preparing for external meitzav only a few weeks to go
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Breaking Down of the Exam Table of Specifications: (3 parts) Access to Information from Spoken Texts 25% Access to information from Written Texts 60% Written Presentation 15%TRANSCRIPT
Preparing for External Meitzav Only A Few Weeks to Go Breaking
Down of the Exam
Table of Specifications: (3 parts) Access to Information from
Spoken Texts 25% Access to information from Written Texts 60%
Written Presentation 15% Links Table of Specifications 2016 Exam
dates:
, 8 2016, " ' " 10:00 Kit for past exams Resource Booklet Remember:
1. The meitzav tests English according to the benchmarks of the
National Curriculum. 2. The exam tests THREE of the four language
skills. 3. The students need to use both lower and higher order
thinking skills which are given in the Table of Specifications.
Only 9 Weeks To Go What do you have to do?
While teaching from the text book use the Table of Specifications
as a checklist for all types of tasks. Print tests and makepractice
books with recent past exams. Divide the exams into the 3 language
skills. Set aside TWO other past exams as mock exams, and arrange
for two pre-meitzav practice exam dates in the school. Plan Your
Remaining Time With your teachers / rekezet plan what you are going
to do in your lessons. Remember you only have 9 weeks. Open your
diaries and mark the dates for the two mock tests (not everyone has
a double lesson) coordinate these with the class teachers. Divide
up your lessons so that you practice all the skills. Separate the
skills into -
listeningtasks reading tasks and writing tasks Teach a designated
skill for the exam weekly then quiz the skill. ( Use old Meitzavs)
Practicing the Language Skills
For all the skills, having good vocabulary knowledge is a priority.
Did you begin the year reviewing and quizzing all the vocabulary
from the previous year? Did you correlate the lists in your text
books with the list in the Curriculum and past exams? A note on the
past simple: teach the irregular verbs: went, did / didnt, took,
came, was/were as vocabulary and that we add ed to other verbs.
Also point out the future: will +V1 For the Listening Tasks
Practice listening to short and long items from listening tasks
from past tests. Instruct and teach students to do the following
before they hear the listening text. (even while the Hebrew
instructions are being played) Task 1: Skim and scan the picture(s)
for the vocabulary items, read any titles and names. Task 2: Skim
and scan the questions and translate them. Its important that they
learn to use those few minutes before they start listening . For
the Reading Tasks Tell the students to always read the instructions
in Hebrew ( and to look at the English as well) because it helps
them with new words. Also they need to pay attention to the bold
words. Show and practice questions that are sentence completions.
They can be ONE word fill-ins as well as multiple choice answers.
Show and practice questions that ask for a new idea or an opinion
according to the text. Show and practice how to connectideas /
words and phrases with similar meanings have fun = enjoy / like as
well as identifying when verbs and nounsare different words play
~game Types of questions Familiarity helps success:
Ability to answer requires understanding the question so teach the
words : copy / describe/find / write/ match / list Wh- words Pupils
should recognize do and does Keep going over the text-reading
strategies :
skimming and scanning for names, dates, places; reading first and
last sentences of paragraphs; reading titles and headings; Tell
them to look for extra information and to read it when a word has a
* by it ,look for the meaning in Hebrew at the end of the text and
when something more is written in smaller print with a persons
name. For some slow readers (not necessarily weak learners) reading
the question and going back to the text can be more helpful. For
the Writing Tasks List items you see : Ask the students to write
the short ,easy words that they know. Practice this as a short
activity in lessons. Writing a sentence to describe a person / an
item in the picture: Keep to short sentences and teach writing
patterns. Subject + is + adjective Subject + has + a / an + noun
There is a / an + singular noun There are + number / some + plural
noun After checking the quizzes on the different types of tasks
-
Do a mini- mapping to identify which questions and thinking skill
are problematic for children. (You may need to re-teach some of the
children in a partani lesson or even the whole class- it happens to
us all.) In the Lesson Before the 1st Mock Exam (which should be
next week)
You want to reduce the anxiety level so it is important to show
your classes what the exam really looks like. a) Go through the
pages and count with the students the number of pages of
instructions and the number of tasks. b) Remind them that there are
instructions in English and Hebrew before each task. c) Point out
that the exam is divided into parts. d) Encourage them to answer
all the questions - make a guess if they dont know. e) Explain that
even if one part of the test seems hard, the next part will begin
with an easier question. Try to avoid any surprises that lead to
anxiety. Many times average students give up because they panic and
not because they dont know the answer. Make sure there are enough
tests and spares.
Check that all electrical equipment is working your disk player or
your computer and do a sound check. Have spare pencils handy. Make
sure the students have enough room to write and sit comfortably.
The 1st Mock Exam: this is your base line test grade for each
child
Be in the class while the children are writing the test. Be
encouraging , but remind them that next time you wont be with them
and there wont be any help. Ahead of time arrange a room for the
hakraa students and arrange for another teacher to take out and
read to those pupils. Use the meitzavit for checking the exam and
go over the mapping . The 2nd Mock Exam ( this should be around a
month after the first mock test)
Prepare another teacher who will supervise the exam. Homeroom
teachers are normally very helpful. Take out the students who need
hakraaand you or another English teacher reads the test. Be in the
vicinity to help out if there is a serious problem. Use the
meitzavitagain and then you can average each childs result and get
a class average based on two tests. How do you help your students
cope?
Main problems: Not accustomed to independent reading Weak learners
are not accustomed to the reading room The classes are usually
tested at their own level Feelings of low self esteem among weak
learners. What can we do? So.Dont be stressed, be prepared Dont
just teach, test and hope for the best
Dont just teach, test and hope for the best! Make sure the students
know what to expect on the day and how to do their best. (My Plan
(7 weeks to go Writing practice x2 Mock test 1
January Writing practice x2 Mock test 1 Listening practicex2
Reading practice x2 Vocab. Practice x2 3rd 31st 4 Weeks To Go
Writing practice x2 Mock test 2 Listening practice x2
February Writing practice x2 Mock test 2 Listening practice x2
Reading practice x2 7th 8th of March Lets Share The Problems and
Possible Solutions.
Ideas from the field what do you do in your school to assist your
pupils? Sharing ideas that worked.