In North Carolina, elementary school students are required to take End Of Grade (EOG) assessments. Read more about Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools EOG assessments on the CMS website here. 

At Child and Family Development, Marie Pacini and the other Educators can help kids get prepared through the Strive For Five program. 

Marie offers this blog series that offers some suggestions you can do now at home and school.  

Her second suggestion is: establishing effective study habits

Although a child is not necessarily studying for the end of grade assessments, it is important they begin learning study habits that will help them succeed throughout their schooling. Learning how to study is one of the hardest things for any child to learn because everyone studies differently and what might have worked for you in school may not be effective for your child. The following points will help your child establish an effective routine that suits them and also helps them learn how to study.

• Establish a Routine: Afternoons are hectic between extracurricular activities, homework, dinner, and everything else that gets squeezed into the evening. However, it is important to ensure that there is a routine in place for homework/studying time. Once that plan is in place, ensure you and your child know when upcoming tests and projects are due. For a 3^rd ‚Äì 5^th grader, you are their model for how to organize and plan so help them learn how they should plan their time to study for an upcoming test. If you incorporate 10 minutes of review each night, the night before the actual test will not be a night of cramming; it will simply be another night of review.

• Create a Distraction-Free Zone: You must ensure the space that your child studies is organized and quiet. Although it maybe easiest for you to help your child when they are working at the kitchen table, this area is most likely a high volume area filled with many distractions. Determine another space in your home that provides the quiet, distraction-free environment that can help your child remain focused. Also make sure the space has all of the materials your child may need, such as a calculator, extra pencils, paper, scissors, etc.

• Personalize Study Habits: Since you are continuing to open the lines of communication with your child‚Äôs teacher, ask about the tests that your child has the most trouble with. Focus not only on subject area but also on the type of test. Is it multiple choice? Then your child needs help with memorizing facts/ details. Making flashcards is an effective approach to help with memorization. If your child struggles with essays, then they have difficulty telling the story or elaborating on their own ideas. An effective way to prepare for essay tests would be to create a study sheet based on the topics and then practice responding to them.

Connect with Marie directly if you have questions about EOG assessments or the Strive For Five program:

• 704-541-9080 ext. 218
• mpacini@childandfamilydevelopment.com 

Read more about the Strive For Five program here. 

Be on the lookout for the next blog which will discuss ways to test-taking strategies for reading!