Reading Sage

"The Dyslexic Reading Teacher Sean Taylor" Literacy for me was almost an unrealized unattainable dream! As a dyslexic learner I was unable to read, write, or decode words as a child, p,d,b and q were all the same letter. Many classroom teachers assumed I would never read or write due to the severity of my dyslexia and this made me feel worthless. I am a dyslexic reading teacher that has built a reputation for finding innovative ways "FREE" to teach reading to all students!

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Reading Tests: What Do The Scores Mean

Grade 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 Reading test scores explained in measurable terms. You might ask what does the reading test score really mean for my child? Does the test score equate to real reading ability or advanced level reading concepts? Do the test give a grade level equivalent score? Can the test scores show how much growth a student makes in a year? Can I retake the reading test and improve my scale, rit, derived scores, Staninesm, and raw scores?

The explanation of reading test scores below is in general terms. The levels are based on a scale that equates to,

5-4: Advanced

1-0: Falls Far Below

Above Level Readers: Advanced Reading Students – Performance Level 4 Advanced students can identify text genres, words with multiple meanings, and idiomatic expressions; support multiple generalizations from details, determine cause/effect relationships; interpret literary allusions; infer by visualizing actions; synthesize figurative language to make connections/draw conclusions; interpret literary elements, plot, exposition, conclusion, and strures and styles of writing, evaluate/make inferences to determine author’s background, purpose, tone, theme, and style in complex literature; analyze sophisticated stylistic techniques with examples; draw conclusions from multiple sources; and locate information from a variety of media, determining relevance for a specific purpose. Students can organize and synthesize information from complex texts; determine main idea and word meaning from context; activate background knowledge; apply information from text to graphics; discriminate among shades of meaning and text features to make inferences and determine author’s attitude, tone, and purpose; draw conclusions from inferences and graphics; determine cause/effect relationships; incorporate metaphorical thinking; interpret complex figurative language, identify character motivation and audience; and demonstrate accurate use of information from a variety of references.

Grade Lever Readers: Proficient or Basic Reading Students – Performance Level 3 Students can organize and synthesize information from complex texts; determine main idea and word meaning from context; activate background knowledge; apply information from text to graphics; discriminate among shades of meaning and text features to make inferences and determine author’s attitude, tone, and purpose; draw conclusions from inferences and graphics; determine cause/effect relationships; incorporate metaphorical thinking; interpret complex figurative language, identify character motivation and audience; and demonstrate accurate use of information from a variety of references. Students can use strategies to demonstrate comprehension of basic reading materials by sequencing events, using context clues, drawing conclusions, and determining author’s basic purpose.

Below Grade Level Readers: Below or Emergent Students – Performance Level 2 Students use limited strategies to demonstrate comprehension of basic reading materials by sequencing events, using context clues, drawing conclusions, and determining author’s basic purpose. Students can identify the main idea of a basic reading selection.

Emergent Readers: Falls far Bellow Grade Level Unsatisfactory – Performance Level 1 Students can identify the main idea of a basic reading selection.

Beginning Reader (BR): Learning to read Unsatisfactory – Performance Level 0 Students can identify letters and some basic words in a reading selection.

GRADE 5, 6, 7, and 8 STAAR TEST READING PASSAGES

GRADE 5, 6, 7, and 8 STAAR TEST READING PASSAGES with TEST QUESTIONS

STAAR READING TEST PASSAGES EXPOSITORY: DRAWING CONCLUSION, INFERENCE, INFERRING AN AUTHOR'S PURPOSE

The STAAR reading passages are written with a concentration of tier 2 and tier 3 key academic testing vocabulary! STAAR Literary Nonfiction reading test passages help students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about theme, authors purpose/ point of view, and genre. These are teacher made STAAR reading tests and they are beta versions.

Advanced STAAR reading students can identify text genres, word meanings, and idiomatic expressions; support multiple generalizations from details, determine cause/effect relationships; interpret literary allusions; infer by visualizing actions; synthesize figurative language to make connections/draw conclusions; evaluate/make inferences to determine author’s background, purpose, tone, theme, and style in complex literature; analyze sophisticated stylistic techniques with examples; draw conclusions from multiple sources; and locate information from a variety of media, determining relevance for a specific purpose.

HOT Academic Vocabulary | Discussion Ideas

environment, equate, equivalent, establish, evaluate, and evident, compare, bias, contrast, opinion, fact, cause, effect

Renewable Resources, Wind Solar and Hydroelectric:

FACTS & STATISTICS

Renewable or green energy resources are a sustainable solution for the world's future energy needs. Greenhouse gases could be a factor in rising global temperatures and a reduction or secession is warranted. How can we be certain that human-released greenhouse gases are causing global warming? Politicians and a few scientist have debated against the rising tide of evidence that greenhouse gases are the cause of global warming. The facts are, we have polluted the atmosphere; the question is what is the consequence? Ever since the inception of the industrial revolution and the consequent rise in the use of nonrenewable fossil fuels like oil and coal, most climate scientists believe this is a possible precursor to a drastic change in climate. A possible lack of adroit awareness concerning the importance of switching to renewable green resources is the prime reason behind its lack of urgency to implement sustainable solutions. However, the uses of the alternate sources of energy are on the rise, and a few interesting facts and statistics can help in providing a better insight into what its true potentials are.

Wind energy is one of the most abundant forms of energy on the planet, and a single wind turbine is capable of producing enough electricity to run around 300 homes on average. Windmills have been around for more than two millennia, and they were used by ancient civilizations for myriad uses from drawing water to crushing grains.
However, the modern wind turbine to generate electricity was first installed by Siemens more than three decades back, and it produced just 30 kilowatts of power. The latest wind turbine from the same company produces 6 megawatts, which is 25,000 more than the earlier amount, and is enough to light up more than 6,000 homes. Wind is a result of the uneven heating caused by the solar radiation of the earth’s surface.
The earth absorbs only a small portion of the incident solar radiation, while reflecting everything else back. However, only 0.30% of the earth’s surface would be needed for setting up solar panels that could provide enough electricity to meet the energy needs for every human on earth.
Pound for pound, advanced silicon-based solar panels are capable of producing the same amount of electricity as the nuclear rods. However, since every part of the solar panels is recyclable, they have a negligible impact of the environment. On the other hand, nuclear power generation has the associated issue of hazardous radioactive waste products.
Earth receives more solar energy per hour than all humans can use in an entire year. In fact, solar panels and wind turbines provide more than 100 times better energy yields compared to the non-renewal energy resources.
The manufacturing of solar cells is much less taxing on the environment compared to manufacturing of conventional energy technologies because it emits 90% less pollutants. Moreover, solar energy can also serve as a considerable source of employment generation. This is because for every 10 megawatts of solar energy generated annually anywhere on the planet, anywhere between 200 to 400 individuals receives employment in the various sectors of solar energy industry such as research, development, manufacturing, and installation.
While larger countries such as USA, China, and India are the leading producers of pollutants and greenhouse gasses such as CO₂, smaller countries have at taken the lead and are at the forefront of utilizing non-renewable energy resources. Thus, Iceland receives its entire energy supply from geothermal energy sources, while Paraguay receives 90% of its energy requirements from the Itaipu Dam.
Hydroelectric power generation has been one of the oldest forms of harnessing of renewable energy resources by humans. Its cost of generation per unit is among the lowest, while it also helps in cutting down carbon emission. Dams built for hydroelectric electricity generation also has a number of additional uses such as irrigation, navigation, and shipping.
The share of hydroelectric power’s contribution to world energy requirements stands at around 20%, and it has remained steady at this level for quite some time. Several factors discouraging its widespread utilization are the mammoth initial investment and adverse impacts on the local population by causing dislocation and flooding.

DOK Level 2 and 3 Reading Comprehension Questions

1. What conclusions can you draw from the article

a. Global warming is debated as a political hoax

b. Renewable resources are not coast effective

c. Solar power is inefficient and only works in full sun

d. Green energy is possible solution to the increased levels of greenhouse gasses such as CO₂

2. What facts would you select to support the theory that renewable energy is a sustainable choice?

a. Paraguay receives 90% of its energy requirements from the Itaipu Dam.

b. Pound for pound, advanced silicon-based solar panels are capable of producing the same amount of electricity as the nuclear rod.

c. Nuclear power generation has the associated issue of hazardous radioactive waste products.

d. Hydroelectric power generation has been one of the oldest forms of harnessing of renewable energy resources by humans.

3. What examples are used to ague that Climate changes is caused by the burning of fossil fuels?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

STAAR TEST READING PASSAGES Questions

According to the author, what role can renewable energy resources play in saving the earth’s environment?

Renewable energy resources can help in cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions
Renewable energy resources are limited in amount and will end before causing any harm to the atmosphere
Renewable energy resources do not require any investment for developing technologies compatible to it

What was the power generation capacity of the oldest commercial wind turbine set up by Siemens?

30 kilowatt
30 megawatt
30 gigawatt

How much of earth’s surface is adequate for setting up solar panels to meet earth’s energy consumption?

0.03%
0.3%
3%

Solar panels and wind turbines provide __ times better energy yield compared to non-renewable energy sources

10
100
1000

According to the author, development of solar technology is better for the environment because

It emits 90% less pollutants than conventional technologies
The people involved are highly skilled
Solar panels take less space compared to conventional power generation equipment

Share of hydroelectric power in total power output is around

What is/are the probable cause/s behind the limited popularity of hydroelectric power generation?

Mammoth initial investment required
Adverse impacts on the local population such as dislocation
An adverse impact on the local population by causing flooding.
All of the above

RECYCLING FACTS & STATISTICS

Our Earth is capable of fulfilling all our needs but none of our greed. Thus, it has become important that recycling take precedence over-exploitation of newer resources in a bid to provide a more comfortable life to the people.

Almost 60 to 70% of the waste materials that reach the dumps are of a recyclable nature that people can reuse with productive outcome. Similarly, more than half of that same waste can be composted to enhance fertility of soil and increase crop production without the need of using chemical fertilizers.
Plastic is often the nuisance number one when it comes to non-biodegradable wastes since it takes almost 700 years to dispose naturally in a landfill. Moreover, it constitutes more than half of the total recyclable wastes that are present in the dumps. In fact, we are dumping more than 250,000 plastic bottles, and the recyclable plastics kill hundreds and thousands of sea creatures every year.
Famous chocolate brands from across the world uses aluminum to wrap their products to make it more presentable and attractive to their customers. People enjoy these products but do not think twice about recycling the aluminum wraps, which almost always ends in the dustbin. However, the energy, manpower, and money required for manufacturing these wraps from virgin material is almost hundreds that from recycled aluminum metal. Most people are unaware of the monetary and environmental benefits of recycling these seemingly insignificant items such as aluminum wrappings around their favorite chocolate products.
Recycling of paper is fortunately more popular than that of most other materials. Even then, trees felled for the purpose of manufacturing of paper and various allied products is going on at an unimaginable rate of more than 100 acres of wooded land per minute. This alarming rate of deforestation is leading to further skewing of balance between the production and absorption of carbon dioxide on a global scale. Recycling of paper is the only way to put a cap on this alarming development.
A fully-grown tree can yield around 700 paper grocery bags on an average, which an average supermarket can consume in less than an hour. On the other hand, it takes around a minimum of 15 to 20 years for a tree to reach its maximum size. Therefore, one single supermarket can consume a whole trees within an hour, which took nearly a couple of decades to grow.
On the other hand, recycling a ton of paper can help in saving 17 trees, 350 pounds of limestone, 275 pounds of sulfur, 9,000 pounds of steam, 60,000 gallons of water, 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space, and 225 kilowatts of water. Moreover, recycling of paper consumes energy which is nearly 70% less compared to what making paper from virgin wood and other raw materials would have required. In fact, by recycling paper that is worth saving 14 trees, recyclers can reduce air pollutants by a whopping amount of 165,142 tons.
Glass is among the few items that are completely recyclable while takes the maximum time to decompose in landfills. However, the tragedy lies in the fact that most of the glass items end in landfills instead of being recycled because of lack of awareness. Even then, there is a distinct rise in the demand for cullet or the recycled glass because of the less consumption of electricity in their processing compared to manufacturing of virgin glass.
Styrofoam items such as coffee cups have become immensely popular, but these are not biodegradable. The discarded Styrofoam items end in landfills and remain there for centuries. Thus, it is essential to say no these products and instead opt for biodegradable options such as paper and clay cups.

Questions

According to the author, why does recycling need to take precedence over exploring new resources?

Because recycling is the latest in-thing
Because the earth can only fulfill our needs but not our greed
Because recycling has been made mandatory by international law

What is the percentage of recyclable waste materials that are dumped?

60 – 70%
65 – 75%
30 – 60%

Dumping plastic indiscriminately into landfills is not a good idea because

Plastic is practically non-biodegradable and remains in landfills for hundreds of years
More plastic items are dumped than can be disposed of without causing harm to the environment
All of the above

The act of cutting down tree for various industrial purposes can be summed into a single term

Reforestation
Deforestation
Afforestation

Recycled glass is known by the term of

cullet
green glass
glass aggregates

What are the best substitutes to the use of Styrofoam coffee cups according to the author?

Paper and clay cups
Plastic containers
Glass bottles

According to the author, what is the main reason behind the limited popularity of recycling?

Lack of proper awareness
Because people are lazy, careless, and callous about nature
Because recycling is not a profitable or coast effective option

Saturday, June 6, 2015

Just for Today by Sybil F. Partridge

Just for Today by Sybil F. Partridge 1916, from How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie.

The book's goal is to lead the reader to a more enjoyable and fulfilling life, helping them to become more aware of, not only themselves, but others around them. Carnegie tries to address the everyday nuances of living, in order to get the reader to focus on more important aspects of life.

Just For Today: Socratic Seminar with critical thinking quotes

BEFORE SOCRATIC SEMINAR

Reading the Text

Read through the entire selection without stopping to think about any particular section. Pay attention to your first impression as to what the reading is about. Look for the main points and then go back and reread it.
The second time you read it, talk to the text. a. Underline major points, quotes, key ideas, or emphasized statements. b. Put vertical lines at the margins to emphasize a statement already underlined or a passage too long to be underlined. c. Put a star to emphasize major points. d. Put numbers in margin to indicate sequence or rank of importance. e. Put numbers of other pages where point is also mentioned. f. Circle interesting keywords or phrases. Write in the margin any questions that come to mind.

Opening Questions?

What do you think was the wisdom that the author was trying to impart to you?
What in your thinking has changed after reading the article?
What actions will take after reading the article?

Just for today I will be happy. This assumes that what Abraham Lincoln said is true, that "most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." Happiness is from within; it is not a matter of externals.

Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better take things as they come along with patience and equanimity. Carl Jung

Just for today I will try to adjust myself to what is, and not try to adjust everything to my own desires. I will take my family, my business, and my luck as they come and fit myself to them.

The best luck of all is the luck you make for yourself. Douglas MacArthur

Just for today I will take care of my body. I will exercise it, care for it, nourish it, not abuse it nor neglect it, so that it will be a perfect machine for my bidding.

Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far. Thomas Jefferson

Just for today I will try to strengthen my mind. I will learn something useful. I will not be a mental loafer. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration.

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. Benjamin Franklin

The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries. Rene Descartes

Just for today I will exercise my soul in three ways: I will do somebody a good turn and not get found out. I will do at least two things I don't want to do, as William James suggests, just for exercise.

The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire. Ferdinand Foch

Just for today I will be agreeable. I will look as well as I can, dress as becomingly as possible, talk low, act courteously, be liberal with praise, criticize not at all, nor find fault with anything and not try to regulate nor improve anyone.

Most of us, swimming against the tides of trouble the world knows nothing about, need only a bit of praise or encouragement - and we will make the goal. Robert Collier

Just for today I will try to live through this day only, not to tackle my whole life problem at once. I can do things for twelve hours that would appall me if I had to keep them up for a lifetime.

Today I choose life. Every morning when I wake up I can choose joy, happiness, negativity, pain... To feel the freedom that comes from being able to continue to make mistakes and choices - today I choose to feel life, not to deny my humanity but embrace it. Kevyn Aucoin

Just for today I will have a program. I will write down what I expect to do every hour. I may not follow it exactly, but I will have it. It will eliminate two pests, hurry and indecision.

Indecision may come from an instinctive hunch that there's more you need to know - which means it's time to learn everything you can about the pros and cons of each option. You can continue on this track, however, only as long as you're unearthing genuinely new information. Martha Beck

Just for today I will have a quiet half-hour all by myself and relax. In this half-hour sometimes I will think of God, so as to get a little more perspective into my life.

We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls. Mother Teresa

Just for today I will be unafraid, especially I will not be afraid to be happy, to enjoy what is beautiful, to love, and to believe that those I love, love me. If we want to develop a mental attitude that will bring us peace and happiness, here is Rule 1: Think and act cheerfully, and you will feel cheerful.

Fear keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future. If we can acknowledge our fear, we can realize that right now we are okay. Right now, today, we are still alive, and our bodies are working marvelously. Our eyes can still see the beautiful sky. Our ears can still hear the voices of our loved ones. Thich Nhat Hanh

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart. Helen Keller

You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection. Buddha

If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you. Jesus Christ

You can make positive deposits in your own economy every day by reading and listening to powerful, positive, life-changing content and by associating with encouraging and hope-building people. Zig Ziglar

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Motivational Quotes For Teachers, Parents, and Students!

Motivational Quotes For Teachers, Parents, and Students! - Top Ten Great Quotes about Attitude and Success!

Why have your students read and discuss inspirational quotes? Motivation, wisdom, discussion, critical thinking, and academic discourse (explain complex ideas)! Students need a push, a challenge, and some encouragement. We rise to a challenge and find our inner fire when we read what others appreciate about felicity, erudite concepts, success, and a winning attitude. Everyone should seek wisdom daily and reading and discussing great quotes benefits all of us. Can your class benefit from inspirational quotes, here are ten great ones to start you off. Your assignment is to find more inspirational quotes and share them on the Reading Sage blog!

"Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are." - Dale Carnegie

"Do not wait; the time will never be 'just right.' Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along." - Napoleon Hill

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Some men see things as they are and say, "Why?" I dream of things that never were and say, "Why not?" - George Bernard Shaw

"A small trouble is like a pebble. Hold it too close to your eye and it fills the whole world and puts everything out of focus. Hold it at a proper distance and it can be examined and properly classified. Throw it at your feet and it can be seen in its true setting, just one more tiny bump on the pathway of life." - Celia Luce

"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." - Carl Bard

"I'm not telling you it is going to be easy - I'm telling you it's going to be worth it" - Art Williams

Attitude "There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative." - W. Clement Stone

"Nothing on earth can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude." - Thomas Jefferson

"A person cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances." - James Allen

"Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning." - Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) Gandhi

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Grade 3-8 OAA Ohio Achievement Tests

Ohio (PARCC) OAA PDF Released Reading and Math Test Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 | Raise (PARCC) OAA test scores with practice pretest | Ohio OAA practice summer retest online, Use the OAA Ohio's Achievement Assessments below to prepare for the OAA testing window in 2015-2016

Practice Tests: Grades 3-8 Achievement Tests
Grade 3 - Achievement Tests
Grade 4 - Achievement Tests
Grade 5 - Achievement Tests
Grade 6 - Achievement Tests
Grade 7 - Achievement Tests
Grade 8 - Achievement Tests

Types of Tests

Objective tests typically deal with true-or-false questions, matching, multiple choice, identifications, and completions. As you've probably figured out, these tests are more convenient to grade and are often graded by machines. For some students, however, these can be worse than essay tests. Particularly nightmarish are questions without an obvious answer but rather a confusing array of answer options, such as:

A
B
C
D
A, B, and D
B and C
A and C
All of the above
None of the above

A, B, and D? What kind of mind, you may wonder, dreams up such a test? We don't know.

But we do know that this kind of test—which might cause you to have acid flashbacks to the OAAs, or any other "achievement" tests you may have endured on your journey to higher grades—throws a lot of people.

No test is a perfect instrument for measuring a student's progress; each year, some of the most capable students—people who think clearly, write and talk well, and work hard—fail to come through exams with the good grades they genuinely deserve. Maybe they suffer from what educational psychologists call "test anxiety"—believed to affect about 25 percent of all students, some much more than others. The numbers are thought to be even higher for minority students. For whatever reason, some good students just don't "test well."

Others, however, seem to outdo themselves, to perform above their capabilities during exams. These students may not be brilliant, but they're shrewd enough to squeeze the full mileage out of the knowledge they do possess. Also, they take everything they're given—and sometimes professors give away quite a bit. Most professors have never taken Tests and Measurements, Educational Psychology, or other courses in teaching methods and techniques. Partly as a result, they often goof up on their own exams—unintentionally dropping hints for those students clever enough to take advantage of them. Hey, a break for you!

This question, for instance, might show up on an American History exam:

At the onset of World War II, the President of the United States was:
A. Harry S Truman
B. Dwight D. Eisenhower
C. Franklin D. Roosevelt
D. Herbert C. Hoover

Okay. Assume you're stumped by that one. Later in the same test, however, you find:

During the early days of World War II, President Roosevelt's Secretary of State was:
A. Henry Wallace
B. Cordell Hull
C. George C. Marshall
D. Douglas MacArthur

Well, you may not know who the Secretary of State was (Mr. Hull), but you would have to be pretty unobservant not to have noticed that the second question provides a big clue—the answer, in fact—to the first.

"I've left myself open to just this kind of thing many times," admits one professor, "and I'm amazed at how few students have grabbed the freebies that have been available to them."

The take-home message here: Grab the freebies. If you really study the test, you can pick up clues that add points to your score. It may not be much, but every little bit helps. Here are some other tips:
Don't leave anything blank. You have a shot at points if you make a stab at an answer. You get diddley squat if you leave it blank. On true-or-false questions, you have a fifty-fifty chance of getting it right; on a multiple-choice question, your odds are usually no worse than one in four. On short-answer questions, a grader may give you a mercy point or two for at least making the effort—any effort—even if your answer is almost entirely wrong. (Warning: Some test penalize their students for guessing. Be sure to find out what your school's policy is before you take the test!)

Be ruthless with your time. Suppose you're asked to identify the term "rationalism." Each identification is worth, say, five points and should be answered briefly. But wait! It just so happens that you studied the heck out of rationalism; therefore, you're tempted to write three full pages on the subject to show off your hard-earned knowledge. Don't. It's not worth it. Let it go. You're only going to get five points, tops, no matter how much you write. So answer the question swiftly and move on. Don't tell everything you know on this question; nobody cares. The shrewdest test-takers respect the Point of Diminishing Returns and are ruthless in allocating their time. They demolish the easy stuff quickly and efficiently, saving up those precious extra minutes for the really tough questions that carry big point values.

The essay exam, some professors assert, calls for a higher order of mental processes. Instead of merely recognizing material, as in objective tests, you must also be prepared to organize it, evaluate it, argue with it, generalize and particularize from it, and relate it to other situations. If an objective test calls for knowledge, then an essay exam calls for knowledge, judgment, and skill. Your judgment will be demonstrated by how well you organize your thoughts (what you use and what you leave out), and your skill by how well you present what you know.

How to Raise Ohio OAA Test Scores | Math Reading

How to Improve Ohio Achievement Assessments (OAA) Reading Test Scores | How To Pass the (OAA) Reading and Math Test

Ohio Achievement Assessments (OAA) Reading Test:

There are two key parts to adroit OAA test preparation. The first is developing close reading strategies that teach students to read like writers and the second is rigorous tier 2 and 3 vocabulary study. Then there are the specific test-taking skills that will boost your score. How to take the OAA test and get a high score, OAA test taking vocabulary review, Close reading test taking strategies.

Grade 3 - Achievement Tests
Grade 4 - Achievement Tests
Grade 5 - Achievement Tests
Grade 6 - Achievement Tests
Grade 7 - Achievement Tests
Grade 8 - Achievement Tests

Academic Testing Vocabulary K-12

Adroit Close Reading Strategies

How to pass the OAA reading test? Study, for starters. Of course there is more you can do if you want to get a higher score, and you may already know some of the following test-taking strategies. If so, consider this a refresher course. Here are some ways to score higher on the next OAA test you take.

OAA Resources For Teachers and Administrators
Strategies for Improvement on Ohio's State Tests
Strategies for Taking State Assessments
Using Ohio’s Student Success Website To Conduct an Item Analysis

How to pass the OAA Math test? 10-20 points can be gained on the OAA Math with rigorous tier 3 math vocabulary study.

Tier 3 Academic Vocabulary: Low Frequency words that are not frequently used except in specific academic content areas or domains. Tier 3 words are central to building backgrounds knowledge and conceptual understanding within the various academic domains and should be integral to instruction of content. Range, mean, mode, median are examples of mathematics tier 3 terms and are all examples of words found in standardized math assessments.

General test-taking preparations:
Pretest preparation is an important and often overlooked element of how to take a test. Research confirms that if you have studied rigorously, your reading score will be higher or lower according to how well you prepare for the test the days and night before. Always start with a good night's sleep and a healthy dinner, here are some basic test-taking preparations for any test.

- Get good quality sleep. Sleep deficiencies seem to affect response time more than accuracy, but many tests are timed, so get that sleep. Quality of sleep has been shown to be as important as the amount, so sleep well.

- Know what to expect. If you can get a sample test, or a previous version, so you know what kind of questions will be on it, you'll be more likely to study the right things.

- Arrive on time. In general, test-anxiety is bad for test scores. Time pressure adds to test-anxiety, so avoid it by being on time.

- Stay away from nervous test-takers. Anxiety can be contagious, so don't sit near others who are obviously stressed.

- Breath deep. Take several deep breaths and let the tension drain from your muscles.

Beyond studying and preparing, are there skills and techniques to how to take a test? Absolutely! Here are a few of them.

- Continue taking a deep breath now and then throughout the test. this helps relax you and keeps the oxygen level in your brain up.

- Focus on the question in front of you. Total involvement in one question, even for a moment, reduces anxiety. Don't think about the other questions while working on the current one.

- Take notes at the beginning. If you are allowed to take notes, write down any information you might forget. This can be especially useful if you "crammed" for the test just before taking it.

- Try to determine the test makers intent. When an answer seems too easy, and you're sure it's wrong, look for a similar answer. Test makers try to catch sloppy test takers with answers that are close in appearance. Look for other clues to the test maker's intent when you are unsure of the right answer.

- Answer all questions. Unless there is a penalty for a wrong answer (as opposed to an unanswered question), you should guess on questions you are unsure about. On multiple choice tests, eliminate as many unlikely answers as you can and pick one of the remaining ones. You might get half of these questions correct with this method.

The best way to score higher on a test may be to study. Still, no matter how much you study, you know that other factors play a role, so why not apply a bit of proper preparation and a few good test taking skills too? That is how to take a test properly.

Common Core is Common Sense?

What is the counter or workaround to the clumsy Common Core unveiling? Retreating from a liberal arts education and the common sense, Socratic thinking that goes with it. Many find the pedagogical precepts foolish.

A book that will inspire thinking, invite conversation, and help educators survive the problems with Common Core and School Reform!

Sixty plus years of adroit, timeless common sense advice that has helped millions of people find success in their classrooms, businesses and personal lives. "it changed my life" Warren Buffet "It's helped me immeasurably in life. I think everyone should read it" Jenny Colgan.

A book I have neglected to read again the last few years, a book that always recharges my mind and explodes my curiosity?

“Any fool can criticize, complain, and condemn—and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.”

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Summer Reading List for Teachers and Parents

Summer Reading List for Teachers and Parents | This is an Eclectic Collection of Summer Reading Topics that include Education, Philosophy, Positive Thinking, and Self Help Psychology.