State testing is around the corner, and as teachers, we know the importance of preparing our students for success. However, traditional test prep activities and methods can be dull and uninspiring. The good news… test prep season doesn't have to be boring! Add some fun test prep activities to your lesson plans and get your students ready for the big test!
FUN & RIGOROUS ACTIVITIES
Activities that are challenging enough for test prep don't have to be worksheets or flash cards. Fun but still rigorous activities are the perfect combination for testing season.
- Reading Task Cards – One of the easiest ways to embed test prep reading skills review questions into your current routine. Task cards are SO versatile. Use them whole group when you have a few minutes between transitions, add them to reading test prep centers, put students in partners, or use them as a scavenger hunt for independent work!
- Graphic Organizers – Graphic organizers are a great way to reinforce reading skills. They can also provide you with info on student mastery of specific skills in a quick snapshot. Graphic organizers can be used with picture books, passages, novels, or whatever you decide.
- Reading Passages – HELLO READING SKILL PRACTICE! These are reading skill centered and offer a quick way to focus on those tough reading skills. They come in digital or printable and are so meaningful.
SWITCH UP THE FORMAT
Escape Rooms are such a great resource for test prep. It's more engaging and exciting than typical test prep and gets students excited about the content!
Students must read and answer skill-based questions or passages related to the test content to “escape” within a given time frame. Break students into teams or small groups and provide them with the digital or printable escape room that they must solve together to get the correct answer. Escape rooms are an easy way to increase student engagement and provide extra practice of grade level standards.
The best part about the escape rooms … you can choose already done for you ones OR templates that allow you to add your own content! They are so much fun and super easy to add to your lesson plans. Read more about escape rooms HERE!
Have you ever done a room transformation? Hello immediate engagement! There are so many options that with a little work, can make a big impact! Room transformations can be as simple or as detailed as you want. Students love something new and exciting! A simple room transformation can turn test prep time into a fun way to review different subject areas!
Check out these themes:
Another idea to embed test prep into the day is Open the Book Test Prep. The activity includes 6 reading based activities that are behind a “book” so students don't know their exact task until they choose the book. The activities are set up in a way that feels like a game and can be used as an easy test prep activity this time of year.
These Open the Book reading activities are a unique way to get students focused on reading skills beyond the usual test review activities. The best part…it's a FREEBIE!
Open the Book Freebie
There are so many different ways to use engaging test prep activities with your students! I hope you feel excited about each of these test prep ideas and all the possibilities to turn it into something students (and you) will look forward to and enjoy!
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