MindGym Philippines

You have only 82 days left before the March 11, 2012 LET date.

Give yourself a bigger chance of passing or even topping the LET by preparing early:

• Retrieve your books, notes, reviewers, and other references.
• Start planning your review schedule this Christmas season.
• If you haven’t yet registered at PRC, it’s time you go there soonest to avoid the last day rush.

Also, if you are still canvassing for a LET review center that will help you succeed in LET, why not try MindGym Philippines?

To help prospective LET takers, MindGym gives FREE diagnostic or LET readiness tests to interested parties. Call 437-5880 or text 0927-8770800 (your name, school, major, and if first timer or retaker; date of visit).

Enjoy MindGym’s interactive, fun, and effective intensive coaching for the LET as MindGym coaches (LET topnotchers and high raters) lead you through LET competencies in a 17-day session every Saturday and Sunday, to start January 7 until the end of February.

Just in case, if studying at your own pace and time, whether by yourself and in the confines of your home or office, our online review at MyReviewCoach might be more viable for you.

Whether it’s self-review, live coaching, or online study — START NOW!

Start reading, learning, and enriching your Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) knowledge if you have to take this specialization for the LET.  Diverse subjects will be tested in the LET though you may have taken only one or two of the subjects in-depth: Cosmetology, Food, Business Math, Entrepreneurship, Carpentry, Masonry, Plumbing, Electrical, Electronics and Drafting.  Make use of the Christmas vacation to go to a beauty salon; carefully watch kitchen activities; brush up on your investment and accounting knowledge, and visit an ongoing home or building construction to enrich your knowledge in TLE.

Here are a few items to warm you up a bit.

1. The dimension taken from front to the rear of the object is referred to as _______.

A. width

B. length

C. depth

D. height

2. Which type of financial statement shows how much cash is coming in and how much you are   paying for purchases and other expenses?

A. Income Statement

B. Balance sheet

C. Cash flow statement

D. Account Statement

3. What wrench is used to unscrew headless screws?

A. Adjustable wrench

B. Box-end wrench

C. Open-end wrench

D. Allen wrench

4. Which is true of the Russian style of table service? A waiter serves

A. the different courses one at a time.

B. the food using blue plate.

C. all the food using trolley.

D. the food using underliner.

5. Which wood joint is the simplest and easiest to make?

A. Dado

B. Miter

C. Rabbet

D. Butt

5. B. Disability

1. Which among the following is a mood disorder?

A. Bipolar disorder

B. Obsessive/compulsive disorder

C. Phobias

D. Selective mutism

2. It is the placement of a disabled child who is enrolled in a special class, in a regular school, where a student could participate in some activities with nondisabled peers.

A. Normalization

B. Mainstreaming

C. Integration

D. Inclusion

3. This is the inability or loss of ability to manipulate arithmetic symbols and do mathematical calculations

A. Congenital Arithmetic Disorder

B. Gerstman Syndrome

C. Dyscalculla

D. Acalculla

4. It states: “Where needs warrant, there shall be at least one special class in every province, and if possible, special schools for the physically handicapped, the mentally retarded, the emotionally disturbed and the specially gifted. The private sectors shall be given all the necessary inducement and encouragement.”

A. Declaration of the Rights of the Mentally Retarded

B. Education Act of 1982 (Batas Pambansa 232)

C. Child and Youth Welfare Code (PD 603)

D. Rights of the Disabled

5. This is defined as any restriction or lack of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being.

A. Abnormality

B. Disability

C. Handicap

D. Impairment

1. With the promotion of social justice in mind, which does NOT belong to the group?

A. Equitable access to education

B. Profit sharing

C. Diffusion of wealth

D. Absolute right over property

2. Which part of the Visayas receives the least precipitation?

A. Northern

B. Eastern

C. Western

D. Central

3. When the Filipino reformists asked for the assimilation of the Philippines by Spain, what did they ask for?  For the Philippines to ________.

A. become independent from Spain

B. become a province of Spain

C. be independent from Spain with certain conditions

D. be represented in the Spanish Cortes

4. How is the so-called colonial mentality manifested?

A. Cultural relativism

B. Cultural diversity

C. Xenocentrism

D. Ethnocentrism

5. The maximum price that can be legally changed for a good or service is called _____.

A. minimum wage

B. price floor

C. legal wage

D. price ceiling

1. He is the “Father of Pedagogy” and considered the first to teach young children of preschool age.

A. John Dewey

B. Howard Gardner

C. Burrhus Skinner

D. Johann Heinrich Peztalozzi

2. Learning disability is detected when the child:

A. has visual or hearing difficulty.

B. is a brain injured and has difficulty in talking.

C. is mentally retarded or has emotional disturbance.

D. does not achieve commensurate with his/her ability level.

3. What should the teacher apply when struggles between children emerge during play?

A. Conflict Management

B. Facilitation

C. Motivate

D. Observation

4. Which is the most essential consideration in making a schedule in the preschool?

A. Copy the schedule from your companions since the activities are the same.

B. Make a variety of activities in the schedule.

C. Plan a sequence of events that occur daily in the preschool program that would satisfy the needs of the pupils.

D. Wait for the need to arise, then make a schedule.

5. What mathematical skills can be integrated by counting?

A. Addition, measurement

B. Geometry, seriating

C. Temporal concept, comparing

D. Classifying, telling time

Answers to Day 15 drills on Physical Science

1. D. Butter melts

2. B. potassium chloride

3. B. Absolute humidity

4. B. The earth rotates from west to east.

5. D. 34 m

1. Which of the following illustrates a physical change?

A. Iron nail rusts

B. Milk turns sour

C. Fruits ripen

D. Butter melts

2. Which of the following solids is most likely to dissolve in CCI?

A. phosphorus pentachloride

B. potassium chloride

C. copper chloride

D. calcium chloride

3. What term is used to indicate the amount of water vapor actually present in the air at a given time?

A. Atmospheric humility

B. Absolute humidity

C. Atmospheric moisture

D. Relative humidity

4. Why do we see the sunrise in the east?

A. On the globe, we are located in the east.

B. The earth rotates from west to east.

C. The earth revolves eastward.

D. We are located in the 20^th meridian.

5. If you clap your hands and hear the echo from a distant wall 0.20s later, how far away is the wall?

A. 68 m

B. 70 m

C. 32 m

D. 34 m

Answers to DAY 14’s LET questions for Filipino specialization:

1. B. Jose Nepomuceno

2. A. Perpektibo

3. C. Sintaks

4. D. ang boses ng tao ay boses ng Diyos

5. B. Hapon

Para sa specialization sa Filipino, sasaklaw ang mga tanong sa panitikan, wika at mga pamamaraan sa pagtuturo ng Filipino, gaya ng saklaw ng pagsusulit para sa English. Subukang sagutin ang sumusunod na mga tanong upang magabayan ang inyong paghahanda:

1. Sino ang tinaguriang ama ng pelikulang Pilipino na nagtayo ng kauna-unahang kompanya ng pelikula sa bansa na tumatalakay sa kalagayaan ng mga tao?
A. Narcisa Reyes
B. Jose Nepomuceno
C. Jose Reyes
D. Jose Perez

2. Ibigay ang aspekto ng pandiwa ng pangungusap na ito: KASUSULAT LANG NIYA NG KUWENTO.
A. Perpektibo
B. Komtemplatibo
C. Pawatas
D. Imperpekto

3. Sa anong bahagi ng pag-aaral ng wika pinag-uukulan ng pansin ang kayarian ng panaguri at ng paksa?
A. Morpolohiya
B. Ponolohiya
C. Sintaks
D. Semantika

4. Mula sa Verdadero Decalogo:
“Huwag mong kilalanin sa iyong bayan ang kapangyarihan ninuman na hindi halal ng bayan mo at ng iyong mga kababayan, sapagkat ang kapangyarihan ay galing sa diyos at nagsasalita sa budhi ng bawat tao.” Ito ay nangangahulugang:
A. ang Diyos ay boses ng tao
B. makapangyarihan ang mga ito
C. ang Diyos ay makapangyarihan
D. ang boses ng tao ay boses ng Diyos

5. Sa aling panahon naging madalas na paksa ng mga manunulat ang buhay sa lalawigan?
A. Republika
B. Hapon

Answers to DAY 13’s LET questions for English specialization:

1. C. Classicism
2. A. Father and Sons
3. D. communicative writing approach
4. C. That she dances well surprises me.
5. B. editorial page

Content course majors among our future professional elementary teachers, you need not worry that much about the scope of the specialization module. Work on basic concepts in all the courses—English, Filipino, math, science, values education and edukasyong pantahanan at pangkabuhayan—and teaching applications and you should do well. Give these a try:

1. It is difficult to teach tense to Filipinos because ______.

A. tense cannot be translated to Filipino

B. English has many tenses

C. it is not present in the Philippine language

D. the Filipino tense is different from English

2. “Tumungo sa ibang bansa ang Pangulo at mga senador.” Ibigay ang kayarian ng pangungusap.

A. Tambalan

B. Langkapan

C. Hugnayan

D. Payak

3. How much larger is the supplement of a 57 degree angle than the complement of a 75 degree angle?

A. 108 degrees

B. 13 degrees

C. 123 degrees

D. 5 degrees

4. Which statement is FALSE?

A. Solid particles have the strongest attractive forces in between.

B. The gas phase has the least kinetic energy.

C. Molecules of solids and liquids are more closely packed than those in gasses.

D. Solids and liquids have more molecules per unit volume, hence their densities are higher.

5. Integrity means wholeness.  The bully lacks integrity in the sense that he/she looks at the world only in terms of _______.

A. popularity

B. power

C. material wealth

D. pleasure

It’s 91 days to go before the March 2012 LET and that’s just 3 months till your LET day.  Make the most of the Christmas holiday break.  You don’t have to sulk in a corner while others are enjoying but at the least: finish filing your LET application with the PRC, select a review center, or brush up your dusty reference books, and prepare your LET study nook.

For today, after having a taste of LET questions in the General Education and Professional Education modules in the past weeks, Biological science majors can take a peek into what they may expect on March 11:

1. Which of the following is referred to as the “suicidal bags” of the cell?

A. Chloroplasts

B. Vacuoles

C. Ribosomes

D. Lysosomes

2. If Albert and Kate have 5 children, all of which are boys, what is the probability that their next child will be a girl?

A. 25%

B. 50%

C. 75%

D. 100%

3. Joy planted 4 pots of gumamela plants in four different locations. What is her independent variable?

A. Location

B. Gumamela plant

C. Pot

D. Plant growth

4. Jason was awakened by his mother because there is fire in their kitchen. What division in his nervous system is most active during this time?

A. Central

B. Parasympathetic

C. Peripheral

D. Sympathetic

5. In which of the following organisms are tracheal systems for gas exchange found?

A. Earthworm

B. Jellyfish

C. Insect

D. Vertebrate

(P.S.  We still have some slots for our March 2012 LET coaching which starts January 7; visit MindGym for FREE diagnostics but call 437-5880 or text 09278770800 first to set an appointment if you plan to come on days other than Wednesdays or Saturdays which we’ve earmarked as diagnostics day.  Or, if you prefer an online LET review since you live or work far from Manila, get a taste of how it is to review online at our other site: www.myreviewcoach.com)

Assessment completes the teaching-learning process—and the Professional Education module of the LET as well. Have the following items for your diagnostic, formative or summative self-evaluation of your preparedness for this part of the test:

1. While she in the process of teaching, Teacher Arlie finds out if her students understand what she is teaching. What is Teacher Arlie engaged in?

A. Criterion-reference evaluation

B. Summative evaluation

C. Formative evaluation

D. Norm-reference evaluation

2. Which behavioral term describes a lesson outcome in the highest level of Bloom’s cognitive domain?

A. Create

B. Evaluate

C. Analyze

D. Design

3. Which is the most authentic way of measuring student’s ability to debate?

A. Let them watch debates on video and ask them to identify strong and weak points.

B. Ask them to outline the steps involved in a debate and list down do’s and don’ts.

C. Have the students witness a debate and ask them to evaluate the debate after.

D. Organize a debate in class and have them debate on a controversial issue.

4. Teacher Marielle constructed a matching type test. In her columns of items are combinations of events, people and circumstances. Which of the following guidelines in constructing matching type of test did she VIOLATE?

A. List options in an alphabetical order.

B. Make list of items homogeneous.

C. Make list of items heterogeneous.

D. Provide more options than stems.

5. Among the choices given, A, B, C, D, for an item, no student chose D. It means D is:

A. a defective distracter

B. a vague distracter

C. an effective distracter

D. a plausible distracter

For Professional Education we start with the foundations of education and its social dimensions. This area takes up 10 percent of the whole test. Don’t be surprised to find items such as this in the LET in March:

1. Which feature was TRUE of Philippine education during the Spanish regime?

A. Separation of Church and State

B. Vernacular as a medium of instruction

C. Emphasis on religious instruction

D. Establishment of a normal school

2. If a teacher believes that the purpose of education is to foster self-discovery and consciousness of choice, as well as the responsibility for making choices, then the teacher adheres to the ideas of______.

A. Essentialism

B. Existentialism

C. Empiricism

D. Epicureanism

3. He was considered as the “first teacher” in ancient China.

A. Confucius

B. Mencius

C. Mo-Tzu

D. Lao Tzu

4. Are elementary and secondary education compulsory for all children of school age?

A. No, only elementary education is compulsory.

B. Yes, for all children regardless of age.

C. Yes, that is why they are free of charge.

D. No, this violates parents’ and children’s right to decide what is best for them and their children.

5. The Professional Teachers Code of Ethics does not cover:

A. teachers of academic, vocational, special, technical or non-formal institutions.

B. all full time or part time public and private school teachers and administrators.

C. teachers in all educational institutions at the pre-school, elementary and secondary levels.

D. teachers in the tertiary level.

Answers to DAY 6’s LET questions for IT:

1. B. Cursor

2. A. Spreadsheet

3. D. Modem

4. A. Software

5. C. Keyboard

Math is the easiest subject to master for the LET.  Yes!  If you learn how to solve Math problems in time for the LET, you’d have a handy source of no-miss points.  In Math, there will always be definite answers unlike other parts of the LET which are value-laden or sometimes very subjective.

Math comprises 20% of the General Education module. The following items may help you gauge how much preparation you need for it:

1. What are the next three terms in the progression 1, 4, 16 …?

A. 64, 256, 1024

B. 67, 259, 1027

C. 48, 198, 1026

D. 65, 257, 1025

2. A man is 3 times as old as his son now. Four years ago, the sum of their ages was 36. Find the man’s age now.

A. 33

B. 11

C. 29

D. 36

3. What is the least common multiple of 12, 24 and 72?

A. 12

B. 72

C. 144

D. 36

4. The hypotenuse of a right triangle is 25 feet. If one leg is 24 feet, what is the length of the other leg?

A. 6 ft.

B. 5 ft.

C. 20 ft.

D. 7 ft.

5. If two variables X and Y are directly related, which of these is NOT true?

A. When X is low, Y is also low.

B. As X increases, Y also increases.

C. When X increases, Y decreases.

D. A high Y is associated with a high X.

Answers to Day 4’s LET questions for Filipino:

1. C. Pagdarasal

2. C. Payak

3. B. kartung pang-editoryal

4. D. Pagtutulad

5. A. Kaibigan

(P.S.  We still have some slots for our March 2012 LET coaching which starts January 7; visit MindGym for FREE diagnostics.  Or, if you prefer an online LET review since you live or work far from Manila, get a taste of how it is to review online at our other site: www.myreviewcoach.com

Subukan niyo naman ang sample ng ilang Filipino items nagyon.

1. Alin ang paksa sa sumusunod na pangungusap? Ginagawa niya ang pagdarasal araw-araw.

A. Ginagawa

B. Araw-araw

C. Pagdarasal

D. Niya

2. Ano ang kayarian ng pangungusap na ito? Kulang daw tayo sa pagtutulungan at pagdadamayan bilang magkakabaranggay.

A. Hindi karaniwan

B. Karaniwan

C. Payak

D. Hugnayan

3. Alin sa mga sumusunod ang naglalaman ng posisyon o paniniwala ng isang pahayagan tungkol sa isang napapanahong isyu?

A. masthead

B. kartung pang-editoryal

C. balitang banner

D. larawan sa pangmukhang pahina

4. “Ang iyong mga mata ay waring mga bituin sa kalangitan.” Anong tayutay ang ginamit dito?

A. Pang-uyam

B. Personipikasyon

C. Pagwawangis

D. Pagtutulad

5. Alin ang kahulugan ng “kahiramang suklay”?

A. Kaibigan

B. Kakilala

C. Kalahi

D. Karibal
Higit bang madali ito kaysa sa English items kahapon, na nasa ibababa ang mga tamang sagot?

1. B. would

2. C. were

3. A. Simile

4. B. Without much persuading

5. D. Replace “death’s” with “deaths”.

Kung hindi ka pa nakakapili ng review center na makakatulong mo sa iyong pagiging licensed teacher, subukan ang FREE diagnostic test namin sa MindGym.  Sa January 7 na ang simula ng live coaching.  Pero kung nais mong makapag-review sa sariling oras at piling lugar, mag-register sa aming LET online sa www.myreviewcoach.com

Here’s a quick exercise you can do before you go out on a weekend gimmick.

Did you get these correctly in Day 2’s LET questions for Science:

1. D. Muro-ami

2. C. Stroke

3. A. Adequate intake of calcium and vitamin D

4. B. typhoons

5. D. Producers

English items in the LET comprise 20 percent of the General Education module. Give these items a try:

1. “No one was prepared for the oral examination. We _____ have read the exercises last night.”

A. ought

B. would

C. can

D. should

2. If I ________ your parent, I would ground you for a month for your misbehavior.

A. should be

B. am

C. were

D. was

3. What figure of speech is used in these lines from Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales? “His eyes rolled, they never seemed to settle, / And glittered like the flowers beneath a kettle”

A. Simile

B. Hyperbole

C. Metaphor

D. Personification

4. What is meant by “two pins” in this sentence? For two pins I could have hit him on the nose.

A. With a second course of action

B. Without much persuading

C. Given a second chance

D. With an alternative response

5. What correction should be made to this sentence? Most fire-related death’s result from household fires, yet many people do not have fire extinguishers in their homes.

A. Remove the comma after “fires”.

B. Change “have” to “has”.

C. Change “result” to “results”.

D. Replace “death’s” with “deaths”.

Watch out for more exercises to get you ready for March 11.

by Edleen Guanko

It’s quite normal to be nervous before an exam, and even after the exam, while waiting for the results. Anyone who ever went to school must have experienced this at some point. I’m sure you would all agree that board exams, such as the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET), cause more anxiety than any exam we ever took in college.

A little anxiety is good, because it means you care about the results of the exam. If you care, it means you will work hard to get good results. Too much anxiety, however, will cripple you mentally by making you unable to concentrate, have mental blocks, and maybe even chicken out of the exam. You have to be conscious of your anxiety level, how it is affecting you, and what steps you can take to manage it.

Here are some suggestions to help you combat LET-induced anxiety.

PREPARE. One of the biggest causes of anxiety is being unprepared for the exam. Don’t rely on stock knowledge, no matter how smart you think you are. The soldier who goes to war unprepared will most certainly end up dead. So load up on knowledge, get as much review material as you can and study them. Organize your schedule and set aside time each day for review. This will help you conquer that seemingly insurmountable mountain of readings, and eliminate the anxiety caused by cramming.

BELONG. Another cause of anxiety is the feeling that you’re alone in this endeavor and you have no one to go to for advice or help in studying. So acquaint yourself with other people taking the exam. This is easy if you’ve enrolled in a review center, where you will not only have fellow examinees but also coaches who can help you achieve your goal. Belonging to a group is important for exchanging ideas and asking questions, but the most important thing is the encouragement you give to one another.

ASK. Filipinos often worry about looking dumb if they ask questions, even if it’s as mundane as asking for directions. A difficult topic or problem also causes anxiety, especially if you are one of those who do not like to ask questions. But remember this:not asking questions only result in ignorance. So if there’s a topic that you don’t understand, never hesitate to ask your mentors or classmates for clarification. Chances are there are others in your group who will benefit from that clarification.

BREATHE. Discover what things or activities calm you and do these when things get a little too much. When you feel like you can’t absorb any more information, or you find yourself unable to concentrate, take a break and breathe. Taking some quiet time to let your mind breathe can reinvigorate you not just mentally, but also physically. Relaxation techniques can be as simple as taking a leisurely walk, listening to some soothing music, taking a hot bath, lighting scented candles, or just sitting quietly and taking deep breaths. The key is finding out what works for you and knowing when to use it.

UNDERSTAND. The LET is a very important exam, as one’s teaching career may well depend on its outcome. This, of course, is a source of worry for teachers and would-be teachers. For some, failing the exam is synonymous to the end of the world. The LET, as important as it is, is just an exam. It is good to acknowledge the exam’s importance and do your very best to pass it, but understand that failing does not make you a lesser teacher, or a lesser human being. Do not beat yourself up if you don’t do well. As long as you do your best, you can hold your head high and try again next time.

Edleen Guanko is Top 11 of  the September 2010 Licensure Examination for Teachers.  She is a graduate of the University of the Philippines B.S. Education, major in Special Education.  She took intensive coaching for the LET at MindGym Philippines.