In the education system, we learn and grow, along with regular unit tests, the summative assessments of all academic subjects are also conducted. The midterms and final year exams comprise summative assessments. Among various academic subjects, maths is the one whose exam preparation is difficult for the majority of students. In this regard, help, and guidance from the teachers is very important. Let us discuss some effective tips that teachers can follow to aid the maths summative assessment preparation of students.
Why are math summative assessments difficult for students?
- The vast syllabus to cover
- Facing difficulty in understanding the applications
- Maths fear and exam stress
- Lack of revision and practice
- Poor command over basics
- Frequently getting inaccurate answers
Tips for teachers to aid maths summative assessment preparation of students
1. Ensure students are regular from day one
Maths is a subject that cannot be understood and practiced correctly in a single day. It needs to be studied every day. When students stay irregular to the maths classes, they not only miss the topics being taught on that particular day but also the understanding of further lessons is also affected.
This preparation of summative assessment can be difficult. By using a learning management system, teachers should keep a track of whether all students are regular in maths classes or not. With regularity, students’ self-studies and classroom learning go hand in hand. They receive a clear maths understanding and exam preparation becomes better too.
2. Use technology to teach
To aid the summative maths exam preparation for students, using technology helps. Understanding the vast maths syllabus from textbooks is not easy. It becomes a time-consuming process too. To overcome this issue, teachers should use online teaching apps and sites. This way teachers can access several audiovisual tools like educational videos, modules, demonstrations, picture cards, PowerPoint presentations, visual notes, graphs, and more. With the help of visualization, students tend to understand the concepts better and quicker.
3. Have formula and table revision
Formulas need to be memorized at the fingertips to solve the maths questions correctly. All teachers should make sure that students learn all the formulas, and units correctly. In class, make students learn the formulas in chorus. Chorus learning is quite effective. After this, ask for formulas from the students individually too. Other than this, tables are the basics that need to be memorized properly for calculation purposes. Make students learn table till 20 thoroughly. Also, the basic square roots and cube roots should be memorized.
4. Start taking tests of smaller portions every day
For summative exams, the syllabus is vast. Doing it all together in a single go is not possible. To make sure that students are consistent and find the studies easy, divide the syllabus into smaller chunks and start taking tests of them every day. Using a school information management system, maintain the score records of students in these tests. See what is the progress and what more needs to be done for improvement. The students who you find lagging, arrange extra classes for them and interact with them separately.
5. Have sample paper practice
To aid exam preparation of students, having sample paper practice in the classroom is beneficial. Wind up the syllabus timely and use the remaining time for such practice sessions. By solving sample papers, students can get an idea of how much they know and what their weaker sections are. It will help students to get an idea of exam patterns, marking schemes, and important questions too.
6. Tell students to always recheck the calculations
One of the main reasons behind students losing marks in the maths exams is calculation errors and lack of revision. Keep telling your students to always recheck what they solved. With rechecking of calculations, students can make necessary corrections wherever required. Also, ask them the question solved from the question paper. This will reduce the chances of mistakes, and enhance accuracy and scores.
7. Share the importance of time management
To attempt the paper properly, time management plays the utmost importance. Ask students to keep a track of the time when appearing for maths papers. Tell them not to get stuck on a particular question. Share some tips like firstly solve the questions known and in the remaining time go for the questions you find left ones. With effective time management, students will be able to answer the maximum number of questions in the given exam time.
Conclusion
For a successful academic year, scoring well in summative assessment is important for all students. Effective teaching includes helping students with exam preparation. By following the above-mentioned tips, teachers can aid the maths summative assessment preparation of students. This will help students in scoring well and assure academic growth and development.
