With state testing approaching quickly, I have been trying to think of fun ways to review. We have the next two weeks to practice reading and math skills we’ve learned all year. Keep reading to discover 5 fun ways to review for a test, and download my FREE Test Prep Toolkit for even more fun ways to review for the reading state tests.
I have some fun ways to motivate my students during the weeks of testing, but the days leading up to it can be brutal.
- Passages to read
- Multiple choice questions to answer
- Open-ended responses to write
- Math problems to solve
If my students see one more practice test, I think they’re going to throw up.
However, my students love days when we review for tests. There are so many fun ways to practice and apply skills. As I was planning the last few weeks before testing, I decided to use some of our favorite review games.
5 Fun Ways to Review for a Test
#1 – Unlock the Box Mysteries
My students love using Unlock the Box Mysteries to review for tests. They collaborate with their teammates and use problem solving skills to unlock the box. Every day someone asks when we’re going to do an Unlock the Box Mystery again.
Since my students are so excited to solve these mysteries, I decided to use them to review for state testing. We are using them to review difficult math concepts, like equivalent fractions and elapsed time. We are also using them to practice answering questions about different types of texts.
Just pick a concept your students need to practice, and have fun!
Reading Unlock the Box Mysteries
Math Unlock the Box Mysteries
#2 – Kahoot
When I tell my students we’re playing Kahoot, their faces light up. They absolutely love using this game to review for tests. There are hundreds of games already created. Just search for the topic you want to practice, and you’ll have lots of options.
If you can’t find a Kahoot game that’s already created, they are really easy to make yourself. Last year, I turned the multiple choice questions from one of our state test samplers into a Kahoot game. My students read the passage and answered the questions independently first. Then, I put them in groups, and we played Kahoot. They did a great job explaining why they thought their answers were the best by using text evidence. Knowing that they were going to use the answers to play Kahoot was a huge motivator!
#3 – Jeopardy
Another review game my students love is Jeopardy. Sometimes we play as a class and other times my students play against a partner. Just like Kahoot, there are tons of Jeopardy games that are already created. Just search for the topic you want, and you’ll probably be able to find one. Jeopardy Labs has a ton of already created games. The week before state testing, my class plays a Jeopardy game that reviews the third grade math concepts.
If you can’t find one, you can create your own Jeopardy game. Jeopardy Labs makes it really easy to make your own game. It takes a little while to type in all the questions and answers, but once it’s done you can use it each year.
#4 – Bingo
There is so much vocabulary that students need to know for state tests. If they don’t know what the words mean, they won’t be able to answer the questions.
- Sum
- Difference
- Parallelogram
- Synonym
- Conjunction
- And so many more
Playing Bingo is a great way to review vocabulary. I use it for both reading and math. I give my students a list of all the important vocabulary words they could see on the test. They use the words to fill in a Bingo board. Then, I give them the definitions, and they have to find the word on their board and mark it. We talk about the words and give examples to help them stick in my students’ minds.
#5 – Password
Password is another great game for reviewing vocabulary. My students love playing it to review for science and social studies tests. It’s also a great way to review for state testing. Here’s how to play:
- Choose a student to come to the front of the room. Have him/her turn to face the class.
- Write a vocabulary word on the board behind the student.
- The rest of the class gives clues to help the student guess the word. They cannot say any part of the word, including what letter it starts with.
- The student tries to guess the word. Whoever gives the clue that helps the guesser get it comes to the front and guesses next.
Prepare Your Students for State Testing
Finding passages and questions to prepare your students for state tests can be challenging. Look no further. These test prep resources include mini lessons to teach your students test-taking strategies, passages with multiple choice questions, open-ended response practice, and an end of the week assessment to check for mastery of the standards.
Get even more tips to help prepare your students for state tests in my Test Prep Toolkit.
Discover some test-taking strategies you need to teach your students.
What Do You Think?
How do you make reviewing for tests fun?
Let me know in the comments below.
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