Quote: "Students need help understanding test talk so that high-stakes test really measure what they know."
Comment: I completely agree with this statement! From my elementary days I remember when the teachers taught to the test and how I would study for the STAR (a yearly standardized California test) and then forget everything I studied once the test was over. Part of this was because the test talk was so different. I remember taking these high-stakes test and getting hung up over the wording of the questions because they weren't similar to what we were learning in class. Even the readings were boring, and I don't usually feel that picky about what I have to read. Thus, as future teachers, it is important to teach our students through minilessons, as Tompkins addresses, on how to read test talk and then understand it well enough to answer the questions given. High-stakes tests should measure what a student knows, not what they don't know, and so far, they are not meeting their end of the bargain.
Question: How can I best teach my students test talk in an engaging and meaningful way?
I think the best way is through minilessons and making sure the know this is just for the test. I also think we should let students practice and see the format and wording or questions before the actual test.
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