No teacher looks forward to end-of-year testing. The complaints are valid: they take too much time (our state’s reading test, for example, is two hours long), they cause too much stress (primarily to the students who do NOT need to be worried about them), and they don’t always reflect all of the learning and growth that we have seen in our students throughout the year.
But the tests are not going away any time soon. Thus – we want our students to be prepared. We don’t want them to face questions or situations on the tests that we have not shown them how to navigate.
Obviously, great teaching throughout the year is the best test prep strategy ever. But there are also specific tips and strategies that can help your students be prepared.
Here are 16 tips gathered from veteran teachers’ many years of administering standardized tests! I hope they help you and your students. (And if testing season is over for you this year – lucky you! – save this post for next year!)
1 – Find your state’s released versions of tests. These items are the best for showing your students exactly what the test questions will look like.
2 – It can also be helpful to use other states’ released test items so that your students see a variety of problems and questions.
3 – Practice by taking the test yourself! What do YOU do to help yourself solve the problems or read the passages and answer questions? What tips helped you? Show your students your thought process!
4 – Plan for some practice time before state testing begins. This doesn’t need to take hours or several weeks. Two weeks is usually ample time. This also doesn’t need to take up all day, every day. It’s better to do little bits every day, rather than big “cram” sessions which tend to burn kids out and cause anxiety.
5 – A great way to review is to have kids “brain dump” everything they know about a content area topic (weather systems, for instance) or for a math topic (how to calculate volume, for instance).
Here’s how to do that:
~List the topic on the board and set a timer for 2-3 minutes.
~Have students write down everything that they can remember about the topic (or about how to do the math).
~Another option is to ask them to write 1-3 things they can remember, and NOT set a time limit.
~Then let students turn & talk with a partner or table group and share what they remember.
By the way, this is a fun and engaging strategy to use for review and practice throughout the year, not just when preparing for end of year tests.
6 – Provide lots of opportunities to study vocabulary terms for science or math tests. Sites like Kahoot, Quizlet, Quizizz, and Blooket are great for this. Another good option is to google free online Jeopardy games.
7 – Mix up the math problems – addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems. The tests never have all of one topic together, so we need to help students practice “switching” between different math topics.
8 – Show students what to do with the blank paper that is provided for the test. Do you expect them to use it for solving math problems? Listing vocabulary terms for content? Taking notes on a reading passage? Show them what you expect and incorporate that into your test prep practice.
9 – Stamina is one of the most important factors in test-taking. These standardized tests usually take about two hours. That is a long time to maintain focus and stare at a screen. Building up stamina throughout the year (during independent reading, for example) is their best preparation. You can challenge your students to work on their stamina as part of their test prep practice. Then have them share their strategies for getting back on track if they find their energy waning and their minds wandering.
10 – Hopefully you have used anchor charts all year long. Remind your students to refer to them often! Even though you have to remove them before the test, when students look at that area of the wall, they will remember most of what was on the chart.
11 – Teach your students test-taking strategies and have them practice the strategies as they take practice tests or work on practice problems.
Some examples include:
*previewing the selection on a reading test, identifying the genre, and (possibly) identifying where you will stop & think about what you’ve read so far
*tell yourself that you are excited to read the reading test selection (this actually works!)
*when you read the reading test question, think about what you think the answer might be before reading the answer choices
*read all of the answer choices before making a selection
*look back in the text, especially for the vocabulary questions
*actually solve the problems on the math test – don’t just guess an answer choice that looks like it could be right
*use the 50-50 strategy – try to eliminate two answers that couldn’t possibly be correct
*flag a question and come back to it later if you’re having trouble with it
12 – Teach your students to take their own brain breaks during the test when their attention is wandering (look away from the screen, close your eyes, massage your temples, take quiet deep breaths, stretch your shoulders and your legs).
13 For the math questions: visualize what the question is asking you to do. Draw a picture of the scenario or make a model to help you solve the problem. Double-check your multiplication facts, addition and subtraction.
14 – Show students any tools they may use on the test. For example, our state’s online test includes a highlighter tool and a tool for slashing the wrong answers. Show students how to use these tools.
15 – Teach students some testing affirmations and allow them to make their own reminders/poster. They can look at their affirmations and keep reading them until it’s time to clear their desks for the test.
16 – Ask families to write a letter to their student, encouraging them to do their best on the test and reassuring them of their love and belief in the student. These letters can be opened on the morning of the test. (My students have always loved receiving these.) Let families know about this and ask for the letters to be returned to you by 1-2 weeks before the test. If a family does not return a letter, this gives you time to find a special adult within the school who will write a letter to the student.
No one likes standardized testing, but we all understand the purpose that it serves. Helping our students to be prepared and confident is our goal. I hope that some of these tips will be helpful to you and your students! And the good news about testing season is that summer is not far away!
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