ELA Common Core Social Studies Practice Questions for Younger Children

posted by Karen Quinn, The Testing Mom - October 23rd, 2014

The ELA Common Core tests are given to children in every grade, including kindergarten and pre-kindergarten. However, there is a distinct difference between the tests used in grades K through five and the tests used in grades six and up.

Younger children in lower grades receive only the English portion of the ELA Common Core tests. However, there are questions on history, math, science and social studies within these sections. They are worded a bit differently, with more focus placed on reading and other English language skills than on recalling specific facts, dates and figures. You can read about the specifics for Oregon at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=3350, then determine how to modify your test prep based on the Standards your state has decided to accept.

How to Prepare Your Child

Prepping your child for the ELA Common Core tests is crucial, even at very young ages and low grade levels. Thankfully, there are plenty of resources out there to help you. A child who has undergone at least some at-home test preparation has a greatly increased chance of performing up to their true abilities.

Children obtain the most benefit from test prep when they are not pressured. This is especially true of younger children. Pressuring your child to do well can easily backfire. Pressure is often interpreted, by younger children especially, as anxiety. Unchecked, this can develop into testing anxiety. This recognized psychological phenomenon often leaves children nervous wrecks on testing day, which typically leads to poor performance and scores which do not accurately reflect a child’s abilities. To avoid this potentially debilitating condition, simply keep your test prep sessions light and fun; avoid stressing your child or asking them to study for long periods of time.

You can typically find excellent social studies practice questions in your child’s current social studies textbook. Be sure to choose pieces of text which offer plenty of English language skills, since these skills are the main focus of the ELA test battery.