Jeffery Said:

What are some things I can do to score higher on the SATs?

We Answered:

When I first took the SAT, my score was low in the mid 1700s but then I got the sat guide from guideparadise: http://www.guideparadise.com/index.php?o… and my score went up to 2190 (800 math, 760 writing, 630 reading). I highly recommend this guide for anyone wishing to get a higher SAT score.

Robin Said:

Teachers how can you develop inquiry skills in your elementary students in a social studies lesson plan?

We Answered:

My Masters in Teaching program was inquiry based and I had a specific inquiry class for each subject including social studies. That was years ago though so I'll see what my memory holds.

One text was:
Children And Their World: Strategies for Teaching Social Studies ISBN: 0618376445
That was our textbook. I wrote this summary of one of the chapters:
Many of his suggestions (Author’s Chair, Dramatic Play, and Role Playing) activate the student’s imagination while pulling in information from texts and other resources. This not only requires the students to research and recite information; it also requires that the student synthesis the information into conversation and interaction. Games and simulations have become more commonplace in education, also actively using role-playing and decision-making to let students experience and interact with educational objectives. Welton stresses that debriefing after an activity is essential to ensure that meaningful information has been discovered.

Another text with direct ties to community projects was:
The Kid's Guide to Social Action - ISBN:1575420384

One of my lesson plans was to ask parental permission for no food until 1:15pm, at which point my elementary schoolers would discuss what hunger feels like.

Our teachers discussed dressing up like Famous Americans. One totally made her classroom into a big trench like during a war. Students had to crawl through the trench and talk about what they felt.

For my 2nd grade classroom now we have a First American feast day where student rotate through different activities learning about song, crafts, homes, and other things. The parents then bring related food for lunch. For China they have to do a project with a poster showing an invention. The project is presented as a Chinese menu.

Hope this helps!

Jesse Said:

How should I study for CPT test that is for college?

We Answered:

Go over basic math again and some algebra. Don't score low on the math or it will stall your progress through college. You are going to do what you are going to do on english parts. If you know how to read, comprehend and spell it will be fine. There are less english classes you need for graduation with most majors than there is math.

Beth Said:

teaching study skills?

We Answered:

LEARNNC~always a great source!

http://www.learnnc.org/bestweb/studyskil…

Hope this helps! :)

Brian Said:

What are the most important skills for an elementary-age studying with learning disabilities to master?

We Answered:

Reading comprehension is a very important skill for students with learning disabilities to master. It will benefit them as they work to succeed in future coursework and in life after graduating from high school.

I work in a high school and many of my students struggle with their vocational courses as well as core subjects because they are not able to effectively read their textbooks to locate information. Their success in all classes would be increased if they were able to glean more information from handouts and textbooks.

Learning reading comprehension skills in elementary school is not only helpful, but essential.

Roland Said:

How can I improve my math skills?

We Answered:

The first and foremost thing you have to do is drop the thought of "I am horrible at math". Because if you hold on to that idea, you'll never get better. Granted there are always going to be some people who naturally pick it up faster than others, but math is still a learnable skill.

The thing that seems to kill most students is the fact that math is a cumulative subject, where you have to know what you learn one week so that you can apply it the week after. So if you get into a position where you don't know what's going on in class, it's easy to let things slide until it gets harder and harder to catch up. But if you read your notes, read the book, and do your assignments on-time, you can stay on top of things. The good news is that you generally won't have to study when exam time comes, because you'll already know the material.

It's also important to understand why the various things you're doing in your math class work the way they do. A lot of students try to memorize a pattern and regurgitate it or look for similar short cuts. But if you take the time to learn why you're doing the things you're doing, it will all make much more sense.