LSK 1023 Test #3

Effective Test Taking Strategies and Skills

see terms below

4 Purposes of Reading

Recreation, Overiew, Thorough Comparative

procedural knowledge

Knowledge of how to do something, such as riding a bike; expressed in behaviors rather than in words.

Five R's of Cornell

Record Reduce Recite Reflect Review

5 day study plan

a plan of action that helps you organize your materials and schedule time to review for a major test, such as a midterm or a final exam. This plan promotes spaced practice and ongoing review; it reduces tendencies to procrastinate, cram, or experience test anxiety

Context clues

are words in a sentence or in surrounding sentences that provide hints about the general meanings of unfamiliar words. By carefully reading the sentence with the unfamiliar word and then rereading the surrounding sentences, you can often pick up hints or context clues about the general meaning of the word.

Use a Reading System

here are no shortcuts for reading and learning from college textbooks. Opening a chapter and surveying instead of reading or reading quickly from beginning to end does take less time than using a reading system, but it results in lower comprehension and ineffective use of your time. Figure 8.4 shows you options and textbook reading processes to use to create a powerful reading system that strengthens your textbook reading skills.

Read Carefully

read step - involves reading carefully and thoroughly.

punctuation clues

signal the definition of terminology within the sentence. The punctuation clues—such as commas, dashes, parentheses, and colons—separate the definition from the other words in the sentence. Use the punctuation clues to help identify the words to highlight that are important parts of the definition.

Kinds of Context Clues

synonyms, antonyms, examples, contrasts, and comparisons

Review Activities

*Answer the chapter review questions that appear at the end of the chapter. *Answer the questions you formulated during the focus question step. *Study and recite from the notes that you took in the record step. *Write a summary. In paragraph form, summarize the important concepts and details. *Create additional study tools, such as flashcards, study tapes, or visual notes. *Create a chapter outline. Use the outline to recite details for each section of the outline. *Rework math problems from class or from your textbook. Compare the steps you used and your answers with those in the textbook. Check your answers for accuracy. *For language courses, copy sentences or grammar exercises from the textbook. Rework the assignment, diagram the sentences, or identify parts of speech within sentences.

How to Create Positive Mindset for Test

*Arrive to class early. Rushing in at the last minute or arriving late adds stress and does not allow you time to mentally prepare. *Use positive self-talk, a quick relaxation or visualization technique, or a concentration technique to focus your mind. *Focus only on yourself; ignore other students and their nervous reactions to the test. If you have a few minutes before the test is distributed, mentally rehearse information from your summary notes. Or, if allowed, review your summary notes one final time. *Listen carefully to the directions. Your instructor may announce corrections on the test, suggestions for completing the test, the amount of time available for the test, and other important directions.

Importance of Active Reading

*Attach meaning to printed words *Associate chunks of new information with previously learned information *Move information rapidly back and forth through the different memory systems *Analyze information by identifying its individual parts, characteristics, patterns, and relationships *Integrate information to form generalizations

Developing Positive Attitudes and Behaviors

*Begin with an attitude to learn. A positive, inquisitive, receptive attitude signals to your working memory that the information is important to grasp and learn. Create reading goals. Know your intention or purpose for reading. Is it to get an overview, comprehend in-depth details, compare sources of information, or review? *Be patient and do not rush the reading process. Thorough reading requires time for your mind to mull over, absorb, process, and integrate new information. *Be persistent. You may need to reread difficult sections of material more slowly and multiple times. To comprehend, you may need to break paragraphs into smaller units, chunk information in new ways, and analyze details more carefully. Persistent readers do not skip a paragraph because it is difficult to understand, nor do they quit or give up when the content is more difficult than anticipated. *Use all available resources. Take the time and show the effort to learn by being a resourceful reader. Use textbook resources, online supplementary materials, computer and lab resources, study guides, tutors, and study groups. *Adjust your reading rate. Do not expect or attempt to use the same reading rate for all materials. Some materials can be read one page at a time, while other materials will require reading one paragraph, or even smaller sections of a paragraph, slowly and repeatedly in order to understand the information. *Take responsibility for your learning. Attending class and listening to lectures is not sufficient to master course content. Creating a strong habit of scheduling adequate time to read and learn from textbooks reflects genuine goals to be an effective and successful college student.

Essential Strategies for Thorough Reading

*Create a plan of action. Use a systematic reading system to move you through the reading assignment and processes. *Use a warm-up activity. Begin a study block by surveying or reviewing to create a mindset for careful, thorough reading. *Verbalize and visualize. Reading out loud (verbalizing) activates auditory channels to memory. Visualizing activates visual memory. *Adjust your reading rate. Slow down the intake process to give your mind sufficient time to attach meaning to words, process and integrate information, and create associations. *Relate new information to existing schemas in your long-term memory. Thinking about associations and linking different chunks of information lead to greater comprehension. Ask questions such as What do I already know about this topic? How is it similar and how is it different from previous learning or past experiences? What are the important points and details? *Recognize different levels of information as you read. Strive to become an analytical reader who can recognize major themes, large concepts (schemas), main ideas, and important supporting details. *Learn terminology and definitions. Knowing definitions of key terms lays the foundation for more complex learning and provides you with tools to communicate subject matter effectively to others. *Use spaced practice or spaced studying. Spreading the reading process and activities over several different time periods actually cuts down total learning time. *Avoid marathon studying, or in this case, marathon reading, which can overload your working memory. *Use elaborative rehearsal and active learning techniques as you read. Actions that engage you in the reading and learning process help you maintain attention and concentration, encode information in new ways, and make stronger impressions of the information for memory. *Include some form of feedback as you study. Use self-quizzing, reciting, and Look-Away Techniques to check the thoroughness and accuracy of your comprehension and memory.

Importance of Surveying

*Creates interest, enhances your motivation, and boosts confidence in mastering new material Reduces the tendency to procrastinate about starting to read a new chapter *Forms a big picture or schema of the chapter and helps you connect new information to information you already know *Familiarizes you with graphic and marginal materials used to explain concepts *Provides you with a general idea about the length and difficulty level of the material *Helps you set realistic reading and studying goals, manage your time, and select an appropriate reading process to use to work your way through the chapter

Importance of Reading Carefully

*Decide if overview reading of chapter contents would be beneficial. Because overview reading involves reading straight through without pausing, use it sparingly. Do not take notes or highlight when your intention is to do overview reading. Overview reading is beneficial for difficult or unfamiliar content to help you begin to form schemas or to give you a "flavor" for the materials before beginning the process of thorough reading. *Overview reading is not effective unless you commit to moving through the chapter a second time to examine, analyze, interpret, memorize, integrate, and comprehend what you are reading by using thorough reading strategies. *Begin thorough reading. For most textbooks, you should read one paragraph at a time and then stop to dissect, analyze, and comprehend the content of the paragraph. Skilled readers of college textbooks are aware of the importance of selecting the appropriate amount of information to read (chunking) before pausing and the appropriate reading rate to use that give their mind sufficient time to grasp the information. *Take the time to use effective reading strategies will provide you with a variety of strategies to use to unlock the meaning of difficult paragraphs, integrate concepts, and strengthen comprehension. *Create the mindset of being open to trying new strategies and replacing some of your former strategies for reading textbooks which may not be as powerful or effective.

Informal Outlines

*Easier to organize by using the following format: *Use Roman numerals for headings; capital letters for subheadings; and Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) for details. *Use dashes for all other levels of minor details. *Less confusing and frustrating by simply using dashes for minor details *Less cumbersome and more flexible as you can relax or modify the outline rules required by the formal outline format *Can "mix and match" by using key words, phrases, or short sentences for any level of your outline

Importance of Surveying

*Focuses your mind on the upcoming reading assignment *Creates interest, enhances your motivation, and boosts confidence in mastering new material Reduces the tendency to procrastinate about starting to read a new chapter *Forms a big picture or schema of the chapter and helps you connect new information to information you already know *Familiarizes you with graphic and marginal materials used to explain concepts *Provides you with a general idea about the length and difficulty level of the material *Helps you set realistic reading and studying goals, manage your time, and select an appropriate reading process to use to work your way through the chapter

Steps of Annotating

*Highlight the complete topic sentence. *Selectively highlight keywords or phrases that support the topic sentence. *Circle terminology and highlight keywords in definitions. *Enumerate steps or lists of information. *Make marginal notes to emphasize important ideas and integrate information.

Parts Analyzed Surveying

*Introductory materials: Read the title of the chapter carefully; take a moment to think about the topic and relate the topic to information you already know. Read any lists, paragraphs, or visual materials that state the objectives for the chapter or introduce the chapter's content. *Headings and subheadings: Different font colors and different formats or designs in a chapter differentiate headings from subheadings. Move through the chapter by glancing over the headings and subheadings to see the skeletal structure of the chapter. Later, if you wish, you can use the headings and the subheadings to create a chapter outline. *Visual materials: Examine visual materials, such as charts, graphs, diagrams, pictures, and photographs. Read the information and the captions that appear with the visual materials. *Marginal notes: Marginal notes may be brief explanations, short definitions, lists of key points or objectives, or study questions that appear in the margins of the textbook pages. Marginal notes provide you with background details and emphasize important points to learn. *Terminology: Skim over the terminology to get a general idea of terms you will need to learn. During surveying, do not spend time reading definitions for all the terminology. *End-of-the-chapter materials: Read the chapter summary, list of key concepts, chapter review questions, or any other end-of-the-chapter materials. These materials highlight or summarize the important concepts and information you should learn in the chapter.

Essential Classroom Test-Taking Strategies

*Jot down important information ▶Use the margins or back of test ▶Write down formulas, mnemonics, lists, etc. *Survey the Test and Budget your Time ▶Look at the types of questions ▶Look at the point value of questions ▶Look at the length of test ▶Check the backs of each page ▶Estimate how much time you can spend on each section- even jot it down *Use Your Test Time Wisely ▶Avoid the urge to bolt ▶Check your answers ▶Proofread, revise, or refine answers ▶Check calculations *Read Directions and Questions Carefully ▶#1 cause of unnecessary errors ▶Read directions slowly ▶Make sure you understand before proceeding ▶Pay attention to key words ▶Circle direction words and key words in the the question and the directions *Answer All Questions ▶Do not leave answer spaces blank ▶Pick up the pace ▶Make an educated selection

Studying from Outline Notes

*Read and explain line by line. Read what appears on the first line with the Roman numeral. Recite what you know about the topic. Speak in complete sentences. Move to the next line of information. Recite what you know; strive to integrate and link ideas together and explain relationships. Recite as though you are teaching another person. *Check your accuracy and completeness of information. As you recite, you will quickly become aware of your familiarity with the topic. Refer to your outline notes or your textbook to check your accuracy or to see what kinds of information you did not include in your reciting. *Branch off your outline to expand it by adding more clue words. You can break away from the general structure of the outline at this point by jotting down key words or details that you did not initially include in your reciting. These clue words can guide you through the reciting process the next time you use your outline to review the contents of the chapter. Notice the clue words in the following example of an outline about stress responses. *Use the outline to write a summary. Many students learn and remember information more readily when they use their own words to explain and connect information in a logically sequenced manner and when they express themselves in writing. You can use the levels of information in your outline to organize and to write a summary. Include main ideas and briefly mention important supporting details.

Types of test questions

*Recognition: Objective Questions: True-False Multiple-Choice Matching: Read and recognize whether the information is correct; apply a skill and then recognize the correct answer. *Recall Questions: More demanding: Fill-in-the-Blanks Listings, Definitions, Short Answers: Retrieve the information from your memory and then respond *Math Questions: Demanding: Problem-Solving: Use procedural knowledge to complete steps of processes *.Essay Questions: Most difficult:Essays: Retrieve the information from memory, organize it, and use effective writing skills to respond.

important facts about systematic desensitization

*Reduce your emotional response to trigger words. Make a list of specific situations or words that trigger your test anxiety. For example, "There will be a test next Monday" may trigger early test anxiety. After you have your list of trigger situations or words, visualize yourself reacting differently to those situations or words. See yourself responding in a more positive and constructive way. "Good. I have time to make a five-day plan, or I have stayed current with my work, so I can be ready for this test." *Create a mock test situation to imitate the real test situation. Predict and write practice test questions. Decide on an appropriate amount of time to answer the test questions. Create a test environment as close as possible to the real thing. If the classroom in which you will take a test is empty, be in that room when you take your practice test. *Capture the feelings of the mock situation with less stress and anxiety.

How to Study Annotations

*Reread out loud only the marked annotations. Verbally string the ideas together by adding your own words. *Recite without looking. Check your accuracy. *Decide if you want additional study tools: write a summary or create a set of notes using a different notetaking system *Use spaced practice, immediate review, and ongoing review.

Formal outlines

*Roman numerals: Use Roman numerals for main headings or main topics. Roman numerals from one to fifteen are written as I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV, and XV. *Alignment: When you indent to show a lower level of information, place the new letter or the new number directly below the first letter of the first word that appears in the line above. For example, in Figure 8.7, notice how the "A" for the subheading appears directly below the "F" for the first main heading. *Two or more subheadings: Each level in the formal outline must have at least two subheading or subtopics under each category. If you do not have two items [A, B; 1, 2; a, b; or (1), (2)], try renaming the larger category so you do not end up with only one item under that category. *Wording: Most outlines consist of key words and short phrases; full sentences are seldom used.

Adjusting Reading Rate

*Selecting an appropriate amount of material to read before pausing to think about or work with information prevents overloading your working memory. *Textbooks with relatively easy levels of difficulty: Stop at the end of each page to think about the information, create visual images of the material, and associate it to other information in long-term memory. *Textbooks with average levels of difficulty: Use a read-pause approach after each paragraph for most textbooks. Stop at the end of each paragraph to think about and process the information. Identify main ideas, important details, and meanings of terminology. *Textbooks with difficult reading levels and complex content: Stop at the end of each sentence or group of sentences to check understanding and think about and process the information. •Chunking- the process of grouping information into meaningful sized units of information to comprehend and process. -Chunk up- look beyond to determine how information fits into the bigger picture -Chunk down- break the information into smaller parts to identify the meaning of details

Important Facts about Test Anxiety

*Students who experience bouts with test anxiety can learn strategies to reduce the effects, duration, and intensity of this form of anxiety. *Test anxiety before and during a test can exhibit its presence in physical, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral forms. Figure 7.7 shows common symptoms related to test anxiety. *Common signs of test anxiety include becoming ill or emotionally distraught, experiencing confused or disorganized thinking, or using avoidance strategies to procrastinate studying for a test. *During a test, test anxiety affects cognitive processing and can immobilize thinking skills. A student may "go blank," make excessive careless mistakes, mark answers in the wrong place, or quit due to frustration.

Surveying a Chapter

*Surveying is the process of previewing or skimming information to get an overview. Surveying a chapter is so important that most textbook reading systems begin with the process of surveying the chapter. *Surveying a chapter requires fewer than 20 minutes *Can Be Modified for Longer Chapters

Strategies to Reduce Test Anxiety Before a Test

*Systematic desensitization is an anxiety-reducing strategy that involves a series of activities designed to reduce strong negative emotional reactions to an upcoming situation. You can use this strategy before the day of a test by replacing your fear-based thoughts with positive thoughts that emphasize the successes you have already experienced. Systematic desensitization stops the fear from accelerating and getting blown out of proportion

sources of test anxiety

*Test anxiety is a learned behavior. As such, it can be unlearned. If you experience test anxiety, begin by analyzing the source of your anxiety. What triggers your test anxiety? *Under-Preparedness-Students who do not apply study skills on a regular basis often need to resort to cramming, which is an attempt to learn large amounts of information in a short period of time. Cramming is a survival technique that often backfires. Frequently, students who cram become even more aware of how much they do not know. Feeling under-prepared can create test anxiety and lead to poor test performance. Following are student comments that indicate under-preparedness: *Past Experiences-Low self-esteem is often the result of past experiences that left a person with a negative self-image or perception of his or her limited ability to perform well. Having experienced frustration, disappointment, or a sense of failure in past testing situations can create a cycle of negative self-talk, self-doubt, low self-esteem, and low self-confidence. Sometimes students who have experienced negative past experiences lay the blame for poor performance on other people instead of taking responsibility for their test results *Fear of Failure-Students with a fear of failure worry about the negative consequences of poor grades, which in turn increases stress levels which may trigger test anxiety. *Poor Test Taking Skills-the source of test anxiety is linked directly to the lack of test-preparation skills and the lack of test-taking skills. Taking tests requires understanding various kinds of test questions as well as how to read and interpret questions accurately, conduct memory searches for answers, select answers carefully, and write appropriate answers.

Paragraph Elements

*The topic of the paragraph: the subject *The main idea of the paragraph: the author's main point *The important details of the paragraph: details that support the main idea

Surveying an Essay

*Think about the title. Without reading the article or essay, what does the title mean to you? What do you predict that article will be about? What understanding or opinions do you already have about the subject? Identify the author. Look in the byline or footnote for the author's name, affiliation with specific groups or organizations, additional publications, or other personal information. Think of ways the available information may relate to the subject matter and the author's point of view. *Read and think about any introductory material. Introductory material for short articles often provides necessary background information about the topic and the author. *Read the first paragraph carefully. The thesis statement, the main point or purpose of the entire article, often appears in this paragraph. *Skim through the rest of the article. Read the headings, subheadings, and side notes. *Read the concluding paragraph. The concluding paragraph often restates the thesis statement and summarizes the main ideas in the article.

Strategies to Reduce Test Anxiety During a Test

*When you "go blank" and are unable to recall the needed information, do the following: 1.Use a quick relaxation technique to calm yourself down. 2.Use positive self-talk. Become your own cheerleader. 3.Reread the question in a whisper voice. Go into retrieval mode by conducting a new memory search. If necessary, place a checkmark to return to the question later. Do not stay stuck on the question. *When your eyes start jumping from the printed line or skip over words when you read, do the following: 1.Use your arm, a blank index card, or a blank piece of paper to block off the rest of the test. Restricting your vision so you only see the question that you are contemplating helps your eyes stay focused on a line of information. 2.Use your pencil to point to each word as you read silently. Doing this keeps your eyes from skipping words or jumping to other lines of print. *When you notice yourself making excessive careless mistakes in selecting or marking the correct answer, do the following: 1.Slow down the reading and answering process. Rush less and think more. 2.Activate your auditory channel by mouthing or quietly whispering the words as you read the directions, questions, and options for answers. 3.Highlight keywords in the questions. Check to ensure that your answer relates to the keywords. 4.Before moving to the next question, ask yourself: Does this answer make sense? *When your mind shifts away from the test and your concentration begins fading quickly, do the following: 1.Become more active and interactive with the test. Circle direction words and highlight keywords in directions and questions. 2.Use positive self-talk and force yourself to keep your eyes on the test. "I can do this. My eyes and my mind stay focused on the paper. I can figure this out."

Writing Focus Questions

*focus question step in the reading process involves turning the chapter title, each heading, and each subheading into questions *Write the questions directly in your textbook next to the title, headings, or subheadings, or write them on notebook paper or index cards, leaving space to write the answers later *You get one additional overview of the chapter, and you create a purpose for reading, focus your attention on upcoming information, and activate working memory *Strive to use a variety of questions. The wording of each question elicits a different kind of response. For example, answers to questions that begin with the following words elicit specific kinds of responses: *Modify or delete some words in headings and subheadings if necessary. Following are examples of questions for the beginning of this chapter. The italic print shows words added to the title, heading, and subheadings to create questions

.Active reading

*is the process of using effective strategies to engage working memory to achieve specific reading goals. Active reading places heavy demands on your working memory, requires your undivided attention, and cannot be done quickly or effortlessly. *

Ongoing Review

*the process of practicing previously learned information days and even weeks after the initial learning occurred *Using ongoing review allows you to review instead of studying to learn right before a test

Identifying Purposes for Reading

. Purposes for reading —which include recreational, overview, thorough, and comparative—represent different reading skills and reading goals for different kinds of reading material.

recency effect

.■Recency Effect- the items you will remember more easily are items that you most recently practiced

Steps in Annotating

1.Analyze the title. 2.Number the paragraphs. 3.Chunk the text. 4.Read the text line by line. 5.Underline, circle, and comment with a purpose; underline figurative language, circle tone words, and box motifs. 6.Left margin: what is the author saying? ( ... 7.Right margin: what is the author doing? (

SQ4R

1.Survey the chapter to get an overview. Write Questions for each heading and subheading. 2.Read the information, one paragraph at a time. 3.Record by selecting a form of notetaking to record information. 4.Recite the important information from the paragraph. 5.Review the information learned in the chapter.

Cornell Notes

2 column system of notes with a 'cue' column on left side with questions or main ideas; right side are details or explanations

Characteristics of Active Learners

Active readers are critical readers. College-level readers move beyond basic reading skills by acquiring and strengthening higher-level critical reading skills. *Active readers are active learners. Active readers commit themselves to the reading process by creating a mindset that reflects their intention to engage actively in the reading process, comprehend content, process the information, and achieve reading goals. -Read with a pen in hand. -Highlight and write marginal notes. -Record information (take notes). -Make flashcards for definitions. -Copy diagrams and make study tools. -Write practice test questions. -Convert information into pictures. -Identify organizational patterns. -Examine graphic materials and add notes.

Importance of Outline Reading System

Automatically triggers a reading goal that involves reading to understand, identify, and capture key concepts and phrases into notes Involves active learning as you use the cycle of read, pause, and take notes Requires slower, careful reading to identify information to write in the outline Promotes using Selectivity to identify what is important and what is not Results in chunking information into meaningful units that show different levels of information Promotes critical reading skills to think about, comprehend, and organize information Results in a set of notes that works as a study tool for immediate and ongoing review

Essentail Notebook Notetaking Skills

Essential Strategies for Textbook Notetaking *Understand what you read before taking notes. Read a paragraph or chunk of information, pause, think about the information, be sure that you understand it, and then take notes. *Be selective. Your notes should be a condensed version of the textbook, not a word-for-word copy of the textbook pages. Capture only the important concepts, main ideas, and supporting details in your notes. *Paraphrase or reword. Shorten textbook explanations or information by using your own words to state main ideas and important details as long as your wording presents the information accurately. *Include textbook reminders in your notes. Instead of copying large charts or lengthy sections of important text, write a reminder in your notes to see page XX in the textbook. *Label your notes. As you progress through the term, you will have many pages of notes. To avoid confusion, include textbook chapter numbers and number each page of your notes. *Use spaced practice. Make several contacts with your notes over different periods of time. You can use them as a warm-up activity to put you in the mindset of the subject the next time you sit down to study, or you can schedule time each week to review your notes for the week. *Use feedback strategies. Use the Look-Away Technique with reciting and visualizing to check the completeness and accuracy of your learning. *Review your notes. Use immediate review to create a strong impression in memory. Use ongoing review to keep information active and accessible in working memory.

Organizing Your Materials

Preparing for a test requires additional time and organization. Here are some ways to help you prepare: *Pay Attention to Test Details: Your goal is to be prepared and avoid, if possible, surprises or unexpected content on an upcoming test. Listen carefully to your instructor's description of the test and the topics or chapters that the test will cover. Take notes on materials or topics your instructor emphasizes that you should review or need to know. 1.If your instructor indicates the kinds of test questions that will appear on the test, jot these down as you may use different strategies to prepare for different kinds of test questions. 2.Talk to other students who have already completed the course and tutors who are familiar with the course. Ask them for study suggestions and about the kinds of test questions to expect. Remember, however, that instructors do change test questions and formats, so do not feel overly confident about an upcoming test based on information you obtained from previous students or from tutors. 3.If previous tests are available to examine, take the time to look at and practice with the tests *Gather Your Course Materials: Review your course syllabus and class assignment sheets so you know specifically which chapters and topics will be included on the test. Gather together and organize your notes and assignments, chapter by chapter. Identify topics that received special attention in class or through assignments *Predict Test Questions: Predicting test questions is an excellent method for preparing for tests and reducing test anxiety. Predicting test questions becomes easier when you become familiar with the kinds of tests your instructor uses.

Using Effective Memory Strategies to Review

Preparing for tests by reviewing course content activates the array of memory strategies you learned to use in Chapters 5 and 6. Preparing for tests involves revisiting concepts, main ideas, and important details through the use of the following learning and memory strategies.

Steps to Create 5 Day Study Plan

Step 1: Identify Specific Topics to Review Begin by making a list of all the topics and materials that you need to review for the upcoming test. Following is an example for a sociology course. Step 2: Schedule Specific Days and Times to Review Organize specific blocks of time on days 1, 2, 3, and 4 for review sessions. On day 5, dedicate all of your study time to reviewing your summary notes. Mark the study/review days and times on your calendar or your weekly schedule. Coordinate these times with other students if you are going to review with a study partner or study group. Step 3: Create a Plan of Action Identify which chapters and which materials you will review on day 1, day 2, day 3, and finally on day 4. To avoid wasting review time, create a pattern or plan for reviewing each time you sit down. For example, your plan may be to use this sequence of review activities: review study guide, review chapter summary, review textbook notes, review terminology, review homework, review class handouts, and review lecture notes. Throughout this review process, plan to make summary notes for the information you feel you need to review further on day 5 and right before the test. Following is an example of a plan of action.

Important Test Prep Skills

Test-preparation skills involve organizing materials, organizing time, creating a positive mindset to perform well, and using effective test-preparation strategies that bring good results. Following are important points to keep in mind before beginning the review process to prepare for an upcoming test: *Complete all reading or homework assignments so you do not need to mix review time with new learning time. *If you have used ongoing review prior to the announcement of a test, you will find that preparing for a test will involve reviewing and not studying to learn information for a test. *Preparing for tests should be a matter of "brushing up" or refreshing your memory. If you did not dedicate adequate time for ongoing review each week, you now will need to dedicate more time to prepare for a test.

Organize Time

Use the following time-management and test-preparation strategies consistently throughout the term to build confidence about your ability to perform well on tests: *Fixed study blocks: Schedule sufficient fixed study blocks to complete regular assignments and review course content on an ongoing basis. *Spaced practice: Use spaced practice, not marathon studying, to learn and review information. *Schedules: Create and follow a weekly time-management schedule. *Review schedules: Add specific blocks of time on your weekly schedule specifically for review. Spread your review time out over several different time blocks and several different days. *Five-day plan: Use the five-day study plan in the following section to prepare for major tests. *Summary notes: Create a special set of review notes called summary notes during this test-preparation, review process.

Word Clues

are words that link the vocabulary word to its definition that appears in another part of the same sentence. Familiarity with word clues—such as defined as, is or are, or known as—will help you locate definitions in paragraphs more quickly. *Locate the definition. The definition may appear before or after the terminology word that appears in special print. However, the terminology word may be inserted within parts of the definition. Reading and thinking carefully are essential for using information within a sentence to define a word. *Be selective. Do not automatically highlight all the words that surround the word in bold or special print. Read and think carefully about which words are essential words for the definition. *Compare to the glossary. If your textbook has a glossary, compare the definition you highlight to the definition in the glossary in the appendix.

recite step

in the Cornell system involves using information in the recall column to explain information out loud in your own words without referring to detailed notes. Use the following suggestions to recite from your recall column

Word structure clues

involve using the meanings of prefixes, suffixes, base words, and roots to determine the general meaning of unfamiliar words. You can use word structure clues to break apart or analyze course terminology or any other words you might encounter that are unfamiliar to you.

record step

involves taking notes in the right column. Read each paragraph carefully, decide what information is important, and then record that information on your paper. Your notes should be a reduced version of the textbook. Be selective. Use the following suggestions for recording notes in the right column

reflect step

involves thinking seriously, comprehending, and using elaborative rehearsal strategies to work with information in new ways. The reflect step is a creative and highly individualized step, so no two students will create identical study tools or use the same rehearsal activities

review step

involves using immediate and ongoing review. Immediate review is the process of rehearsing information before you end a learning task. Use immediate review with your notes after you finish the reflect step. This review helps create a stronger impression of the information before you set it aside and move on to something new.

SQ4R

is a six-step system for reading and comprehending textbook chapters: survey, question, read, record, recite, and review. SQ4R adds a fourth "R" to remind students to record important information (take notes). To gain the most benefit from this system, use all six steps shown in Figure 8.6 each time you use the SQ4R system to read a textbook chapter.

Outline Reading System

is an active reading system that involves creating outline notes during the reading process and using the outline notes to review. After surveying the chapter, you can begin the process of reading and developing your chapter outline notes.

Understanding types of test questions

is an important step in the process of strengthening your test-preparation and test-taking skills. Figure 7.3 provides you with information about the different formats for test questions that you may encounter on your tests

Stress

is defined as a reaction or response to events or situations that threaten to disrupt a person's normal patterns or routines. Stress specifically related to an upcoming test can be beneficial and motivate people to perform on higher levels; however, excessive stress that becomes test anxiety creates negative responses and consequences.

Test Anxiety

is excessive stress that hinders a person's ability to perform well before or during a test. The following points are also important to understand:

Annotating

is the process of highlighting, underlining, making marginal notes, or marking specific information in printed materials. The term marking is a general term that includes highlighting, underlining, circling, or writing within the paragraph. Highlighting (using different colors of highlighter pens) is preferred by most students because it tends to make information stand out more than underlining.

Reduce Step

reduce step in the Cornell system involves condensing notes into the recall column. The recall column is the left column in the Cornell notes that shows headings, key words, and study questions. Figure 9.13 shows the right notetaking column and the left recall column with the reduced notes

Reviewing

review step in the reading process involves using immediate and ongoing review to practice rehearsing and recalling information from long-term memory. Reviewing provides an opportunity to work with information before the process of inputting new information begins.

First Steps of Reading Process

see below

Strategies for Reading

see examples below

Summary notes

specific notes that include information that you need to review further before the day of the test ■Lists/categories ■Comparison charts ■Notes on topics ■Flashcards ■Chapter outlines ■Visual mappings ■Hierarchies ■Cornell Notes

Symptoms of test anxiety

tense muscles, headaches, sweaty palms, upset stomach, fast heart rate, shortness of breath, crying, negative self-talk (more ex-see pg 221)

Overview Reading

the process of skimming or surveying reading materials without interruption in order to form a big picture or create a schema for the topic before engaging in thorough reading

Critical reading

•Evaluate the logic, accuracy, and structure of information •Question the content, accuracy, completeness, and relevance of information •Identify the author's purpose and point of view •Follow the author's development of ideas and details by understanding organizational patterns and the logical flow of ideas •Understand and interpret graphic or visual materials •Make inferences and assumptions; draw conclusions •Apply the information to new situations or to solve problems. •Implement levels of Bloom's Taxonomy; remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating

Recreational Reading

•Process of reading for the main purpose of being entertained or keeping up to date on current events.

thorough reading

•Process of reading slowly and systematically in order to comprehend and process printed or digital information. -Working memory retrieves information from long-term memory -Integrates the new information and returns it back to long-term memory -The exchange happens quickly and continually

Comparative Reading

•The process of using higher-level critical thinking and reading skills to compare and contrast two or more sources of printed or digital information -What do the sources have in common? -What are the major difference in approaches, points of views, or outcomes? -Do the authors of each have the same level of credibility? -Does one provide more supporting details or prove the thesis statement better?

Annotating an Article

❏Highlight the topic sentence. ❏Highlight supporting details. ❏Circle words that you do not know. ❏Write the main ideas in the margin (or on the back of the page)