Here's some last minute suggestions with 1 month to go before the 2011 PSSA tests.

1. 1 month to go! Specific strategies for Donaldson teachers to help master reading eligible content.

3. Review/drill the lower level skills i.e. identify.

4. If anything could be mastered in a month, they are the lower level skills. See links below for grade level eligible content – ‘Identification’ skills highlighted.3rd grade4th grade5th grade

5. How to Practice, Practice, Practice Drill those lower level skills. Quizlets Jeopardy Labs Teacher Sites -> 5th Grade, (4th Grade, 3rd Grade coming soon!) List of Harcourt sites by SKILL. (For 5th, it’s in Fifth Grade web page.) HARCOURT Practice book pages….see back of book for skills and page numbers. Use released items or another test (on PSSA Reading Resources, Buckle Down, Coach, etc) to assess daily.

6. Test Taking Strategies Eliminate choices. Teach it. Expect it on every multiple choice activity they do. Other Other Other 1 graphic organizer to use with ALL open ended. More on that…..

8. Use released items.

9. Re-discover Harcourt and write your own questions to go along with previously read stories. Look at the “Making Connections” page after the selection and they usually have 1 decent starting point.What to know: Any eligible content with the words “explain, describe, summarize, compare, or infer” could be an open ended question. Use existing open ended question phrasing to help you write your own questions. And now the writing problems begin……

11. You find yourself ‘pulling them up’ to your desk to discuss, restate or expand upon their answer. It could be a writing issue not a reading issue.

12. Using the SAME graphic organizer WILL help them gain confidence, give them a starting point to write, and allow them to focus on the content.

13. Students aren’t scored lower for missing topic sentences, but if you are going to teach it, may as well teach it right! Have them rephrase the question as their topic. Style doesn’t count!

15. Monitor and Adjust Administer practice/assessment daily. 1 passage with questions & open ended – eliminate choices! Find out what they don’t know. You can’t fix what you don’t know is broken. (Focus on realistic stuff – lower level skills and writing skills to improve open-ended.) (Insert Lynanne here!) Re-teach concepts to whole class that even your capable kids are missing. If they can’t get it….. Address individual needs

17. Instead of journaling?

18. Instead of silent reading?

19. Instead of__________?

20. Send home homework.

21. Have a standard note to use with hard copy materials. (Discuss) 4th grade has lots of practice; what about 3/5?

22. Have a standard note to use with online resources. 5th grade website (4th/3rd coming!!!!)

23. Ask for it back and confer with the child. Do you see progress?

24. Use your resource people: Ruth, Leah, Beth S., Beth K. etc.