Three Ways to Spice Up Test Prep
I can’t believe March is here already. Y’all we are going to blink and we’re going to be talking about the end of the year. It truly goes by so fast. I always get excited for Spring in the classroom. Sunshine returns, the weather warms up, Spring Break gives us a solid week off…it’s the beginning of the end and that is very sweet, indeed.
But test prep is a bummer. It’s the biggest bummer of spring time in school. This is my take on test prep, though:
Tests are not inherently bad. If tests disappeared tomorrow, we would likely still want our kids to take some sort of test to spice things up. So, how can we spice up our test prep a little this year? I have three ideas for you!
1️⃣ Choose a testing theme and transform your classroom to match that theme. (I like sports themes, because you can play a big game the Friday before testing week.) Make a whole week out of it, because a workbook page done in a room that is all basketball-themed is somehow a little more fun! On the last day before testing, open a concession stand, play some Jock Jams, and get ready to play ball!
2️⃣ Play a roulette game with points. Ask test prep questions for students to answer individually or in teams, and then let them choose the points they get for the question in a way that will surprise them. I have done sticky notes on the whiteboard with hidden point values on the back for students to choose, random math manipulative with different colors (drawing a red unifix cube = 5 points, blue = 10 points, etc.). I have had students close their eyes and choose coins from a jar. A penny = 1 point, a nickel = 5 points, etc.
If you’re really feisty, you can assign some items to be worth a negative value, so kids have to subtract points…even if they got the question correct. Be mindful of how sensitive your kids are before you do this, though…😉
I use counting bears for students to close their eyes and choose!
3️⃣ Play ‘teacher, teacher’…this is a game that I 100% made up on a whim. The kids silently work on a problem or question on white boards or in workbooks. I say “teacher, teacher, come teach us…” and pull a kid’s name out of a jar. (I always have had popsicle sticks with student names on them already done.) The child whose name is drawn comes up to the white board and teaches the other students about how they came to that answer. This works best in math review, and the kids take themselves SO seriously. Plus, having to teach how you came up with an answer cements your understanding even further! So, they are actually growing!
As a freebie for you, I have a free growth mindset ‘playbook’ that is part of my Basketball Test Prep Transformation Kit! Join my email list to get your free resource from the freebie library!
