After an unusually long winter break away from school, and if your child has taken a break from any academic practice, be ready to start the race! What race? The race toward those dreaded state tests! This is a critical time of year, as teachers will be going through academic content much more quickly than normal in order to prepare for the state tests starting in the coming months. Due to extreme budget cuts and reduced school days, students are going to have to work a lot harder this year. Teachers are often criticized for moving too fast and not spending enough time making sure the concepts are fully understood by their students. Unfortunately, the teachers’ hands are tied because they are required to get through a certain amount of material in such a shortened amount of time. If you think that’s bad, teachers are under a lot of pressure to generate high test scores from their schools and their districts. This only takes away the time they can spend making sure students truly understand the concepts. More time tends to be spent on test taking strategies and practice tests.
How can parents best help their child get the most out of their education and do well on tests during long breaks? Carefully choose school break ‘camps’ and find one with an academic focus to help students keep up and getting ahead in school. More tips to come!