Gruber's Essential Guide to Test Taking: Grades 6-9 - 2nd edition

210 Pages·2008·8.9 MB·English

by  Gary Gruber

Gruber_2009_COV Template 1/21/08 2:22 PM Page 1
G
ESSENTIAL SKILLS TO SUCCEED ON ANY TEST, ANY TIME MORE THAN 7 MILLION GRUBER BOOKS SOLD
R
U
“Gruber, the most prominent test-preparation guru, can ring the bell on any standardized test.” B GRUBER’S
—Chicago Tribune E
R
“After writing 25 exam prep books that have sold more than 4 million copies,Dr.Gary Gruber has ’
S
developed a method that will raise students’test scores by sharpening their thinking skills.”

—Boston Globe EE
SS
“This is not a gimmick—it gets results.” SS
ESSENTIAL GUIDE
—Dr. Larry Weitz, psychologist, WLAC Radio, Nashville EE
NN
“With the use of Gruber’s specific techniques,children can raise their test scores TT
significantly and increase their general learning ability.” II TTEESSTT
AA TO
—The Courier Journal,Louisville
LL “THE MOST
PROMINENT TEST-
“Dr. Gruber’s methodologies are quite a smash success.” GG
PREPARATION
—Kevin Joyce, WXYT (ABC) Radio, Detroit UU
GURU”
II
DD — CHICAGO TRIBUNE
In our current education environment,test taking is more important than ever.It’s not enough EE TTAAKKIINNGG::
to learn the material; children must apply what they’ve learned to the standardized test by
TT
which their progress is judged. Fortunately, Dr. Gary Gruber has unlocked the essential test-
OO
taking skills any child can use to succeed on any test,any time.

TT
EE
Using the exclusive Gruber methods,this book will give parents and teachers strategies to “nip
SS
in the bud” any faulty thinking approaches children have when it comes to education and
TT
testing, and to enforce the correct approaches.
GRADES 6–9
TT
AA
Gruber’s methods are a true confidence developer for children. People often claim when
KK
working with these books that they wish they had been exposed to this material when they
were in school. II
NN
GG
A must for anyone helping children understand the important thinking
::

strategies in all test-taking areas, Gruber’s Essential Guide to Test GG THE ONLY BOOK THAT GIVES CHILDREN THE TOP TEST-TAKING SKILLS, FEATURING:
Taking: Grades 6-9 helps them realize their child’s true potential. RR
• Development of critical-thinking skills that • Essential grammar skills and vocabulary lists
AA
last a lifetime required for all standardized tests
DD
• Specific preparation for the SSATs, CTBS, • Proven reading comprehension techniques
EE
Gary R.Gruber,Ph.D. is nationally recognized ITBSs, CATs, ERBs, MATs, PSATs, SATs and
Study Aids/Reference $9.95 U.S. SS • Easy-to-learn strategies for reducing test-
as the leading expert on test-taking methods and Stanford Achievements Tests
$11.95 CAN
critical thinking skills.His books on test taking £4.99 UK 66 taking anxiety in children
and critical thinking skills have sold more than 7 wwww.wsowu.rscoeubroceobkoscooklsl.ecgoem.com IISSBBNN--1130::917-480-12-24-012128-41-1884-3 –– • Foolproof methods for zeroing in on correct
• Practical methods for showing children how
million copies.Visit www.drgarygruber.com. 99 answers
C N to realize their true potential
UP EA •Key math rules, concepts and shortcuts children
www.sourcebookscollege.com
need to know to take any test successfully
GRUBER
G R. G , P .D.
ARY RUBER H
Gruber6_9_FM.qxd 12/12/07 5:21 PM Page i
GRUBER’S
ESSENTIAL GUIDEE
TEST
T
O
TAKING:
GRADES 6–9
Gruber_TOC.qxd 1/11/08 2:37 PM Page ii
Gruber_TOC.qxd 1/14/08 11:34 AM Page iii
GRUBER’S
ESSENTIAL GUIDEE
TEST
T
O
TAKING:
GRADES 6–9
GGary RR. GGruber, PPh...D.
Gruber_TOC.qxd 1/11/08 2:39 PM Page iv
Copyright © 2008 by Gary R. Gruber
Cover and internal design © 2008 by Sourcebooks, Inc.
Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any elec-
tronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems—
except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without
permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc.
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard
to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not
engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or
other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person
should be sought.—From a Declaration of Principles Jointly Adopted by a Committee of
the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations
All brand names and product names used in this book are trademarks, registered trade-
marks, or trade names of their respective holders. Sourcebooks, Inc., is not associated
with any product or vendor in this book.
Published by Sourcebooks, Inc.
P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.sourcebooks.com
Originally published in 1986 by William Morrow.
CIP data is on file with the publisher.
Printed and bound in the United States of America.
SB 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Gruber6_9_FM.qxd 12/21/07 9:29 AM Page v
Dedicated to parents and teachers who want to see
their children reach their greatest potential, develop a passion
for learning, and excel in school and in life.

Gruber6_9_FM.qxd 12/21/07 9:32 AM Page vii
Acknowledgments
I am grateful to the many parents and teachers who kept prodding
me to write this book, and to those parents and teachers who
reviewed the work.
I would like to thank my own parents, whose inspiration and con-
cern when I was a child stimulated and nurtured my intense interest
in helping parents and teachers get their children to reach their
highest potential in school and in life.

Gruber_TOC.qxd 1/14/08 10:31 AM Page ix
CONTENTS
Introduction to Parents 11
A Word About the Psychology of Working with Your
Child 12
What Parents Should Know About Standardized Tests 13
Four General Test-Taking Skills 16
VERBAL STRATEGIES
Analogies 20
Analogy Strategy: Always Put Analogies in Sentence
Form 20
Most Common Types of Analogies 22
Practice Exercises and Explanatory Answers 25
Vocabulary 30
Vocabulary Strategy 1: Learn Prefixes and Roots 30
Vocabulary Strategy 2: Learn Suffixes 39
Essential Word List for Grades 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 43
Sentence Completions 45
Sentence Completion Strategy 1: Try All of the Choices 45
Sentence Completion Strategy 2: Look for Clues and Key
Words 46
Sentence Completion Exercises and Explanatory
Answers 47
Reading Comprehension (Two Strategies) 50
Reading Passages, Questions, and Explanatory Answers 53
Writing Ability 59
Spelling 60
Punctuation and Capitalization 70
Grammar and Correct Usage 73
Choosing the Right Word 77
Diction, Style, and Sentence Structure 85
Logic and Organization 90