare for the New Jersey ASK

It's that time of year again...



This Tuesday, May 3rd,marks the beginning of the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge tests or NJASK for elementary and middle schoolers across the state. May 3-6 will be testing for 6th,7th and 8th graders, while the following week, May 9-13 will be testing for 3rd, 4th and 5th graders.

Testing has become an integral part of an American education. More and more states are requiring testing proficiency for promotion and graduation, and parents need to help prepare their children for these exams. Sometime last week, your children should have brought home a sample test booklet. If you did not receive this booklet or may have misplaced it, you can find it here: https://www.measinc.com/nj/njask/default.aspx .

In final preparations for these weeks of testing, we have prepared a list of Do’s and Don’ts to help your children prepare for exams.

DO make sure your child completes homework assignments and class projects. Because tests reflect overall achievement, the more effort your child puts into learning, the more likely he or she will do well on tests.

DON’T judge your child on the basis of one test score. Test scores are not the perfect indicator of what your child can achieve, and a variety of factors can influence a test score. If your child has been struggling for the majority of this school year, however, and they do poorly on the NJASK, it may be an indication that they are having trouble with the bigger picture of school and may need some extra outside help.

DO, however, use your child’s test results to chart his or her academic progress. Educational assessments are among the best diagnostic tools educators and parents have at their disposal. By using rest results wisely, both you and your child’s teacher can build a personalized learning program with home activities that will help your child succeed.

DO support your child. Praise her for what she does best. When your child feels good about himself, he will do his best.

DO provide books and magazines for your child to read at home. Reading new materials can encourage your child to learn new words that might appear on a test. For a suggested age-appropriate reading list, visit www.BookAdventure.com.

DON’T allow your child to skimp on sleep or breakfast. Make sure that your child is well-rested and eats a well-balanced breakfast on school days- especially the day of a big test. A well-rested, healthy body leads to a healthy, active mind.


Good luck to all of our students on your NJASK!

READY, SET, READ: Inspiring Young Children to Have Fun Reading

Understanding and Nurturing Reading Skills for Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten Children

Reading is an adventure that begins early in a child’s life and should extend beyond the classroom. Children exhibit certain reading behaviors at a young age. By understanding and nurturing these behaviors, parents can make reading fun and inspire their children to develop a lifelong friendship with books.

For pre-kindergarten and kindergarten children, this is their first introduction to reading. They are just beginning to understand that print holds meaning and use illustrations to give meaning to stories and words. Younger children enjoy listening to stories read aloud, and by engaging children in the world of reading, parents can help their children become more proficient readers. Sylvan Learning recommends that parents spend at least one hour per week – 10 to 15 minutes a day – performing some type of a reading activity with children.

To help parents nurture their children’s reading behaviors, the experts at Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of tutoring to students of all ages, grades and skill levels, offer these tips and ideas for reading at home with pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students:

• Make cookies together. Read the recipe aloud to your child.
• Read directions to your child when completing a project.
• Subscribe to a magazine for your child (Ladybug, Your Big Backyard, Zoobooks, etc.) to learn about topics of interest to him.
• Pick a storybook character (Arthur, Strega Nona, etc.) and pretend that character is coming for dinner. Help your child plan activities that character would like.
• Help your child relate read-aloud stories to events in her life.
• Read stories aloud and act them out.
• Engage your entire family with “Drop Everything And Read” time each day.

The Internet can also provide many opportunities for children of all ages who are looking for new things to read. Book Adventure is a free, Sylvan-created, interactive, reading, motivation program that can be found online at www.BookAdventure.com. Parents can help children choose books from more than 7,500 titles, take short comprehension quizzes and redeem accumulated points for small prizes. Book Adventure also offers teacher and parent resources and tips to help children develop a lifelong love of reading.

INCREASED COLLEGE ENTRANCE COMPETITION = INCREASED TEST STRESS

The pressure is on. Today, more high school students are applying to more colleges, earlier than ever before. The number of early admission applications has increased dramatically, with some universities seeing double digit jumps. To begin the college process, most students applying to competitive colleges now take the SAT*/ACT® more than once.

Students today know clearly what students in the past may not have known - systematically preparing for the SAT/ACT gives them confidence. They know how to budget their time, they know what the test looks and feels like, they know important strategies like when to guess at an answer. They go into the test practiced and confident. Knowing the content is, of course, the major part of success, and confidence is the icing on the cake.
Students can take the SAT/ACT as many times as they like, but educators suggest taking the tests no more than two or three times. Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of in-center and live, online tutoring at home to students of all ages and skill levels, offers the following tips to help ease the pressure of testing and achieve the best results:

• Take the tests in the spring of junior year or fall of senior year of high school.
• Know the instructions for each section before you begin the test, you won’t have to waste time reading them during the exam.
• If you don’t know a test answer and can’t eliminate any incorrect answer choices, skip the question and only go back if time permits. For the ACT, remember to go back and take a guess on any unanswered questions, since there’s no penalty for incorrect answers.
• Trust yourself. Rely on your instincts.
• Never leave an easy question blank. Easy questions have easy answers.
• Read, read, read. Read the questions and answers critically.
• Eliminate answers. If you can eliminate at least two incorrect answers, you generally increase the probability of guessing correctly.
• Save your time. Don’t spend too much time on any single question. Make sure you have enough time to answer as many questions as possible, in order to rack up as many points as possible.
• Focus on what the question is really asking. If you don’t fully understand the question, finding the correct answer is going to be tough.
• Rushing only hurts you. Work at a good pace and keep track of the time remaining for each section. Enter the exam with confidence.
• End each section by reviewing. If time permits, revisit the questions you didn’t answer.
• Don’t try to cram for the SAT/ACT overnight. Proper preparation takes weeks, even months, of review.
• Register for a SAT/ACT prep class at least eight weeks before the testing date to provide extra studying assistance and additional confidence.

For more information regarding Sylvan Learning and our SAT and ACT Prep classes, visit http://tutoring.sylvanlearning.com/test-preparation/index.cfm.

Is Your Teen Ready for the Test?

Your teen is in school mode and everything is going a mile a minute. The next SAT/ACT test date is right around the corner and parents should know where their teen is in preparing for and taking the exam.

Planning for tests such as the SAT and ACT is extremely important in a teen’s educational career. As a parent, knowing how ready your teen is to take the SAT/ACT is vital to helping them plan and prepare to do their best.

In order to help parents assess their teen’s “SAT/ACT readiness,” Sylvan Learning has created a quick quiz.

SAT/ACT Readiness Quiz:
Please answer the following questions with a “yes” or “no.” For each “yes,” give yourself and your teen 2 points. At the end of the quiz, add up your points and see how prepared your teen is for SAT and ACT.

1. Do you and your teen feel confident that his classes and school have prepared him for the SAT/ACT?

2. Have you and your teen identified her weakest subject areas and developed a strategy for those portions of the tests?

3. Is your teen familiar with the rules of the SAT vs. the ACT?

4. Have you bought a test prep review book for your teen?

5. Have you made a SAT/ACT study schedule with your teen to set aside a minimum amount of time each day or week?

6. Has your teen made his own flashcards outside of those provided in a review packet?

7. Has your teen taken more than one practice exam for the SAT or the ACT?

8. Has your teen practiced writing an essay in 25 minutes?

9. Has your teen developed a time strategy for the tests?

10. Has your teen enrolled in or taken a test prep course?


SCORING

0-5 Points
It's never too late for your teen to begin preparing for either test! Here are tips that your teen can use to begin preparing now. And remember, there are always multiple test dates!
• Buy a test preparation book.
• Make flash cards.
• Enroll in a test preparation class.
• Take a practice SAT/ACT test.

5-10 Points
Congratulate your teen on beginning to practice for the SAT/ACT. Now is a perfect time for your teen to concentrate on creating a "SAT/ACT study guide." Here are some tips you can give your teen to get started.
• Divide the study guide into three sections: math, critical reading and writing.
• For each section, write down your weak areas.
• Under the weak areas, write down any formulas, vocabulary words or grammar rules that you need to learn.
• Flip through the quick guide once a day.

10-15 Points
Practice makes perfect. Give your teen these testing tips to consider while he continues to map out his strategy for the big day.
• Skip an answer. If you are unsure of an answer, skip the question and go back if time permits.
• Share your time. Don't spend too much time on any single question.
• Read, read, read. Read the questions and answers critically.
• End each section by reviewing. Revisit the questions that you either circled or marked with a question mark.
• Stop and check. After every few questions, stop and check to make sure the question number on the answer sheet corresponds with the question being answered in the test booklet.






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15-20 Points
Your teen is on her way to achieving a great score on the SAT or the ACT! Give her these last minute tips to top off her test preparation.
• Enter the exam with confidence. Know the instructions for each section before you enter the exam room -- don't waste time reading the instruction the day of the exam.
• The night before, read a book or a magazine. This is a good way to work your mind with a non-stressful subject.
• Get a good night sleep before the exam.
• Always eat breakfast.
• Relax! You’re prepared. Go in confident.

To find out more about SAT/ACT test preparation opportunities at Sylvan Learning, visit the “College Prep” area of www.SylvanLearning.com