Parents,

Please speak to your student about being careful and using the good test taking strategies we have discussed and are reminded of each  day.  They have resource booklets to help them with spelling and language skills we have learned in the past.  They are reminded to use them and are not taking the time to do so.  On multiple choice questions they are reminded to read and 'plug-in' all the answer choices before selecting their answer.  They are not doing so.  They are just marking the first one that sounds okay.  When I point the sentence out to them and they look at the other choices, they immediately select the correct one.  So, it is not that they do not know the material, it is that they are not taking time and are at times being careless.  They can all tell me that an end mark goes at the end of a sentence and a sentence starts with a capital letter, but I often have to remind them.  I just point to the end or first letter and they know what to do.  Again, they are just not taking the time and focusing on their job.

I have been marking and allowing students to go back and change answers after reminding them again and again.  Next semester, I will have to quit doing that. 

I have a classroom full of smart students!!! They just are not focusing on the tasks and performing at their best ability.  Hopefully, you reminding them will help in class. 

Thank you!

Kayla Milam