We’ve all been there! Students are getting ready to take a quiz or a test, but you’re worried that you haven’t prepared them enough. Before going into an assessment, there are some ways you can prepare them for success. Teacher test preparation doesn’t have to be a pain in the neck. Done correctly, you can spread out student learning in a meaningful way that won’t burden anyone!
Many kindergarten, first-grade, and second-grade students don’t do much heavy testing, but these are some teacher test preparation tools you can add to your lesson to help students as they enter the world of assessments.
Practice Highlighting Important Details
If students are working on reading a passage and answering questions that follow, teach them how to notice key details in a text. As you organize reading groups or work with students one-on-one, teach them how to highlight important words, facts, etc, in the text they are reading. Kids love a good highlighting activity, so use this to your advantage. When test-taking time comes, they will recall how to highlight or find key details and apply that to their answers.
Work on Predicting the Answer
When it comes to multiple-choice questions, students often skim the question and then read the answers. The answers given may confuse them, especially if they already know the answer. Encourage students to read the question and then look away from the page. Before reading the options, they should try to think of the correct answer. Then, they can read the answers and choose the one that matches the closest. This will ensure they don’t get confused as they read through multiple-choice options.
Coach Students to Slash the Trash
Once students begin reading their answer choices, they will usually be able to eliminate multiple answers. Show students how to read through the answers and cross off any that don’t make sense. This is a form of process of elimination and will make finding the correct answer easier. Remind them that once they cross something off, they shouldn’t come back to it. They should cross it off with confidence to find the right answer.
Review, Review, Review
Reviewing and going over topics that will be on a test is one of the most important parts of teacher test preparation. Use any and all opportunities to review vocabulary, facts, reading comprehension strategies, and more.
A fun way to review what you teach is to use Google Slides to display the information. Each morning or at the start of a lesson, use the slides to go over information learned throughout the week. Students will work independently or as a group to come up with the answers and recall information. Make it a fun way to start the day, and they won’t even realize they are studying.
Like all teachers, I understand how difficult it can be for kids to grasp a concept and apply it during testing. Some students need no help, but others could use a guide. Hopefully, these helpful tips for teacher test preparation leave you feeling a little lighter when it comes to working with your students during an assessment period.
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Have fun with it! When students are having fun, they are more likely to learn. You’re doing amazing!
