Jenga is such a fun game to play in the classroom to review different tasks. Click here to read more about how I use Jenga for test prep review with any set of task cards. In addition to using Jenga for test prep, I also like to use it to review specific skills. With the colored Jenga blocks, I created a fun decimals game that works great for reviewing 4th and 5th grade ... Read More
Browse the archives below for even more great ideas
Test Prep Games {How to Use Board Games and Other Popular Games for Test Prep)
One of my favorite things to do is to use board games or other popular games for test prep or review. I have found that my students respond better and are more engaged with test prep games involving popular games they love to play. In this post, I will share how I use any game for a test prep game or review for a large unit assessment. I will also share the strategies I ... Read More
Online Testing Strategies: Prepare Your Students To Take Online Assessments
Online testing can be super frustrating for teachers and students. I can remember the first year we found out we were taking our state assessment online. We literally found out in January of that school year. Needless to say, I was more than a bit panicked! I had spent all year teaching my students to authentically close read a text and annotate all over the text. ... Read More
Playing Spoons in the Classroom {Highly Engaging Review Game}
A few years ago, I was introduced to a highly motivating, fast-paced academic version of the games Spoons. After playing a few rounds and having a lot of fun, I knew this was something I wanted to incorporate as much as possible into my classroom. The academic version of Spoons is a great way to motivate your students to review almost any concept! (If you are not ... Read More
What To Do When Your Students Fail a Test
One of the biggest questions I had to tackle as a new teacher was "My students failed this test. What am I going to do about it?" Instead of binging on junk food (or in addition to), I learned to look at it reflectively and use these situations to grow myself as a teacher and to grow my students as learners and test-takers. Read on to learn some constructive next steps ... Read More
Playing Pie Face Game in the Classroom {Engaging Test Prep}
If you have been following my blog this year, you know that I love engaging test prep review games. I think review is definitely necessary at the end of the year or a longer unit, but it doesn't have to be tedious or boring. I love using high interest games in the classroom to engage my students and get them excited about reviewing. Recently, we played Pie Face Game and ... Read More
How to Plan and Use Test Prep Centers
One thing I heave learned over the years is that a variety of review is key for many students to be successful or feel successful on their end of year test. Some students thrive with engaging review and competition like games. Others need small group instruction to review or practice previously learned skills. Over the last 7 years, I have been using test prep centers ... Read More
Ways to Make Paper and Pencil Test Prep Review Engaging
I am a huge fan of engaging and exciting test prep activities that really encourage and motivate my students. However, I also see the value in some good old fashioned pencil and paper test prep. It definitely has its place and will definitely help prepare the students for the "boring" test. Also, it prepares them for middle school, high school and beyond where they will ... Read More
Bean Boozled in the Classroom (Jelly Belly Challenge): Engaging Test Prep
I will have to admit it that I was a bit on the fence when I first heard about teachers using Bean Boozled in the classroom. If you are not familiar with this "game", the players spin a spinner to determine which color jelly bean they will eat. The color could be one of two different flavors: a yummy flavor (peach or berry for example) or a disgusting flavor (barf or ... Read More
Speed Answering: Engaging Test Prep Reading Constructed Response
Unfortunately, most of the engaging test prep review activities involve multiple-choice or short answer review questions. A lot of these activities don't lend themselves to the rigor of the constructed response questions that are now on many state assessments. With this in mind, I wanted a test prep review activity that works well with constructed response questions or ... Read More
Playing Jenga: Engaging Test Prep
Testing season is almost here (or already here for some of you!). I always embed review throughout the year in using spiral review, but I also take 2-4 weeks (depending on pacing) to review before our high stakes assessments. I like to do a mixture of text prep activities ranging from paper and pencil review to games. I try to include a lot of engaging test prep in my ... Read More
Ways to Support Students with Constructed Response Reading Questions
Over the last decade, there has been a major shift in reading assessments. Students used to be assessed only on multiple choice questions. However, now they are required to write constructed response reading questions. Answering constructed response questions requires a different set of skills than those that are needed for multiple choice questions and can be a ... Read More
