FCAT for Families Winning the Home Front

1. FCAT for Families Winning the Home Front 3500 E. Fletcher Ave., Suite 301 Tampa, FL 33613 Toll Free: 1-866-775-8661 Fax: 813-396-9925 www.floridapirc.usf.edu Florida PIRC at USF (Parental Information and Resource Center)

2. FCAT for Families Winning the Home Front Simple strategies for helping your child achieve better scores on the FCAT

3. Agenda • Welcome and Introductions • Goals and Objectives • Workshop Presentation & Group Activities • Evaluation

4. GOAL Support the efforts of families in promoting children’s achievement of FCAT skills.

5. Objectives • Understand what the FCAT is and what our children are expected to do. • Understand why increasing time spent reading and having conversations are the most effective ways to help your child be successful on the FCAT. • Learn how to support your child during test-taking time. • Leave with simple strategies to use at home with your child.

6. FCAT What is the FCAT? • FCAT=Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test • The FCAT is a test given to Florida students to determine what they know and can do in reading, math, writing, and science. • The FCAT was developed by the state of Florida and first administered in 1998.

7. FCAT When do students take the FCAT?

8. FCAT • FCAT scores are used to: • Identify students’ strengths and weaknesses. • Guide classroom instruction. • Determine a school’s status under No Child Left Behind and Florida’s accountability system.

9. FCAT • You can use FCAT scores to: • Identify your child’s talents and provide enrichment. • Determine if your child needs extra help in any areas. You may decide to provide the extra help at home or enroll your child in Supplemental Educational Services (SES). • Decide what school to choose for your child through your district’s school choice program.

10. Children have to answer… Multiple choice questions Short response questions Long response questions Gridded response questions FCATSchools Cannot “Teach to the Test”

11. Take skills and use them in real-life problem solving situations. Solve multi-step problems. Understand and use information. Get the main idea from reading. Write and organize thoughts. Read, write, and problem-solve for 45 minutes or longer. FCAT FCAT expects our children to:

12. Throughout the Year You can use everyday opportunities throughout the year to ensure your child’s FCAT success. • Just small amounts of time can reap enormous benefits. • Make the most of the time you already have. A little bit of time over the long haul makes all the difference. • Use everyday opportunities to build reading vocabulary, reading comprehension, problem solving skills, and math skills.

13. Lower Order: “What is the color of the animal in the picture?” (fact/meaning/definition) Higher Order: “How does the animal’s coloring help him stay safe?” (concept/explanation/example) Two kinds of questions: Questioning

14. Easy ways to ask Higher Order questions during everyday opportunities: Why did…? Why do you think…? What if…? How would you…? How do you know…? How are…alike/different? How did/does…? Which is better…? Why? QUESTIONING (continued)

15. Simple Ideas Doing Laundry: • Let your child help sort some of the laundry and explain his reasoning. • Ask your child to determine the size of the load of clothes and the appropriate amount of detergent that should be used. • How long will it take the clothes to wash? To dry? • What water temperature should be used? Why? • At the laundromat, how much will it cost to wash and dry one load of the clothes? All the clothes?

16. Simple Ideas(continued) Doctor’s Office: • What time do we need to leave in order to be on time for the appointment? • How long (do we need/did we have) to wait to see the doctor? • Why do we usually have to wait past our appointment time to see the doctor? • Make use of the wait time to read, complete a crossword puzzle, or play a game.

17. Simple Ideas(continued) Grocery Shopping: • Let your child help you find items on your grocery list and cross them off as you put them in the cart. • Read and discuss the labels on products. Check out the ingredients and nutritional information. • Have your child put items on the counter the way they should be bagged (frozen items, produce, dry goods, etc.). • Why are certain items placed near the check-out counter such as gum, candy bars, and magazines? • How much will we save using coupons?

18. Riding in the Car: Predict how long it will take to get to the destination and compare to how long it actually took. Talk with your child about landmarks on the route. What is an alternate route to get to the destination? Which route is the most efficient? Create a traveling backpack. Include things like paper, maps, books/magazines, pencils, markers, calculator, and activity books. Simple Ideas(continued)

19. Simple Ideas(continued) Riding in the car: • Play songs that teach sounds/letters/words, math or other educational concepts. • Print MapQuest for your destination. Ask your child to follow along with the map while you drive. • Play an audio book on tape or CD. • Have your child read aloud to you.

20. READING • Support your child’s reading interest by providing a variety of reading materials. • Support your child’s reading level by helping her choose books that are appropriate for her level. • Have family reading time where everyone reads. Read together and individually. • Use sticky notes and sticky flags to write or mark interesting or difficult words or concepts in the text to talk about later.

21. READING(continued) How to Choose “Just Right” Books • Look at the cover. • Read the title and the author. • Read the blurb in the back. • Flip through the book. • Read the first page. • Use the 5 Finger Rule. 0-1 Fingers—Too Easy 2-3 Fingers—Just Right 4-5 Fingers—Too Hard

22. WRITING Have your child: • Write in a daily journal or diary. • Write letters or emails to friends. • Write out errand lists and schedules for chores, appointments, and after school activities. • Set up a writing station at home with scrap paper, pens, markers, pencils, stapler, tape, scissors, and magazines. • Encourage your child to write their own version of favorite stories and poems. (Ex: The book The Very Hungry Caterpillar could become The Very Hungry Tadpole.)

23. Make math fun! Read fun math books. Play cards, number games, and puzzles. Read and interpret charts and graphs in the newspaper. Determine how far you will be able to drive with the amount of gas in the tank. Find measuring opportunities:-Have your child help with cooking, reading the recipes, and measuring the ingredients. -Keep a growth chart. MATH

24. Let your child handle money. Have him estimate change due back. Help him check by counting it back. Create written schedules together and let your child be responsible for telling time. Let your child practice using a pocket calculator. Use it at the store to check predictions about the total. MATH(continued)

25. Science is not just a collection of facts. It is a way of thinking that includes these components: Observing-Help your children notice small details. “What shapes do you see in the spider web?” Classifying-Find opportunities for your child to put things into groups, such as sorting socks, their toys, canned goods. Predicting-Ask “What might happen if…?” questions and then test them when appropriate. “How long do you think that ice cube will last sitting on the counter?” Quantifying-Find everyday opportunities to quantify. “Who is the shortest person in the family?” “Whose bedroom is bigger?” Science

26. Look for opportunities for your child to collect things from nature to observe and investigate. Encourage your child to take things apart such as old toys, clocks, and broken small appliances. (Don’t forget about safety.) Read and DISCUSS science related books and magazines together. Help your child learn how to use the text features such as illustrations/photographs, table of contents, index, glossary, captions, charts, maps, tables, and graphs to better understand the information. SCIENCE (continued)

27. SCIENCE (continued) • Watch and discuss the weather station and science related television shows together as a family. • Check for local science workshops, camps, nature walks, or other science related programs. • Visit local attractions that teach science concepts such as science museums, planetariums, aquariums, and zoos. • Experiment with cooking, mixing paints, and creative activities such as paper mache.

28. LET’S TRY! We will try two sample FCAT questions: • 8th Grade Reading • 3rd Grade Math For more sample questions visit: http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcatkeys.asp

29. TELEVISION…It does not have to be the enemy of education! • Use the TV Guide and schedule quality programs to be watched during the week. • Watch programs together and make it interactive. Remember, talking builds vocabulary which supports comprehension and problem solving skills. “What do you think will happen next?” “Do you think what that character did was right?” “Why or why not?”

30. VIDEO GAMES • Video games require problem solving skills to advance from one level to the next level. • Have your child write and/or illustrate a story about characters from the game and describe the characters’ personalities. • Ask questions about strategies used to win the games. “How do you get to the next level?” “Why do you need that yellow ‘power-up’ thing?” “Why did you choose to play this game?” • Computers are great resources for building background knowledge and skills in all subject areas.

31. Before the Test • Make sure your child: • Arrives at school on time. • Gets a good night’s sleep. • Eats a healthy breakfast. • Knows you care! • Make sure you: • Encourage your child. • Keep a positive attitude. • Talk and listen to your child. • Provide time for relaxation and exercise. • Review test taking strategies with your child.

32. TEST TAKING STRATEGIES • Make sure to read and follow all directions. Reread if necessary. • Do not spend too much time on any one question. If the question is too difficult, skip it and come back to it later. • If you are still not sure of the correct answer, make your best guess. • Do not leave any questions unanswered.

33. TEST TAKING STRATEGIES(continued) • On multiple choice questions, avoid the temptation to choose an answer until you have read and thought about the choices. • On multiple choice questions, eliminate the answers that you know are wrong, then make your best guess.

34. TEST TAKING STRATEGIES(continued) • When you are finished, check to see you have not skipped any questions. • If you have time, reread to be sure you are satisfied with your answers. • Be especially careful to check math work since computation errors are sometimes made.

35. WINNING AT HOME • Start by making learning a priority. • Show interest in school work. • Support 100% attendance. • Look for everyday opportunities to have frequent conversations and listen attentively. • Ask higher order questions at every opportunity. • READ, READ, READ!!! • Make it FUN! FUN! FUN!!

36. Please Complete Evaluations The Florida PIRC at USF 3500 E. Fletcher Ave., Suite 301 Tampa, FL 33613 Toll Free: 1-866-775-8661 Fax: 813-396-9925 www.floridapirc.usf.edu This presentation was produced, in whole or in part, with funds from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Innovation & Improvement, Parental Information and Resource Center program, under Grant # 84.310A. The content herein does not Necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Education, any other agency of the U.S. government, or any other source.