Testing season is coming … Are you ready? You can do several things to help your students prepare for and get through the testing season.
3 ways to get through testing season
Make sure students are ready for the tests. We’ll talk about content in a minute, but students also need to understand how the test works. That may mean practicing how to answer multiple choice questions and the rubric for essay questions. It may mean talking about when to guess, when to skip questions, and how to check your work if you are done. And it certainly means taking practice tests so students understand how to fill in an answer sheet or to navigate a test on a computer or tablet.
Testing can be stressful for many students. Throughout the year practice mindfulness and breathing techniques and remind students to use them regularly. This comes in handy when testing nerves start to get the better of students — and in other stressful situations too.
Make sure you have some brain breaks during testing season. Extra outside time or movement time can help burn off nervous energy. Even movement breaks for different kinds of thinking can help students refocus and recharge on testing days.
Find and fill learning gaps now
One of the best ways to help students prepare and feel confident about standardized testing season is to ensure they know the content. So take some time to find any learning gaps. Then you can focus instruction, practice, and review on filling learning gaps. It’s time for assessment and progress monitoring.
Get your Progress Monitoring FREE Sample to find learning gaps:
There are a lot of phonics topics to cover. Do students need more review or practice in any of these areas?
(Save when you get both sets of screening sheets bundled together.)
Once you find learning gaps, it’s time to fill them before testing season kicks in.
Practice blending and segmenting with students for CVC words as well as words with digraphs and blends. You’ll find a wealth of practice in this CVC word activities bundle.
Testing is stressful. Learning doesn’t have to be. Keep it fun while making sure students fill those learning gaps. These digraph games can help. Or practice alternate spelling (and CVC words and consonant blends …) with phonics cootie catchers.
You’ll find even more resources to help students fill any learning gaps in the Top Notch Literacy Club. You’ll find ready-to-use resources to help fill any learning gaps you discover through your progress monitoring. These resources cover a broad range of topics, adaptable for different levels. A wide mix of activity types can also be used for independent review or skill consolidation at home, in small groups, or with the whole class. The mix of activities also makes differentiated instruction a snap.
Ready for testing season? Your students can be if you find and fill those learning gaps now.
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