Fun Ways to Review for Testing

 

Test prep can be tedious and stressful. You only have a certain amount of time to get your students ready for those end-of-grade high-stakes tests, and you have so much you want to review. Here are a few tips to help you make your test prep effective and fun.

 

Use high interest passages when you are practicing reading standards. Comprehension Quests from my TpT store are an exciting way to get your students practicing standards aligned skills. These high interest passages include differentiated options for the reader response pages. You can differentiate between second through fifth grade expectations. (BONUS: Your students will never know if they are doing an easier or harder page than their peers!) Students stay motivated to do the work because they want to earn clues to solve the quest. Learn more here.

This is a simple indoor recess game that can be modified for test prep. Label each corner A, B, C, and D for multiple choice problems. I have used a released sample end of grade test from my state. My students do a few problems a day. When we review our answers, I have them go stand in the corner that is labeled with their answer choice.

One way to keep things fun is to use a “That was easy” button. I let students take turns hitting the button when they get a problem correct.

When students get problems correct, you can have them enter their name for a prize. The more problems they answer correctly, the more entries they have for the drawing. You can give out little prizes, such as fun pencils, erasers, candy, homework passes, etc… You can also ask parents to donate prizes for the drawings.

One of my favorite ways to review is to use a buzzer system. 

This Eggspert buzzer system from Educational Insights is my favorite. Split students into teams and have them take turns being the buzzer for their team. The egg will light up for whichever team buzzed in first. They have a wireless version too, but I prefer this plug-in system because then I don’t have to worry about batteries dying.

Throughout the year, keep track of specific objectives your class (as a whole) generally struggled with. I like to keep track of how the class did on an objective by using my unit overviews and simply color coding. When it’s time to review at the end of the year, I know exactly where I need to spend my time. 

Remember–there is simply not enough time to review everything, so you need to be strategic. If you try to review everything, you’ll be covering skills on a surface level instead of really honing in on trouble areas and helping students make progress with those standards.