Model your word problems around the specific standardized test.
Most standardized tests contain word problems that require the test taker to extract the pertinent information from a paragraph or more of written material. The more prepared students are for these types of problems, the more successful they will be in applying their knowledge to real-world scenarios. Word problems can be found on elementary school standardized tests, high school graduation tests and also tests that may determine entry into college like the SAT and ACT. By following some simple guidelines, you can make writing effective word problems much less painful than answering them.
Instructions
1. Brainstorm the ideas your word problem will be centered around. Students may not be interested in practicing word problems initially, so model the problems around situations that may interest them. Use current events, money and finances for your word problems as standardized tests have word problems with similar subject matter. You can also create word problems based on current observations in the classroom. For example, the number of students in the class, textbooks or the dimensions of the room.
2. Determine what specific lesson or skill is necessary to solve the word problem. You must know ahead of time the skills needed to solve the word problem to analyze how proficient the student is in the steps needed to get the correct answer. For example, integers, fractions or reading comprehension are skills that may be evaluated.
3. Research practice tests online to model and understand the language of the word problem. For example, if you're writing a word problem for a 10th grade student, then use the SAT practice exams to use similar wording to match their reading comprehension level at that grade. If you're writing a word problem for a 5th grader, your choice of words will be different based on the child's reading level at that age.
4. Proofread the word problem for punctuation and grammatical errors. A misplaced punctuation mark can confuse the student and cause her to take longer to solve or understand the problem.
5. Formulate potential answers to be similar to the correct answer. For example, students may choose to answer a mathematical problem by solving an equation outside the parenthesis (though solving within the parentheses is correct in certain equations). Include both possible answers in the multiple-choice form so students can reinforce the mathematical rules to get to the correct answer. This method also allows you to pinpoint specific errors the class may be making so you can review the lesson covering that problem.
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