CRCT Testing is just around the corner, as testing begins Monday, April 18 for students in grades 3-5. Teachers and students will spend this week getting ready for this assessment. Teachers will go over test-taking strategies, tips on how to deal with test anxiety, getting used to the testing format, and preparing students to remain focused and on-task for the required amount of time.
What is the CRCT?
The CRCT is designed to measure how well students acquire the skills and knowledge described in the Georgia Performance Standards. The assessments yield information on academic achievement at the student, class, school, system, and state levels. This information is used to diagnose individual student strengths and weaknesses as related to the instruction of the GPS, and to gauge the quality of education throughout Georgia. For more information about the CRCT, please click here.
Tips for Helping Your Child Be a Successful Test Taker
- Do praise your child for the things he or she does well, and be supportive of his or her efforts, especially in areas or activities that are challenging. Kids who feel good about themselves and their abilities-and who aren't fearful about making mistakes-will feel more confident, and less anxious, when taking the test.
- Do talk with your child about what they're doing in class and ask what he or she is reading. Studies show that kids who talked with their families on a weekly basis about school and what they were reading scored higher on the national standardized reading test than kids who talked about these things with their families less often.
- Do limit your child's TV time. Studies show that kids who watched fewer than three hours of television a day scored higher on the national reading test than those who watched more.
- Do express a positive attitude about the test and confidence in your child's ability to do well on it. Research shows that parents' and teachers' attitudes influence children's attitudes. So if you're upbeat and encouraging about the test, your child is likely to feel good about it.
- Do encourage your child to read-newspapers, magazines, food labels, recipes, letters, and instructions, in addition to fiction and nonfiction books. Test makers draw on a wide variety of formats when choosing items to evaluate reading comprehension skills.
- Do realize that putting too much emphasis on the test and the results can increase your child's anxiety about the test. Too much anxiety can prevent your child from doing his or her best.
- Do reassure your child that test scores are only one measure of his or her abilities, not the whole picture. Don't judge your child on the basis of his or her test score.
- Do ensure that your child gets a good night's sleep the night before the test and eats a nutritious breakfast the day of the test.
These tips were taken from the Jan. 05 issue of Creative Classroom
Testing Resources
- Elementary School Tutoring - Site for practice tests
- Test Taking Strategies - Tips for Multiple Choice Questions
- Scholastic - Taking the Stress Out of Testing
