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Fun Test Prep Ideas That Aren’t Worksheets + FREE Annotating Resource
Test prep season doesn’t have to mean packets, drills, and bored students. If you’re looking for fun test prep ideas that keep engagement high without relying on worksheets, you’re in the right place. These interactive review activities help students practice essential reading and test-taking skills in a way that feels more like games and collaboration than traditional prep. And to make things even easier, I’m sharing a FREE annotating resource you can use right away to help your students build confidence and tackle passages with purpose.
Keep reading to learn more about these fun test prep ideas and get that freebie!
4 Free Reading and Writing Choice Boards and Student Trackers for Upper Elementary (Editable & Printable)
Whether you’re managing a full classroom or teaching at the kitchen table, keeping kids engaged without burning yourself out can feel impossible… Especially when you’re hit with the dreaded, “I’m done… now what?” question.
Luckily, I have the perfect resource for you, created with upper elementary-aged students in mind: choice boards!
Keep reading to learn more about these choice boards and snag 4 FREE (and editable) choice boards for yourself.
Make Valentine’s Day Meaningful With These Black History Month Valentine Activities
Last year, I was thinking to myself, “Why not make my Valentine’s Day resources more meaningful and comprehensive by incorporating Black History Month into them?” So, that’s what I did! While I do have many other Black History Month resources that aren’t Valentine’s Day-themed, the ones I made explicitly for Valentine’s Day are by far my favorite. Each of the three activities I have (so far—I’m planning on adding to the collection as time goes on) serves a different classroom need, making it easy to mix, match, or use all three together.
Keep reading to learn more about these resources, and stick around to grab these for your own classroom or homeschool learning space!
Reading BINGO: A Different Way to Get Your Students to Read - Download for Free
Reading for at least 30 minutes (or more) every day has been proven to enhance reading and comprehension skills within our students. This is why I have always urged my students to read at home for at least a little bit every day. However, ome students may need a little extra motivation to read. Reading BINGO turns reading into more of a fun activity, especially for those students who may not consider themselves to be “readers”, and is a much more fun alternative to the average reading log.
How to Teach Prepositional Phrases in a Way That’s Actually Fun for Your Students: Paper Airplane Showdown
I am definitely in favor of making my lessons more interesting, especially when it comes to usually intangible things like grammar or sentence structure. I doubt I’m the only teacher to ever do this, but I came up with a fun way to practice prepositional phrases using paper airplanes! My kids went CRAZY for it, and they even learned a thing or two! I wanted other teachers to have this experience with their students, so I made this ready-to-go lesson so you can get started right away with this super engaging lesson.
Keep reading to learn about this activity!
Transform Your Classroom into a Carnival to Prepare for Testing - Skill Review & Test Prep
It can sometimes be a good thing to shake things up in the classroom and do things different ways. Rather than boring old test prep that will make your students snore, you should opt to do something a little more immersive and go to the carnival! Not literally, though - but with this test prep station and decoration kit.
I created this classroom transformation resource because I have a lot of fond memories of going to the carnival with my family, riding the rides, and wasting all my tokens on those rigged game booths
Why Book Clubs and Literature Circles Are an Amazing Resource for Your Classroom: Everything You Need to Get Started
Something I’ve been doing for the past several years is starting a book club/literature circle with my students. Most of them seem to really enjoy it, especially since I allow them to lead the group themselves rather than it be me who guides the discussion. I usually do this toward the end of the school year, as independent work expectations have been clearly established by then and, after end-of-year testing is over, the students need something to work on.
If you are looking for an activity like this to do with your students, keep reading!
Theme Park Classroom Transformation to Review and Prep for ELAR Testing
I think one of the only good things about testing season is that there are so many fun things you can do with it. One fun way I’ve come up with is a theme park classroom transformation! Whether your favorite theme park is Universal Studios, Disney World (or Disney Land), Six Flags, etc., this theme park transformation and stations will immerse your students into all the fun. (Although it is clearly more geared toward a certain animal… 😉)
Keep reading to learn more about it!
Grow Inferencing Skills With this Engaging Inferencing Detective Board Game - Perfect for Small Group or Stations
From my experience, inferencing is one of those comprehension strategies that is hard to grasp and can sometimes be difficult to teach. That’s why I came up with this Inferencing Detective board game, so my students can practice this skill in a fun way! You can use it for tutoring, small groups, guided reading, stations/centers, or even for a game day with your whole class.
All you need is a printer and some sort of tokens for game pieces, and you’re all set!
Keep reading to learn more about it!
Glow Day Classroom Transformation, Decorations, and Station Activities to Prepare Your Students for State Testing
I’ve done Glow Day almost every year before state testing (except for last year, as I was on maternity leave), and it’s probably my favorite day of the school year ever. I completely transform the classroom and we spend an entire block playing games and preparing for the STAAR test. My kids have a blast and I have fun watching and interacting with them!
Although I personally use this to prepare for our state test, many educators have been purchasing this resource for use year-round. So, it’s totally feasible to use it to prepare for any test, or just when you want a fun way to review reading test taking strategies.
Keep reading to learn all about it!