Woodcock Johnson III Reports, Recommendations and Strategies

posted by Karen Quinn, The Testing Mom - May 21st, 2013

Woodcock Johnson III is Widely Used Test

Used widely in assessing the achievement of students and adults, the Woodcock Johnson III Test of Achievement is a test your child will likely take at some point during their academic career. If your child is gifted and will be seeking admittance to a TAG or advanced-placement school, they will almost certainly take this test as part of an entrance examination. Understanding exactly what will be tested can help you assist your student in testing preparation.

Intended as a guide for administrators, the Woodcock Johnson III Reports, Recommendations and Strategies guide is also an excellent resource for parents. You can read more about this guide at http://www.amazon.com/Woodcock-Johnson-III-Reports-Recommendations-Strategies/dp/0471419990, although it is available from a variety of other vendors as well.

Once you understand what criteria administrators will be looking for and how the test is scored, you can begin test preparation with your child. It’s important to remember that over-preparation can lead to test anxiety and poor performance, so avoid placing any undue pressure on your child. A few brief and enjoyable review sessions, however, will help your child feel familiarized and comfortable with the rest itself. A relaxed and confident student is much more likely to score accurately than one who is anxious.

The best way to help your child prepare is to look at the format of practice questions and practice materials, then dive into some of the practice questions. It can be helpful to start with materials a grade or two below your child’s ability level, so that s/he can get familiar with the format and work up confidence in tackling some easier questions. Then move on to your child’s grade level and spend the bulk of your time there. Once your child gets the hang of the questions, do some from a grade or two above his or her level to really challenge them and get them ready for the harder questions that may pop up on the test.