Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Hart's Helpful Hint #3...One Minute Per Question

As high school juniors across the KC Metro prepare for the April 10 ACT,  many dread the math section.  Second in the line-up, it is the longest period of testing.  Students are given sixty minutes to answer exactly that many math questions.  Time is of the essence and some students may struggle to finish without simply filling in bubbles at random during the last five minutes.

So here is an easy tip to help acclimate the student's mind and internal clock to what one minute feels like:

When sitting down to do assigned math homework, grab the kitchen timer.  Before attempting each question, set the timer for one minute and work the problem.  Repeat.  Clearly, students should go back and complete any unanswered questions for classwork and it may take slightly more time each evening, but by instituting this practice technique, the body will begin to know when one minute has elapsed. 

On test day, students will recognize when an answer is elusive and move on to the next, hopefully allowing enough time to follow-up on unanswered questions before the five minute alert.

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