ELA Common Core Science Practice Questions

posted by Karen Quinn, The Testing Mom - October 9th, 2014

Due to the strong focus on English regarding the ELA Common Core standardized test, many parents become confused as to how to help their children prepare. Traditional science practice questions are not effective, as the test is specially designed to test and promote reading comprehension, even during the history, science and math portions.

How to Choose Practice Questions

There are several ways to obtain practice science questions for the ELA common core. Parents can choose from paid online courses, hard-copy study guides and free online questions. However, another option is available which costs nothing and may be among the most effective.

Since your child will be tested on comprehension of grade-appropriate science text, their current science textbooks are excellent starting points for practice questions. While you may choose a paid option in the future, textbooks are a great place to start.

When choosing pieces of text to use as practice questions, avoid focusing on facts and figures. While this information is important, it is not the focus of your child’s upcoming test. Instead, focus on choosing text with plenty of different tones, types of statements and steps within processes. These are excellent indicators of how well your child comprehends the text. Visit http://ccs.clarityconnect.com/nriggs/practice.html for more ideas on practice questions.

Administering Practice Questions

Practice sessions for the ELA Common Core should be appropriate to your child’s age. In addition, it’s a good idea to avoid placing too much pressure on your child regarding the test itself. This can lead to testing anxiety, a recognized phenomenon in which children ‘freeze’ during a test or simply go blank. While testing anxiety can occur in even the brightest children, it’s often a cause or component of low test scores. Create a relaxed and fun atmosphere regarding practice questions and your child will be more likely to feel relaxed on testing day. This may include several components, particularly keeping practice sessions short and not allowing your child to become aware of your own anxiety (if any) regarding testing.