Get Ready for Test Prep Season with Test-Taking Strategies
Getting ready for test prep season (think Common Core and state testing) doesn’t have to mean teaching to the test. In fact, my biggest tip is to focus on test-taking strategies that apply to multiple content areas. Here are some test-taking strategies to get you started!
What are Some Test-Taking Tips for Nonfiction Reading Tests?
So many tests have cold-read nonfiction passages. Students often struggle with this type of content. My test-taking strategies escape room takes your students through five stations:
- Fill in the Blank
- Find the Paragraph
- True or False
- Lock Combination
- Multiple Choice
All of the questions lead to codes to solve a puzzle, but the most important part is that they use test-taking strategies for reading to help your learners get ready for their big tests!
Reading Test-Taking Strategies
1. Highlight the important words in the question or text.
Remind students to highlight keywords in the question or passage to focus on what’s important.
2. Number the paragraphs to easily refer to them in the questions.
Encourage students to number paragraphs to help them quickly find and refer back to specific parts of the text when answering questions. This is a strategy used in my test-taking games and is often used in figuring out the codes!
3. Reread passages for important details.
Advise students to reread passages to catch any important details they might have missed the first time.
4. Refer back to the text to cite evidence
Instruct students to always refer back to the text when they need to cite evidence for their answers; it makes their responses stronger for short answer questions. It also helps verify any multiple-choice answers.
5. Check answers
Encourage students to check their answers before they finish to ensure they don’t miss anything and that everything makes sense.
Reading Test-Taking Tools
Students often lose their place while reading. This is common for students with ADHD or dyslexia. Guided reading strips help students keep their place by “highlighting” each line and blocking out other distractions on the page. Another fun tool to try is a finger-focus highlighter. This works like the guided reading strips but lets your students read word by word with a strip they wear on their finger. These test-taking tools are simple accessibility tools that help students focus on reading tests.
What are Some Other Test-Taking Strategies for All Content Areas?
Kids can be really anxious about tests. Tips for test preparation, calming test anxiety, and even what to eat on the day of a big test can help students feel ready. Here are some test-taking strategies to have your students ready to go, whether it’s for a Reading, Math, or any other content area test!
1. Prepare and Practice
Help your students come up with a consistent study routine and encourage parents to establish one at home. Even if you don’t give a lot of homework, encouraging students to read for 20 minutes at home or review their notes each night is a perfect way to prepare and practice for tests.
Speaking of practice, using practice exams helps your students know what the test is going to look like. Many states have practice exams online to help students get ready to use the test-taking tools.
Finally, make a fun review! Review for any content area with editable Jeopardy games. I love reviewing American History, World History, Geography, Ancient History, Civics, and Government with this engaging game.
2. Stay Healthy
Other test-taking strategies have nothing to do with what is on the test. Staying healthy by eating brain-boosting fruits for breakfast like blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries. Whole grains like whole wheat bread or oatmeal also get the brain working for tests!
Also, it’s important to get enough sleep not just the night before the test but always! Upper elementary students need a minimum of eight hours of sleep.
3. Relax
Sometimes relaxing is easier said than done when it comes to test taking. However, using relaxation techniques with your students can help keep them calm and ready for tests!
First, try some deep breathing exercises to calm nerves. The Calm app and website have free resources for schools to practice mindfulness with deep breathing and meditation activities. Their stuff is so good; I recommend using it outside of school as well!
Next, simply having your students visualize a successful test-taking environment can help!
4. Color
Even adults use coloring books as a calming activity! Why not get your kids coloring while using test-taking strategies? This test-taking color-by-number is my favorite because it reinforces test-taking skills with the calming activity of coloring.
First, students complete a “before reading” anticipation guide. Next, they read about Test-Taking Strategies. Then, students answer questions and mark the text for evidence. Next, it’s coloring time! Your kids color the picture according to their answers. Finally, they complete the “after reading” anticipation guide. This is another piece you can hang on the wall to showcase their test-taking prep success!
5. Talk About Fears
Just saying “You’ll be fine” doesn’t work for some kids. Test-taking anxiety is a real thing. Share your own struggles. Acknowledge that taking tests can be overwhelming. Finally, read a fun story to help worried students prepare for tests. The Anti-Test Anxiety Society by Julia Cook (Author) and Anita DuFalla (Illustrator) focuses on getting rid of test fears with the mantra: TEST (Think Each Situation Through) and 12 test-taking strategies. This fiction story is complete with fun pictures and lessons that can apply to your classroom and kids!
6. Put it All Together
Test-Taking Cube Code
Put all these test-taking tips together! My test-taking strategies cube stations include topics such as tips to calm test anxiety, sleep, food, mood, positive mindset, and more. It’s a perfect way to test prep, and the reading passages reinforce these test-taking tips!
Here’s how it works:
Students have six stations where they find 4-digit codes after reading passages and completing activities.
Students move around to the six different stations with their reading passage. At each station, they earn a portion of their cube and figure out a 4-digit code (stations 1-5) before heading to the next station. Station six has an engaging writing activity about the main idea.
Of course, students will answer questions directly from their reading passage. This is similar to what they would see on a test, so it’s great practice!
Once they’ve completed all the stations, students color and put together their cubes. Hang these up as decorations to celebrate before test day!
Overall, get your kids collaborating and working together to make test day a success. Using escape rooms and collaborative posters is just another way to find your way to test-taking success in the classroom!
