I recently had a conversation with a math teacher friend. She teaches 7th grade, and we were lamenting about the fact that too many students don't know how to study for a math test. Even with guidelines and verbal discussions and such, it does not really occur to some students to whip out the old homework and book and notes and redo problems from scratch and put yourself in a testing situation.
She said something that I may have to try in the future. She said she no longer tells them to "study" for the upcoming math tests. She says she tells them to "practice" for the upcoming math test. In this way, maybe the light bulb may go off in their heads and they may just redo problems instead of reading over notes and nodding their heads to themselves that, yes, they get what is being done.
I teach 6th and 7th graders, so learning to study is a must for them! I came up with the idea for a blank study guide. I make a blank study guide that they must fill out the night before the test.
ReplyDeleteIn section one, they list the concepts in the current chapter that they haven't mastered, In section 2, they list any notecards that they don't know yet. In section 3, they must work example problems from the concepts they do not have mastery on in section one. They may get these problems from their book, notecards, notes, or homework.
I take them up before they take the test to ensure that they have completed it.
I am going to blog about the study guide this week and post the study guide page I created.
That sounds great. In this way it makes them reflect on what they know/don't know. I'll look for your post. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMs. Cookie
I posted the study guide. : )
ReplyDeletehttp://ispeakmath.wordpress.com/2010/10/08/concept-based-blank-study-guides/