Moms Talk Q&A: Preparing For the PSSA Tests

This week's Moms Talk Q&A comes from Montgomeryville-Lansdale Patch Moms Council member Erica Colvin.

It's that time of year again. The time of year when our state opens up its testing window for the statewide standardized testing: the PSSA.  

If you have a student anywhere from third through eighth-grade and in 11th grade, your child is in the targeted testing group. For those of you who are parents of third-graders, this is not only new to you, but also new to your child.  

As a former third-grade teacher, I had plenty of students and parents with test anxiety. Here are a few tips I gave to prepare for and reduce test stress.

1. Eat breakfast and dinner: No need to turn into a gourmet chef next week, but fuel up your child, both in the evening and before school. No, you don't have to get up and make breakfast every morning, but make sure you either provide a breakfast at home, or drop your child off early for the school breakfast program. It's also important to eat a healthy dinner the evening before testing, as well.

2. Get your child to school and on time: There are rare cases in which your child will be excused from making up the test. In my eight-year teaching career, I only saw this happen one time. Otherwise, the student is required to make up the test within the testing window. So if a child is attempting to get out of the test by faking a stomachache, he or she is only postponing the test, not getting out of it.

3. Know the testing schedule: Each school building is permitted to design its own testing schedule, as long as it fits in the window. Some schools will only do one session a day. Some will do two on one day, and others will do a combo of one or two sessions. Know which test your child is taking and when. That way you can talk about it with your child and reduce some of the anxiety. Also, although most schools block out a certain amount of minutes for each test, the PSSA is untimed. So if your child tends to take longer on tests, let your child know know that he or she can take as long as the school day if necessary. Lunch won't be skipped; they'll even deliver lunch to students!

4. Know the possible reward system: Most elementary and middle schools will develop a reward system for their students. Be familiar with your child's reward system, and either reinforce it with your own incentive, or simply talk about it and encourage them to work toward the goal.

5. Know what the test looks like: This one isn't as hard to do as you think. The state provides samples to the public. It's very interesting to see exactly what the tests look like. Sample tests are available at www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/pennsylvania_system_of_school_assessment_(pssa)/8757/resource_materials/507610. All tests—math, reading, writing and science—have both multiple choice and short-answer questions. Typically, I taught my students to double and triple check their work because one answer listed is a common mistake answer.

6. Don't be afraid to talk about it: When your kiddo comes home, don't be afraid to ask about how he or she felt the test went. If your child was really stuck on a few problems, ask if your child remembers the problem type. Together, you can look it up and see if you can figure it out. Typically, the same types of problems are seen in the different sections of the test. Also, discuss stress relief techniques with your child. Yoga breathing, doodling and resting for a bit are just a few I would teach my students. I also rewarded them if I saw them using it during the test.

7. Assure children they're not going to flunk: This was  a huge fear for my third-graders. They thought the tests were tied to whether or not they would fail third grade. Not true. They could score the lowest score (below basic) on each test and still pass third grade. I explained the test to them like a doctor's check up. Each year, you see your doctor to check your height, weight and overall health. If the doctor notices you're not as tall as your friends, he may want you to increase your vitamins. The PSSA results are the same way. Your results show whether you, your teacher or your school needs to grow in certain areas.

Usually, your child's results arrive in late May or early June. Here you can find the scoring format and what it means to achieve a below basic, basic, proficient or advanced: www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/pennsylvania_system_of_school_assessment_%28pssa%29/8757/pssa_reports/765493

Good luck this week! And remember, when in doubt, pick C!