Feeling the pressure of looming CRCT testing week?

The CRCT is WHEN????? AARGH!!! I don’t have enough time to prepare… I have too much paperwork to deal with this! Relax- Here are 3 down and dirty, quick and easy steps to help you increase your students’ achievement on our most beloved yearly assessment! Here are 3 down and dirty, quick and easy steps to help you increase your students’ achievement on our most beloved yearly assessment!

STEP 1: Use “The 12 Powerful Words” These 12 words tend to “trip up” the at-risk student on standardized tests. Simply integrate them into your regular daily activities and watch your children’s test scores rise!

Twelve Words: Trace-   List in steps   Outline 1 23

Twelve Words: Analyze-   Break Apart   Study

Twelve Words: Infer-   Read between the lines

Twelve Words: Evaluate-   Judge

Twelve Words: Formulate-   Create

Twelve Words: Describe-   Tell all about

Twelve Words: Support-   Back up with details

Twelve Words: Explain-   Tell how

Twelve Words: Summarize-   Give the short version

Twelve Words: Compare-   Ways alike

Twelve Words: Contrast-   Ways different

Twelve Words: Predict-   What happens next

12 Words Song – tune Are You Sleeping? (Introduce 1 word at a time; then build to it) Can you __________? (word) Yes we can. SynonymSynonym We can __________. (word) Example: Can you trace? Example: Can you trace? Can you trace? Yes we can. Follow the steps. We can trace.

STEP 2: “Unraavel” Use this strategy to increase your students’ reading comprehension and math problem solving skills for the CRCT.

UNRAAVEL Reading Comprehension Strategy U nderline the title N ow predict the passage R ead through the passage A re the important words circled? V enture through the passa E liminate wrong answers L et the question be answered Double check your work! IMPORTANT WORDS ARE: bold italics underlined highlighted ALL CAPITALS (in parenthesis) “in quotation marks” *marked with an asterisk in a different font or color UNRAAVEL Reading Comprehension Strategy U nderline the title N ow predict the passage R ead through the passage A re the important words circled? V enture through the passage E liminate wrong answers L et the question be answered Double check your work! IMPORTANT WORDS ARE: bold italics underlined highlighted ALL CAPITALS (in parenthesis) “in quotation marks” *marked with an asterisk in a different font or color

UNRAAVEL Math Word Problem – Solving Strategy U nderline the question N ow predict what you think you need to do to solve the problem R ead the word problem A re the important words circled? (especially clue words) A pply the step(s) you chose to solve the problem V erify your answer (is it reasonable; does it make sense?) E liminate wrong answers L et the answer stay or rework the problem Double check your work! UNRAAVEL Math Word Problem – Solving Strategy U nderline the question N ow predict what you think you need to do to solve the problem R ead the word problem A re the important words circled? (especially clue words) A pply the step(s) you chose to solve the problem V erify your answer (is it reasonable; does it make sense?) E liminate wrong answers L et the answer stay or rework the problem Double check your work!

UNRAAVEL the “CRCT” (Sung to the tune of the “Brady Bunch” tune) Draw a line, under the title Take your best guess what it’s all about Put a number next to each paragraph To help you find the answer Take some time, and read the questions Circle all, the very important words Write down what each word means And now its time to read Chorus UNRAAVEL (ing) UNRAAVEL (ing) This is how we UNRAAVEL the “CRCT” Cross out all the wrong answers Pick the best of all that remain Paragraph numbers will prove you know the answers you know the answers Now double check your work (Chorus)

STEP 3: Ten Instructional Strategies that close The Achievement Gap Use these strategies to increase your students’ achievement levels and better prepare them for the CRCT.

#1 Stress reading every day!!!

#2 Use higher order thinking skills every day!!!

#3 Make them use complete sentences every time!

#4 Have a system to reteach missed questions.

#5 Provide structure in the classroom.

#6 Make every child participate every day.

#7 Use an inclusive/diverse curriculum all year long.

#8 Get your audience emotionally involved.

#9 Teach one grade level ahead and tell them why. Preview.

#10 NEVER give up!! And lastly, No matter how tough it gets…