Students share tips for tests

Teachers at Oklahoma City’s Willow Brook Elementary School had extra help preparing their students for state exams this year.

About 20 parents and high school seniors from the Christian Fellowship Home School Co-op worked with the elementary school’s fourth- and fifth-graders this year to help them improve their test scores, home-school teacher Sherri Drwenski said.

The home-school students and parents worked with Willow Brook students for about two months, Drwenski said. The tutoring program, which ended Friday, called for the seniors and parents to work with the elementary students in one-on-one sessions as well as in groups.

Drwenski said the project had a two-fold purpose — to help the elementary students with their reading and math scores and also to give the homeschool students a positive learning experience — and that it was a success.

“I think our students really enjoyed it,” she said. “I think they enjoyed helping the kids lose their anxiety about tests and help build up their selfesteem.” Willow Brook Principal Arthur Houston said his students liked working with the older students and parents. Houston said he hopes their efforts helped the students excel on their state exams.

Although nothing has been officially planned, Houston and Drwenski said they hope to continue the tutoring program next year.