 |
|
|
|
| Parents Come Back To School So Kids Can Shine In Math |
| |
| What does it take to get grown-ups back in a classroom, taking a timed math test — and on a Saturday, no less? In Freeport the answer is simple: the desire to help their children prepare for the New York State math assessments to be given in March. |
| |
“In November, we surveyed parents to determine if they had any concerns. We discovered that an overwhelming number of them were very frustrated. They felt they couldn’t help their children with homework assignments and test preparation,” says Mike Fee, administrative representative for the Freeport Math, Science and Technology Partnership Staff Development Program. “The problem wasn’t lack of effort on the parents’ part — it was lack of information about how math is approached today. Tests call for problem-solving and critical thinking, not just calculating.”
|
Parents and students, including this mother-daughter pair, left the test-preparation event with practice books and test-taking tips. They’re invited back in early March for a refresher. |
| |
Tackling the tough problems together made a practice state math exam easier for this Freeport father and son. More than 125 parent-student teams took part in a shared learning experience that will help children prepare for March’s assessments. It was the first-ever Saturday Parent-Student Test Preparation Day, held at Atkinson School and Dodd Middle School |
The solution: a first-ever “Parent-Student Test Preparation Day.” More than 125 moms or dads sat with their fifth-, sixth-, seventh- or eighth-grade children. Each team was assigned to a teacher in a classroom and given a practice test to complete. Sixteen Atkinson teachers participated along with a dozen from Dodd Middle School — all of whom prepared in advance for the assignment.
“To make things as realistic as possible, we limited the time parents and students could spend completing the sample test, and offered little help,” says Fee. After the math problems were completed, there was a review session in each classroom, which also included a lesson on test-taking strategies. As well as a renewed appreciation for the stress their children experience while taking state assessments, the parents left with comprehensive workbooks full of practice tests (with answer sheets!) to be completed at home.
|
| |
“There’s a direct link between the connection a child has with a school and his or her level of success,” says Fee, “and parents are a key component of this connection. The Parent-Student Test Preparation Day took this relationship to a new level.”
As parents left, Fee reports, they were saying things like “Now I have the tools I need to help my child” and “Please do this again.”
And they will have the opportunity to “do it again” on Saturday, March 3, when the program will be repeated right before the mid-March state assessments.
“We’re really excited about the partnership being fostered between the home, the school and the child,” says Robert-Wayne Harris, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, School Improvement, Professional Development and Planning. “We believe that with the support of parents — working in coordination with teachers — we will continue to see improvements in our students’ performance. I want to commend the efforts of the teachers involved in developing this unique program — it demonstrates their commitments to students and learning.” |
|
|
|
|
