FCAT for Families Winning the Home Front

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FCAT for Families Winning the Home Front
Florida PIRC at USF (Parental Information and
Resource Center)

• 3500 E. Fletcher Ave., Suite 301
• Tampa, FL 33613
• Toll Free 1-866-775-8661
• Fax [phone]
• www.floridapirc.usf.edu

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FCAT for Families Winning the Home Front

• Simple strategies for helping your child achieve
  better scores on the FCAT

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Agenda

• Welcome and Introductions
• Goals and Objectives
• Workshop Presentation Group Activities
• Evaluation

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GOAL

• Support the efforts of families in promoting
  childrens achievement of FCAT skills.

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Objectives

• Understand what the FCAT is and what our children
  are expected to do.
• Understand why increasing time spent reading and
  having conversations are the most effective ways
  to help your child be successful on the FCAT.
• Learn how to support your child during
  test-taking time.
• Leave with simple strategies to use at home with
  your child.

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FCAT What is the FCAT?

• FCATFlorida Comprehensive Assessment Test
• The FCAT is a test given to Florida students to
  determine what they know and can do in reading,
  math, writing, and science.
• The FCAT was developed by the state of Florida
  and first administered in 1998.

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FCAT When do students take the FCAT?
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FCAT

• FCAT scores are used to
• Identify students strengths and weaknesses.
• Guide classroom instruction.
• Determine a schools status under No Child Left
  Behind and Floridas accountability system.

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FCAT

• You can use FCAT scores to
• Identify your childs talents and provide
  enrichment.
• Determine if your child needs extra help in any
  areas. You may decide to provide the extra help
  at home or enroll your child in Supplemental
  Educational Services (SES).
• Decide what school to choose for your child
  through your districts school choice program.

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FCATSchools Cannot Teach to the Test 

• Children have to answer
• Multiple choice questions
• Short response questions
• Long response questions
• Gridded response questions

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• FCAT
• FCAT expects our children to

• Take skills and use them in real-life problem
  solving situations.
• Solve multi-step problems.
• Understand and use information.
• Get the main idea from reading.
• Write and organize thoughts.
• Read, write, and problem-solve for 45 minutes or
  longer.

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Throughout the Year

• You can use everyday opportunities throughout the
  year to ensure your childs FCAT success.
• Just small amounts of time can reap enormous
  benefits.
• Make the most of the time you already have. A
  little bit of time over the long haul makes all
  the difference.
• Use everyday opportunities to build reading
  vocabulary, reading comprehension, problem
  solving skills, and math skills.

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Questioning

• Two kinds of questions

• Lower Order What is the color of the animal in
  the picture? (fact/meaning/definition)
• Higher Order How does the animals coloring
  help him stay safe? (concept/explanation/example)

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QUESTIONING (continued) 

• Easy ways to ask Higher Order questions during
  everyday opportunities
• Why did?
• Why do you think?
• What if?
• How would you?
• How do you know?
• How arealike/different?
• How did/does?
• Which is better? Why?

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Simple Ideas

• Doing Laundry
• Let your child help sort some of the laundry and
  explain his reasoning.
• Ask your child to determine the size of the load
  of clothes and the appropriate amount of
  detergent that should be used.
• How long will it take the clothes to wash? To
  dry?
• What water temperature should be used? Why?
• At the laundromat, how much will it cost to wash
  and dry one load of the clothes? All the clothes?

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Simple Ideas (continued)

• Doctors Office
• What time do we need to leave in order to be on
  time for the appointment?
• How long (do we need/did we have) to wait to see
  the doctor?
• Why do we usually have to wait past our
  appointment time to see the doctor?
• Make use of the wait time to read, complete a
  crossword puzzle, or play a game.

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Simple Ideas (continued)

• Grocery Shopping
• Let your child help you find items on your
  grocery list and cross them off as you put them
  in the cart.
• Read and discuss the labels on products. Check
  out the ingredients and nutritional information.
• Have your child put items on the counter the way
  they should be bagged (frozen items, produce, dry
  goods, etc.).
• Why are certain items placed near the check-out
  counter such as gum, candy bars, and magazines?
• How much will we save using coupons?

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Simple Ideas (continued)

• Riding in the Car
• Predict how long it will take to get to the
  destination and compare to how long it actually
  took.
• Talk with your child about landmarks on the
  route.
• What is an alternate route to get to the
  destination? Which route is the most efficient?
• Create a traveling backpack. Include things like
  paper, maps, books/magazines, pencils, markers,
  calculator, and activity books.

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Simple Ideas (continued)

• Riding in the car
• Play songs that teach sounds/letters/words, math
  or other educational concepts.
• Print MapQuest for your destination. Ask your
  child to follow along with the map while you
  drive.
• Play an audio book on tape or CD.
• Have your child read aloud to you.

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READING

• Support your childs reading interest by
  providing a variety of reading materials.
• Support your childs reading level by helping her
  choose books that are appropriate for her level.
• Have family reading time where everyone reads.
  Read together and individually.
• Use sticky notes and sticky flags to write or
  mark interesting or difficult words or concepts
  in the text to talk about later.

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READING(continued)

• How to Choose Just Right Books
• Look at the cover.
• Read the title and the author.
• Read the blurb in the back.
• Flip through the book.
• Read the first page.
• Use the 5 Finger Rule.
• 0-1 FingersToo Easy
• 2-3 FingersJust Right
• 4-5 FingersToo Hard

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WRITING

• Have your child
• Write in a daily journal or diary.
• Write letters or emails to friends.
• Write out errand lists and schedules for chores,
  appointments, and after school activities.
• Set up a writing station at home with scrap
  paper, pens, markers, pencils, stapler, tape,
  scissors, and magazines.
• Encourage your child to write their own version
  of favorite stories and poems. (Ex The book The
  Very Hungry Caterpillar could become The Very
  Hungry Tadpole.)

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MATH

• Make math fun! Read fun math books. Play cards,
  number games, and puzzles.
• Read and interpret charts and graphs in the
  newspaper.
• Determine how far you will be able to drive with
  the amount of gas in the tank.
• Find measuring opportunities-Have your child
  help with cooking, reading the recipes, and
  measuring the ingredients. -Keep a growth chart.

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MATH(continued)

• Let your child handle money. Have him estimate
  change due back. Help him check by counting it
  back.
• Create written schedules together and let your
  child be responsible for telling time.
• Let your child practice using a pocket
  calculator. Use it at the store to check
  predictions about the total.

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Science

• Science is not just a collection of facts. It is
  a way of thinking that includes these
  components
• Observing-Help your children notice small
  details. What shapes do you see in the spider
  web?
• Classifying-Find opportunities for your child to
  put things into groups, such as sorting socks,
  their toys, canned goods.
• Predicting-Ask What might happen if?
  questions and then test them when appropriate.
  How long do you think that ice cube will last
  sitting on the counter?
• Quantifying-Find everyday opportunities to
  quantify. Who is the shortest person in the
  family? Whose bedroom is bigger?

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SCIENCE (continued)  

• Look for opportunities for your child to collect
  things from nature to observe and investigate.
• Encourage your child to take things apart such as
  old toys, clocks, and broken small appliances.
  (Dont forget about safety.)
• Read and DISCUSS science related books and
  magazines together.
• Help your child learn how to use the text
  features such as illustrations/photographs,
  table of contents, index, glossary, captions,
  charts, maps, tables, and graphs to better
  understand the information.

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SCIENCE (continued)  

• Watch and discuss the weather station and science
  related television shows together as a family.
• Check for local science workshops, camps, nature
  walks, or other science related programs.
• Visit local attractions that teach science
  concepts such as science museums, planetariums,
  aquariums, and zoos.
• Experiment with cooking, mixing paints, and
  creative activities such as paper mache.

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LETS TRY!   

• We will try two sample FCAT questions
• 8th Grade Reading
• 3rd Grade Math
• For more sample questions visit
• http//fcat.fldoe.org/fcatkeys.asp

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TELEVISIONIt does not have to be the enemy of
education!

• Use the TV Guide and schedule quality programs to
  be watched during the week.
• Watch programs together and make it interactive.
  Remember, talking builds vocabulary which
  supports comprehension and problem solving
  skills.
• What do you think will happen next?
• Do you think what that character did was
  right?
• Why or why not?

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VIDEO GAMES

• Video games require problem solving skills to
  advance from one level to the next level.
• Have your child write and/or illustrate a story
  about characters from the game and describe the
  characters personalities.
• Ask questions about strategies used to win the
  games.
• How do you get to the next level?
• Why do you need that yellow power-up thing?
• Why did you choose to play this game?
• Computers are great resources for building
  background knowledge and skills in all subject
  areas.

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Before the Test

• Make sure your child
• Arrives at school on time.
• Gets a good nights sleep.
• Eats a healthy breakfast.
• Knows you care!
• Make sure you
• Encourage your child.
• Keep a positive attitude.
• Talk and listen to your child.
• Provide time for relaxation and exercise.
• Review test taking strategies with your child.

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TEST TAKING STRATEGIES

• Make sure to read and follow all directions.
  Reread if necessary.
• Do not spend too much time on any one question.
  If the question is too difficult, skip it and
  come back to it later.
• If you are still not sure of the correct answer,
  make your best guess.
• Do not leave any questions unanswered.

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TEST TAKING STRATEGIES(continued)

• On multiple choice questions, avoid the
  temptation to choose an answer until you have
  read and thought about the choices.
• On multiple choice questions, eliminate the
  answers that you know are wrong, then make your
  best guess.

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TEST TAKING STRATEGIES(continued)

• When you are finished, check to see you have not
  skipped any questions.
• If you have time, reread to be sure you are
  satisfied with your answers.
• Be especially careful to check math work since
  computation errors are sometimes made.

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WINNING AT HOME

• Start by making learning a priority.
• Show interest in school work.
• Support 100 attendance.
• Look for everyday opportunities to have frequent
  conversations and listen attentively.
• Ask higher order questions at every opportunity.
• READ, READ, READ!!!
• Make it FUN! FUN! FUN!!

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Please Complete Evaluations
The Florida PIRC at USF

• 3500 E. Fletcher Ave., Suite 301
• Tampa, FL 33613
• Toll Free 1-866-775-8661
• Fax [phone]
• www.floridapirc.usf.edu

This presentation was produced, in whole or in
part, with funds from the U.S. Department of
Education, Office of Innovation Improvement,
Parental Information and Resource Center program,
under Grant 84.310A. The content herein does
not Necessarily reflect the views of the
Department of Education, any other agency of the
U.S. government, or any other source.