The leaders at Buckle Down re-focused their efforts to produce standards-based assessments in 1992. The company's objective is to help students prepare for the state achievement tests. Buckle Down Publishing does have a National Edition for all states and state specific test-preparation books. For the state specific books, the content writers have aligned the material to individual state academic content standards.
Test Prep for Standards-based Assessment
In order to help students pass the tests and stay out of academic trouble, some schools have turned to the Buckle Down Publishing Company for help. There are books for reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. In addition, the company offers other skill builder books. The content specific books are also broken down by grade level and focus on the indicators specific to the grade level. This review will focus on what I use every year to help my students prepare for the test, the level 8 Buckle Down on Ohio Reading.
Buckle Down on Ohio Reading
For the past three years, my students have used the Buckle Down on Ohio Reading book in eighth grade as a tool to prepare for the Reading Ohio Achievement Test. I use many strategies, test-prep books and guides; however, this book helps my students learn and review the content indicators. The book has a section on basic test strategies. It gives helpful hints. Then, the book has units on the reading process, vocabulary skills, information and persuasion and literature. If my students complete all of the lessons, then they have covered many important indicators.
Specifically, I really like the section on Author's Influence. My students consistently struggle with these indicators, such as author's purpose and author's background and biases. The lessons on these indicators really help my students understand the concepts.
As with all test-prep books, students can tire of them, and my students do tire of completing the whole book. However, I know that it helps them prepare for the test. It is just one more tool that I use to help prepare for the state achievement test.
