Studying for the Regents

All New York High School students are required to take several Regents to graduate. They're typically given in January, June, and August, and are among the most feared and most difficult tests high schoolers take, second only to the SAT, ACT, and AP Tests. They don't have to be that way, though. Here are some tips for studying for the Regents.

• Start studying now. That's right, you heard me. It's the middle of February, but it's never too early to start studying for Regents. 
• Review your class notes. Your teacher isn't standing in front of the room giving you notes because she likes the sound of her own voice. She's teaching you everything you need to know for that Big Test, and you should be a) paying close attention, b) taking great notes, and c) studying from those notes. 
• Go through old class tests. If you got a 75 on the Unit 3 test, ask yourself why you got a 75. Look at the types of questions you got wrong, and make extra sure to review those topics. 
• If you are practicing for a language regents, there are some special steps you should take. 
• Watch a Spanish (let's just assume the foreign language you're studying is Spanish, for ease of reading and writing) TV show for kids. The kind of Spanish you're going to be tested on is relatively simple. It's not the Spanish translation of Paradise Lost, it's not going to move you to tears, and it may not even be particularly interesting. But it is meant for intermediate readers, which is good for you. 
• Read a Spanish book intended for teens. The writing won't be as complex as in an adult book, and you might find it interesting. Teens are teens no matter where they're from. 
• Practice writing. Write your journal entry in Spanish one day. Write a love note in Spanish to that cute girl in isle one. (Just make sure you give it to her at an appropriate time, i.e. not during Spanish class) 
• Practice your speaking. Even if it's just to the mirror, it's a good idea to become a better Spanish speaker before the test. When I took my Spanish Regents, I was at the top of my class, and to this day I can still read Spanish articles, poems, or teen books, but I still stumbled over the speaking part because I'd neglected to practice. Learn from my mistakes: Have daily conversations with that handsome face in the mirror!
• Go to http://regentsprep.org/. They have some great resources to help you study, including quizzes, practice tests, videos, lessons, and review sheets. 
• Get familiar with your Reference Table, if you are allowed one. If I recall correctly, the Earth Science one is something like 12 pages long. You don't want to spend half of the test searching through your reference table. Learn where everything is before the test. 
• Study from old Regents Exams. Test yourself to get a good idea of the grade you might get in the real Regents, then aim to improve that score by a set number of points. Go through the archives and take every Regents exam you can find. More often than not, questions are recycled, and after a while you start to get a feel for the rhythm of the test. By the time the real test comes around, you'll be super prepared. 

Decoding Photographs

In most middle and high school history classes, you will come across the dreaded DBQ's. Short for Document Based Questions, teachers tend to make a Big Deal of DBQ's. Educators often spend a lot of time prepping students to answer these kinds of questions because most students are used to learning history from a textbook, or a lecture, of a professional analysis of an event, and are therefore unaccustomed to having to look at a historical document or photograph and analyze it themselves.

In general, DBQ's have a fairly good mix of primary textual sources like letters from soldiers, declarations of war, telegraphs from one leader to another, and newspaper articles written during the event, photographical primary sources, and other sources like maps, charts, tables, and diagrams. In this post, we're going to be focusing on how to decode photographs.

Take a look at this one, for example.

You may have seen it before, or you might not have. Let's pretend for a moment that you've never seen this photograph before in your life, and you don't have any textual hints whatsoever what period of history it might be from. (This will never happen on a test; however, it's quite common to come across an isolated image in real life or in the Internet and have to draw your own conclusions about it.) 

We have to start somewhere, so let's start with the assumption that this photograph was taken after the invention of photography. That's pretty much a given, right? The first photograph of a person was taken in 1838, but photography wasn't very good back then, and it was extremely expensive. For a long time, most of the photographs taken were commissioned portraits of wealthy families or individuals. Those photographs were taken in high street studios and required a mix of good lighting, careful posing, and meticulously chosen props to mimic the style of earlier portrait artists who worked with a paintbrush and canvas to 'idealize' their subjects. However, it's clear that this woman is not wealthy or in a high street studio. She's far from idealized, as well; the photographer's goal here was to highlight her flaws, not to brush them away. 

In 1901, the Kodak Brownie brought photography to the masses. Photography was no longer an exclusive high street profession, and it was affordable enough that the average middle class person could afford a camera. So, now we have somewhat of a date. This photograph was most likely taken sometime between 1901 and 2015. But wait a second. When was the last time you saw someone taking a black and white photograph? Sure, photographers still use black and white filters to achieve an artistic effect or to make a statement, but the majority of people photographing historical events these days use color whenever possible. 

Color photography was invented in 1861. However, it took days of exposure and it was even more expensive than regular photography. The cost of color photography went down in the 1940's, but habit compelled people to use traditional methods well into the 1950's and 60's. You start to see the transition between black and white and color photography around the year 1950, so let's take an educated guess and say that this photograph was taken before the year 1950. 

Now we have a range we can work with. Sure, a lot of things happened between 1901 and 1950, but at least now we know not to guess that this was taken during the Vietnam War or during the American Revolution. 

(I'd just like to take a moment to note that we do have many historical photographs from before 1901. We have photos of officers from the Civil War and pictures of Union camps and photographs of Abraham Lincoln, as well as several other presidents from the 19th century. However, those photographs are primitive compared to the one above, which is superbly defined.) 

So now we can ask ourselves what major events happened between 1901 and 1950. The World Wars come to mind, as does the Flu of 1918, the Roaring 20's, the women's suffrage moment, and the Great Depression. We can eliminate the Roaring 20's right away. This woman isn't happy and carefree. She's worried about her children and her future and her own wellbeing. She's dirty and her clothes are ripped. Her children are in a similar state and the mood of the photograph is altogether bleak and hopeless. We can probably cross the Flu of 1918 off our list as well. She isn't visibly ill and a pandemic can't really explain her unwashed appearance. She's probably not a member of the woman's suffrage movement, either. While many women were jailed and went on hunger strikes in the process of obtaining the right to vote, she wouldn't have her children with her if she was imprisoned and she would probably appear more brave and determined if she was a free woman fighting for her right to be represented in government. So that the leaves the World Wars and the Great Depression. 

Is it possible that she's a European refugee who lost her home and perhaps her husband to a war? Yes, absolutely. However, this is the point in our hypothetical exercise where you realize you're taking an American history class, and that your teacher probably isn't mean enough to try to confuse you with pictures of European refugees. 

So now we've correctly arrived at the conclusion that this photograph was taken during the Great Depression. This woman and her family are living in abject poverty. They barely have enough money for food, let alone new clothes. They're clearly homeless and probably living in a Hooverville somewhere. 

You might be asked to deduce what this woman's concerns are, or how she's feeling, or how she got into this situation. She's clearly miserable, and she's probably worried about providing for her family. She might be hungry, or cold, and her children are crying. She might be wondering when things are going to get better, or she might have given up on hope entirely. She might even be remembering her life before the Stock Market Crash of 1929 plunged the world into an economic depression. 

And we got all of that by being able to place this photograph in its proper historical context. 

Khan Academy

A while back, one of our readers suggested that we add Khan Academy to our list of resources.

Khan Academy offers an amazing variety of learning resources. Students can brush up on their math or science skills, learn about economics and finance, dive into the world of computer programing, prep for the Big Test, or access partner content offered by world-renowned museums.

Khan Academy is an awesome resource for learners of all ages. Kindergartners through college students can benefit from using Khan Academy, as can their caregivers and teachers. Adult learners can enjoy these resources as well. Whether you're 5 or 125, Khan Academy will help you learn something new.

Last Minute Test Prep: NYS Math Test

If you're worried about not doing well tomorrow, try taking a practice test to gauge how well you will do tomorrow. Answers are included in each document below.

Grade 3 NYS Math Practice Test: http://www.engageny.org/sites/default/files/resource/attachments/grade_3_math_released_questions.pdf

Grade 4 NYS Math Practice Test: http://www.engageny.org/sites/default/files/resource/attachments/grade_4_math_released_questions.pdf

Grade 5 NYS Math Practice Test: http://www.engageny.org/sites/default/files/resource/attachments/grade_5_math_released_questions.pdf

Grade 6 NYS Math Practice Test: http://www.engageny.org/sites/default/files/resource/attachments/grade_6_math_released_questions.pdf

Grade 7 NYS Math Practice Test: http://www.engageny.org/sites/default/files/resource/attachments/grade_7_math_released_questions.pdf

Grade 8 NYS Math Practice Test: http://www.engageny.org/sites/default/files/resource/attachments/grade_8_math_released_questions.pdf

Tips for Taking the Test: Math Edition

With the NYS Math Exam coming up tomorrow, you might be looking for some tips for taking the test. If so, you've come to the right place!

• Stay focused. Nothing matters (for a few hours at least) except for the test.
• If permitted, use a calculator to avoid silly mistakes.
• At the end of the test, take time to make sure that your answers are legible (easily read). You can lose easy points if the grader can't understand what you've written.
• Show all of your work, even if you used a calculator. You can lose points for not doing so.
• For the multiple choice section of the test, do all work and computations/calculations before checking out the four answers. This will help you avoid careless mistakes. If none of the answer choices correspond to the answer you calculated, follow these steps:
• Make sure you've read the problem carefully. Did you miss a step? Did you add when you needed to subtract? Did you do step two first instead of step one?
• Re-do the problem. 
• If you still get the same answer, choose the answer choice that makes the most sense - generally the one closest to the answer you calculated.
• Look for key words in the problem. If the problem says to estimate, don't do an exact calculation! 
• Make sure your answer makes sense. Sometimes the test-makers will try to fool you with units that don't make sense, decimals in the wrong place, etc. 
• Pace yourself. Don't rush, but leave yourself enough time to finish as many questions as possible.
• For the second and third parts of the test, you might come across a question (or a few) asking you to explain how you arrived at an answer. Make sure you remember to include every step in your answer. 
• Answer every question. If you need to skip a question, make sure you go back to it.
• Don't spend too much time on one question. 
• Try not to guess. If you have to guess, cross off one or two answer choices first, then make an educated guess. 
• Believe in yourself. You're going to do fine. You've learned everything on the test already! 
• Don't stress yourself out tonight, or the morning before the test. If you're going to study, stick to vocabulary and/or reviewing key ideas you know that you've had trouble with throughout the year.
• Remember that I believe in you too! Good luck! 

SAT and ACT Study Guides

The SAT and the ACT are both tests colleges use in the admissions process. Find study guides for each below.

ACT Study Guide: http://www.studyguidezone.com/pdfs/actteststudyguide.pdf

SAT Study Guide: http://www.studyguidezone.com/pdfs/satteststudyguide.pdf

Today's Lesson: Making Test Prep Lessons More Effective

With the big state tests coming up, a lot of tutors, teachers, and students wonder how to make test prep lessons more effective.

Here are some tips:

• Give immediate feedback. If your students are taking a practice test, give feedback on all the questions they got wrong as soon as possible. Give them a list of topics they need to work on.
• Focus on subject-specific vocabulary.
• Take each concept individually. If you are working on science, try focusing on ecology one day and biology the next. If you are doing math, try focusing on geometry one day and algebra the next.
• Occasionally give students practice tests to do independently to gauge what topics you need to focus on further. This will serve a dual purpose of giving students a sense of joy and pride as they see themselves improving from month to month.
• Try to make your lessons fun. If you can, incorporate interactives. This will get harder as test day approaches, but try anyway.
• Keep in mind that learning is more than just taking a test. Some bright students simply don't perform well on high-pressure tests, but that doesn't invalidate what they've learnt. 
• Get your students used to taking tests before the big day. This will help them get used to the format and the directions. 
• Watch your students while they take the test. You may be able to spot where they lose time or get distracted so that you can tell them how to optimize their time and stay focused on the material. 
• Ask for input from your students themselves. Often, older students will tell you exactly what they think they need help with. Younger or shyer students may not. 
• Laugh a little. Test prep can get boring fast, so laughing at a funny name or oddly phrased question is a great way to connect with your students and lighten the all too often serious mood that accompanies high-stress tests.

Shopping List: SAT Prep

Let's be honest with each other. It's hard to do well on a test like the SAT without a lot of preparation. That usually means hours of practice tests, studying vocabulary, doing math drills, and writing practice essays.

Most of the resources on our site are free, but some, like the ones below, are affordably priced resources to help your student do his or her best. While it is not necessary to purchase test-prep materials, for a test like the SAT, I would strongly recommend buying one of the below books. (Fortunately, some of them can be found at your local library for free!)

College Board Official SAT Practice materials, including an online course, the Official SAT Study Guide, the Official SAT Study Guide with a DVD, and an Official Study Guide for all SAT Subject Tests: http://sat.collegeboard.org/sat-store

Applerouth SAT and ACT Prep materials: https://www.applerouth.com/materials/

Princeton Review Books: http://www.randomhouse.com/princetonreview/college/sat/

Princeton Review Online Class: http://www.princetonreview.com/college/online-sat-test-prep.aspx

SAT Prep Black Book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BS1FT9M/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00BS1FT9M&linkCode=as2&tag=satprepblackbookcom-20

I personally used both the Applerouth and College Board Official books to raise my score 90 points.

However, if you can't afford SAT prep books or classes, it's understandable. A lot of free resources are available online to students for absolutely no cost. Search our blog under the SAT tag and keep coming back to check out the new resources we'll be adding from time to time.

Pearson Resources

Interactive math videos, worksheets, and textbook resources: http://www.phschool.com/atschool/txtbk_res_math.html

ELA: http://www.phschool.com/atschool/txtbk_res_la.html

Science (Choose your state and a topic): http://www.phschool.com/atschool/txtbk_res_sci.html

Social Studies (Choose your state and a topic): http://www.phschool.com/atschool/txtbk_res_ss.html

Foreign Languages (Primarily Spanish): http://www.phschool.com/atschool/txtbk_res_fl.html

Other, including driving and life skills: http://www.phschool.com/atschool/txtbk_res_ct.html

You can find videos, lessons, links, and much more within these links. If you are having trouble with a topic, click on an applicable textbook and explore the links and videos provided under that topic's headings and subheadings. This is a great way to study for the state tests coming up.

Tests, Tests, and More Tests

Well, the NYS ELA tests are officially over. Yay! You've overcome one of several hurdles you'll be facing this year. All New York State students will be taking their math exams later this month, and fourth and eighth graders also have the state science tests to look forward too. Fifth and eighth graders have social studies exams as well.

I would recommend that you begin preparing for those tests now. Take some practice tests to get an idea of how you will do on those tests.


Practice Tests for Math:

Grade 3: http://www.nysedregents.org/Grade3/Mathematics/home.html

Grade 4: http://www.nysedregents.org/Grade4/Mathematics/home.html

Grade 5: http://www.nysedregents.org/Grade5/Mathematics/home.html

Grade 6: http://www.nysedregents.org/Grade6/Mathematics/home.html

Grade 7: http://www.nysedregents.org/Grade7/Mathematics/home.html

Grade 8: http://www.nysedregents.org/Grade8/Mathematics/home.html

And, for my eighth grade students looking for a challenge, try doing some of the problems on the Algebra Regents: http://www.nysedregents.org/IntegratedAlgebra/


Practice Tests for Science:

Grade 4: http://www.nysedregents.org/Grade4/Science/home.html

Grade 8: http://www.nysedregents.org/Grade8/Science/home.html


Practice Tests for Social Studies:

Grade 5: http://www.nysedregents.org/Grade5/SocialStudies/home.html

Grade 8: http://www.nysedregents.org/Grade8/SocialStudies/home.html

Tips for Taking the Test: Part Five

The Morning Of Edition

• Wake up early enough that you're not late for school.
• Eat a healthy breakfast. 
• Go through your normal morning routine. Brush your teeth, comb your hair, wash your face, etc. 
• Try to keep the morning as stress-free as possible. If that means waking up five minutes early to avoid rushing around trying to get ready, do it. 
• When you get to school, try to avoid panicking. Take deep breaths and do some chair exercises. 
• Eat your snack before the test if your teacher lets you. 
• Stay hydrated with a water bottle if your teacher lets you.
• During the test, stay focused. 
• Try to do your best. No matter what anyone else tells you, your best is all you can do. 
• Don't panic if you find yourself coming across a question you have no idea how to answer. Go back to the passage and try to find the answer, but try not to spend too much time on one question. Skip the question if you need to, and remember to leave a space on your answer document for it. Go back to it at the end, and if you need to, eliminate one or two answer choices then make an educated guess. 
• Don't worry; you'll do fine. :) 

Tips for Taking the Test: Part Four

The Night Before Edition

• Get a good night's sleep. 
• Eat a healthy dinner.
• Relax with your favorite book or TV show. 
• Don't overexert yourself.
• Don't study. You might feel compelled to do one last practice test, but it won't help. All of your education thus far has been preparing you to take this test. There is nothing new you can learn to help you take the test tomorrow. There is nothing that you don't already know that will help you. 
• Don't strain your eyes. Don't spend too much time at the computer or playing video games or watching TV. Don't read a book with very small print font. Don't squint at things. You want your eyes to be fresh for tomorrow. 
• Try not to strain your muscles. Skip the exercise routine for today. 
• Prepare everything the night before. Prepare your pencils and snacks. Get your bookbag ready for tomorrow morning. 
• Relax. You're going to do fine. Check out these tips for relaxation if you start freaking out: http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/blissing-out-10-relaxation-techniques-reduce-stress-spot
• If you're one of our students, feel free to call us for some last-minute tips and motivation. :) 
• Check out the next post for what to do the morning of the test. 

Tips for Taking the Test: Part Three

This post is going to be all about test-taking vocabulary.

Go to this site and watch the video. Pay attention to the words in white, then scroll down for the lyrics. Click on each word in blue to learn more about it: http://www.flocabulary.com/test-taking-vocabulary/

Describe: Give specific details that paint a verbal picture of what you are trying to write about

Identify: To find, to point out

Explain: Tell why something is the way it is

Infer: Make an educated guess based on the details in the text

Develop: To create and expand upon

Evaluate: Examine all the parts of a whole and make a judgement based on those parts

Justify: Provide facts, details, and evidence from the text to support your stance or your answer

Analysis: To break something down into parts and explain each one in detail

Tips for Taking the Test: Part Two

The last post focused on general tips for taking the test. This one will focus on tips for the writing section.

• Use as many details as possible. Test-graders love details. 
• Pre-write for 5 minutes. Outline, brainstorm, organize your ideas, etc. Don't just start writing. If you have an outline, your final piece will be more organized and coherent. 
• Edit once you're done for 5 minutes if you have the time. Check for spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. 
• Check out this rubric to find out exactly what the test takers are looking for: http://www.syracusecityschools.com/tfiles/folder717/Unit%20One%20Reading%20Rubric%20-%20Q3.pdf
• Your goal is a 3 or a 4. You need to be clear and coherent to achieve this grade. You need to use lots of details and prove that your stance is the correct one. You need to never deviate from the prompt or go off on a tangent. Your grammar and punctation need to be on target. You need to be logical and have great analysis. 
• Here is another rubric. It's from Georgia, but test-takers are looking for the same thing all over the nation: http://jortegablog.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/8th-grade-writing-rubric.pdf
• Make sure you answer the question being asked. You could write the best essay ever written about dogs, but if the question is asking about cats, you're going to get a zero. 
• Don't make anything up. Only use details from the text. 
• Go back to the text and underline details you want to use in your response. 
• In your conclusion, make a big connection if possible. Make a text-to-text or text-to-world connection or say something profound that sums up your entire essay. 

Tips For Taking the Test: Part One

• Read the questions first. 
• Write a few key words describing what you are looking for. For example, if the question asks for the main idea of the passage, write main idea. 
• Remember what you are looking for as you read the passage. 
• Mark up the questions - underline, circle, box, you name it. Write all over the test. 
• Read the directions. Sometimes there will be clues in the directions that tell you vital information about the passage like what time period it was written in or what genre it is. 
• Mark up the passage - write 3 words next to every paragraph that summarizes the paragraph. This will help you find what you're looking for when you go back to the passage to answer the questions. 
• Go back to the passage for every question. You need to have a justification for you answer. 
• Wear a watch.
• Wear a rubber band too. If you feel yourself getting distracted, pluck it gently. 
• Concentrate on the test. Nothing matters but the test. 
• Pretend that the entire world is contained within the test. There exists nothing outside of or beyond the world of the test. Everything you know or ever knew is in the test. 
• You can find the answer to every question in the passage, if you look hard enough. 
• If you feel you miss important details when you read, read the passage twice. This is especially important for my ESL students and my students who get extra time. 
• Don't guess!!! Everything you need to know is in the passage. 
• Take a small snack to eat before-hand so you don't get hungry during the test.
• Eat a good breakfast of protein and carbs. That means no sugary snacks or Lucky Charms. 
• Read every choice before answering the question. B might seem like a great answer, but D might be the perfect - and the right - answer. 
• Use context clues when dealing with unfamiliar words. 
• Find the main idea and themes of every passage. 
• Take your time. Don't rush. 
• Do some chair stretches before the test. Roll your shoulders. Lift your legs. Do arm circles. Sit up straight and stretch your back. It doesn't matter if you look silly; it'll help you loosen up and relax. 
• Visualize yourself getting you goal grade. Picture a 3 in your mind, and work towards that goal. 
• Remember that I believe in you. You're going to do great! 

Test Prep Resources

Ohio, Grades 3-8: http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Testing/Testing-Materials/Released-Test-Materials-for-Ohio-s-Grade-3-8-Achie

California, Grades 3-12: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/css05rtq.asp

New York, Elementary: http://www.nysedregents.org/elementary.html

New York, Intermediate: http://www.nysedregents.org/intermediate.html

New York, High School: http://www.nysedregents.org/

Alaska, Grades 3-9: https://www.eed.state.ak.us/tls/assessment/SBA_PracticeTests.html

Arizona, Grades 3-12: http://www.azed.gov/standards-development-assessment/aims/sample-for-students/

A comprehensive list of released testing materials from all 50 US states can be found here: https://www.schoolquest.org/state-education-resources/result/all-states/31/P25/