Gruber's Essential Guide to Test Taking: Grades 6-9 - Gruber Gary R. 2019

Introduction to parents

As a parent, you are the only person who can guide your child through the trauma of the test-taking experience. With the strategies and methods presented in this book, with which you yourself will be fascinated, you can help your child to realize his or her true potential and to score what he or she should be scoring on all standardized tests. The earlier your child learns these methods, the more they will become second nature to him or her and the more your child will be able to use them on upcoming tests and in schoolwork. This book will increase dramatically your child’s critical-thinking ability and test-wiseness. It is probably the most important book you can read and share with your child for your child’s future.

This book has developed out of the thousands of hours I have spent teaching parents to help their children avoid the emotional shocks resulting from low test scores, and from seemingly poor learning potential and low confidence—shocks that can cause substantial and lasting damage to the psychological and educational development of the child. The methods presented in this book are so universal that by the time your child takes a Scholastic Aptitute Test (SAT), he or she probably won’t even have to prepare for it!

When I was eleven years old, I scored 90 on my first IQ test, which was far below average. Had it not been for my father, who questioned the low score, and my own eventual development of strategies for thinking and test taking, I would never have become what I am today—“the nation’s leading authority on test taking and author of twenty-five books on the subject.”

As a parent, you must, likewise, prevent the destructive frustration that your child may experience as a result of not knowing how to reach his or her true potential. Nip that frustation in the bud by showing your child the way to demonstrate his or her true smartness, which every child has.

Here’s an example of a question that appears on many intelligence tests and on most other standardized tests. Knowing the correct strategy for answering such questions can make the difference of 30 points in an IQ, determine whether or not your child gets into a private school, and whether or not he or she learns how to think correctly.

Is Column A greater than, less than, or equal to Column B?

If your child multiplies the numbers in Column A and in Column B and then compares them, he or she will take too long and not have time to answer many other questions, or, perhaps, will make a mistake. The thinking strategy is to realize that calculating the products in the columns is not the simplest thing to do to solve the problem. And you always want your child to take the simplest approach.

Your child simply has to cancel common numbers from both columns, as follows:

And is left with:

The obvious answer is that Column A is greater than Column B.

Who knows? If your child masters this and many other such strategies and thinking skills, he or she may become a great mathematician. At least your child will like math and do better on tests. And the same holds true for verbal areas.

A word about die psychology of working with your child

Much of the material presented in this book will be as fascinating to you as it will be to your child. However, it is important that your child gradually internalize the methods and techniques and not just memorize them. So you have to work patiently with your child and slowly in some cases.

What you want to do is to gradually build your child’s confidence by giving your child the tools and methods presented in this book. But don’t rush it—go at the pace of your child. Even if your child grasps only a portion of what’s in this book, he or she will be far ahead and make significant progress in school and on tests. This book should get you and your child to truly share an exciting learning experience together. However, it is possible, in some cases, that because of your particular interaction with your child, it may be wiser for you to get someone else (an objective non-family member) to work with your child. You can find the names of such people by contacting your child’s school principal or counselor. In any event, I cannot stress how important it is, if you do work with your child, for you to be patient and share your child’s excitement at his or her own pace. You will find that you and your child will obtain a truly rewarding, multifaceted experience.

The main purpose of this book is to show you how to help your child to take a test without fear, and how to develop your child’s true potential.

This book describes for you, in clear-cut language, the various strategies and critical-thinking skills that your child should know for each of the types of questions found on standardized tests. You will quickly see how effective these strategies are, and you will learn how to answer questions using them. You should demonstrate for your child each strategy presented in this book by working with him or her on the sample questions and explanations given in the Strategy sections. Then, after going over the sample questions, you should have your child work on the additional questions at the end of each Strategy section. You will want to go over these questions carefully with your child to see whether he or she has solved them in the same strategic way that was demonstrated in this book.

In summary: Here’s the most effective plan for teaching your child the strategies found in this book.

STEP 1. PARENT: Read and understand the strategies and examples given in each of the Strategy sections in this book.

STEP 2. PARENT: Explain to your child the strategies described in the Strategy section, and then show your child how to solve the various examples presented there by using these strategies.

STEP 3. CHILD: Work on the questions at the end of the Strategy section.

STEP 4. PARENT: Check your child’s answers to these questions, and determine whether his or her solutions use the strategies and methods shown in this book. If they don’t, explain to your child how to solve the questions using the right strategy.

What parents should know about standardized tests

WHAT IS A STANDARDIZED TEST?

By definition, a “standardized test” is a test that is given in the same form, to all test takers, and is supposed to measure the same ability for everybody to whom it is given. For example, the test may measure verbal ability or math ability. This means that no matter which child takes the test, that child will obtain a score that measures his or her verbal or math ability.

The scores in these tests are usually represented in two ways: (1) a scaled score, which is derived from the number of correct answers, and (2) a percentile rank, which lets you know how your child compares with the rest of the test takers. For example, if he or she gets a 60-percentile rank, this means that 39 percent of the test takers scored above your child and 59 percent scored below your child. A 50-percentile rank would mean that your child is right in the middle: that is, just as many scored above your child as scored below.

WHAT IS AN APTITUDE TEST?

Some tests measure aptitude, and others measure achievement. An aptitude test usually has questions that do not require the student to know specific memorizable information such as facts of history, English grammar, science, math, and so on. It usually tests math ability through math skills and logical reasoning, and verbal ability through reading comprehension, analogies, and sentence completions, and vocabulary.

WHAT IS AN ACHIEVEMENT TEST?

An achievement test usually has questions that deal with factual information learned in school. However, there is really not a fine line between an achievement and an aptitude test.

HOW ARE APTITUDE TESTS AND ACHIEVEMENT TESTS SIMILAR?

As you will see, one can increase his or her “aptitude” by learning specific critical-thinking skills or strategies, and so do far better on “aptitude” tests. Thus the aptitude test somehow becomes an “achievement” test, since the material tested can be learned. In fact, in recent years some of the test names have actually been changed to reflect this situation. For example, the Aptitude Test of the Graduate Record Examination (a nationwide graduate entrance exam) has recently been changed to Graduate Record Examination, General Test. Even the Scholastic Aptitude Test (given for the last forty years) may be changed to Scholastic Assessment Test for College Entrance.

In this book we will zero in on the most important and common types of questions on standardized tests. They are:

VERBAL

1. Analogies.

This type of test shows whether your child can reason with words. It tests to see whether your child can make meaningful analogies between sets of words. This is perhaps the best way to test verbal aptitude or intelligence. Sometimes the questions also test: vocabulary, especially if the words in the analogy or in the choices are difficult.

2. Vocabulary.

This type of test shows whether the student knows the meanings of certain words important to his or her projected level of reading or comprehension. The questions that appear can be in many different forms. Opposites of words may be tested; prefixessuffixes, or roots of words may be tested. A word might also have to be defined based on the context of a sentence.

3. Sentence completion.

This type of test determines whether the child can fill in a missing word based on the context of the rest of the sentence. It actually tests two things: reading comprehension and analytical ability. Vocabulary also is sometimes tested.

4. Reading comprehension.

This type of test reveals to what extent your child can comprehend a reading passage. The question may ask the child to recall specific things in the passage; it may ask the child to infer certain things from reading the passage; or it may ask the child to select the best title for the passage. The reading comprehension question can take on many different forms. Usually a passage from fifty to three hundred words is presented with questions that follow. However, your child may be given only a single sentence and a question about the sentence.

5. Writing ability.

This type of test tells you how well your child can write conforming to standard rules of written English. The questions test whether and to what extent your child knows when and how to capitalize and punctuate, and how to express a sentence clearly. The more your child reads, and the more you talk with your child, the more familiar he or she will be with the rules of English and thus be able to express sentences with good English grammar.

MATH

1. Regular malfa questions.

This is the most common type of math question asked. It is used to test a variety of things. The question may test how well your child is able to compute or calculate something, or whether your child can manipulate certain math quantities effectively, or how well your child can set up or effectively initiate the solution to a math question. Or it may test how well your child reasons using math rules, and how well your child can translate word problems into math format. These questions can also measure whether your child is able to solve a problem the quickest way.

2. Quantitative-comparison.

In these questions, your child is given two quantities, one in Column A and the other in Column B, and he or she has to make a comparison between the columns. This type of question tests how clever your child is in making the comparison, and whether your child can make a comparison with the least amount of calculation or effort. Logical reasoning is measured, since your child has to determine the most logical way of attacking the problem. In these questions, it is very rare that the child will have to tediously calculate quantities. Usually the child can (or should) manipulate the quantities from one column to another to make a comparison. The child who painstakingly calculates everything scores lowest on this type of question.

In all math questions, both regular math and the quantitative-comparison, there are two things that your child must do to markedly increase his or her score, and “aptitude.” First, your child must learn the most important math concepts and rules (found in this book); second, learn the critical-thinking skills or strategies that will use these concepts and rules. One cannot be done without the other.

Four general test-taking skills

The following skills will help your child make the most efficient use of his or her time during the actual test situation, when seconds or minutes saved can greatly improve his or her score.

1. CODE THE QUESTIONS

When your child is not sure of an answer to a question, he or she should put a question mark before the question number and not spend much time on the question. Your child can always go back to the question if there is time, and he or she will know which questions to go back to by seeing the coded question marks.

Here’s an example: (A check [✓] can also be used for questions your child thinks he or she got right.)

EXAMPLE

Choose the word that is closest in meaning to the capitalized word:

✓ 1. ADMIRE (A) work like (C) set (D) hurt

? 2. VAPOROUS (A) tired (B) simple like a gas hot

✓ 3. VAST big (B) simple (C) broken (D) close

You should encourage your child to make as many marks on the question paper as he or she needs to. Many students try to keep their question paper clean. That’s a mistake. The question papers aren’t graded—only the answer sheets.

2. DONT GET LURED INTO THE CHOICE A CHOICE!

One of the pitfalls confronting all test takers is the tendency to get lured into wrong but good-looking choices, that is, choices that sound correct. And usually this lure is Choice A, because the test makers realize that that’s the first choice your child will see. Here’s an example.

EXAMPLE

What is the smallest amount of an American coin that is greater in value than a nickel (5C)?

Your child may choose , since is greater than . That’s a lure. If your child reads the question more carefully, he or she will realize that what is being described is a coin greater in value than . That’s a dime . Your child should be wary and think tw ice about these seemingly easy Choice A answers.

3. DONT LEAVE ANSWERS BLANK ON THE ANSWER SHEET

Have your child make sure that he or she never leaves an answer blank on the answer sheet. He or she should solidly mark in the answer to each question:

EXAMPLE

1 (A) (B) (C) (D) (E)

2 (A) (B) (C) (D) (E)

3 (A) (B) (C) (D) (E)

For any answer that your child has guessed at, he or she can always put a question mark beside it, so that later he or she can change this answer. The reason for marking every answer is to avoid the possibility of mismarking the answer sheet, by putting the right answer in the wrong box, because of a skipped answer. Your child should answer every question even if there’s a penalty for guessing incorrectly, because the penalty is much offset by the probability of a right answer. Your child should never never leave an answer blank if he or she can eliminate one or more incorrect choices.

4. DEVELOP GOOD TIMING

WHEN CERTAIN ABOUT AN ANSWER

If your child feels immediately that one of the choices is correct, he or she shouldn’t spend any time looking at the other choices, but should mark the answer sheet with that choice. However, he or she should be sure that the choice is not merely a lure choice (Choice A). If there is no reason to suspect this, your child need not waste time considering other choices that are necessarily incorrect.

WHEN SKIPPING QUESTIONS

Make sure your child knows that if he or she skips a question, he or she must also skip the number on the answer sheet. Your child should make sure that each answer is marked in the space numbered the same as the question being answered.

TOWARD THE END OF THE TEST

When the exam proctor announces that there are, let’s say, ten minutes left, your child should complete all the questions he or she can in that time. If there is some time remaining after all the answer boxes have been filled, your child should recheck the answers about which he or she was not sure. It is permitted to change answers on the answer sheet. However, if your child wants to change an answer, he or she should erase the first answer completely, and then fill in the new choice. Your child should always spot-check to see that all answer boxes have only one answer filled in; otherwise the box will be marked wrong, even if one of the answers was correct. Your child should also spot-check the answers to those questions about which he or she was certain, to be sure that the answer was put in the right answer box. He or she should do this with a few answers; this will ensure against losing a whole string of points because of one mis-marked answer.