End-of-course testing, standardized testing, state testing... whatever you call them, many of us have been working all year to prepare our students for these high-stakes mandated tests, which may be used to determine student placement, teacher evaluations, and often even our students' eligibility to graduate!
The pressure surrounding testing is overwhelming, and at this point in the school year, it sometimes feels like one more thing will be the straw that breaks the camel's back. But they're coming, whether we like it or not, so it's time to review test-taking strategies with our students!
Here in Ohio, our end-of-course tests are called the AIR tests. In ELA II, the tests have two parts, both made up of literary and informational passages, multiple choice questions, and essays. Over the years, we've created resources that help our students review released test items, practice good test-taking strategies, and even have a little fun (really!)
Here are the ways we review:
1. Go over the test structure and discuss general tips and tricks to tackle questions
The first day of review, we go over the length and structure of the test so that students understand how many and what types of questions they will be expected to answer on testing day.
Click here for the FREE, editable handout! Even if your students take a different test, you can keep the formatting and change the specifics!
2. Practice outlining and writing essays to respond to released prompts
Students need lots of practice planning an effective essay in a short amount of time. Of course, we build these skills throughout the year, but just before the test, they'll need a refresher! We use both released test prompts and prompts we've created to model the types of writing tasks students will be asked to complete.
We use these resources to review comparative analysis writing:
We use these resources to review argumentative writing:
3. Grade released example essays according to the test rubric
Seeing what past test-takers have written and using the rubric to evaluate their essays helps make students familiar with what they will have to do to earn the highest scores on the rubric.
Check your state test's website to see if they've released any past student essays so you can do the same!
4. Practice taking multiple choice sections and review the answers with color-changing markers
Use these magical markers for a fun group challenge! You use the invisible marker to mark correct answers on blank answer sheets, and then groups of students decide which answer they think is correct before using a color-changing marker on the answer sheet. If the answer space changes color, they were right! In our classes, the group with the most correct answers wins candy or a small prize.
We use these practice tests to review multiple choice questions in a fun and competitive way!
5. Practice using the online platform
We spend a day showing students how to use test-taking tools on the online platform (such as the highlighter, masking tool, line reader, and strike-through).
If you want access to all these resources at a bargain price, click here for our GROWING AIR Test Review Bundle (we just created a few more items that we'll be adding soon!).
Sometimes it feels like there are so many factors out of our control when it comes to standardized testing, but with these review activities, we hope our students will walk in on testing day feeling more comfortable with the content of the test and more confident in their abilities to rock it!
Do you have any tried and true test review tricks up your sleeves? We'd love to hear about them!
Good luck to everyone testing this year! You've got this!
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