Making Test Prep Fun: 5 Ideas to Ramp Up Engagement
Spring is here! While we love the change of weather and ability to get back outside, it brings along with it some serious classroom obstacles.
TESTING…
Nobody actually enjoys getting their students ready for the big tests. The moans and groans about boring test practice is enough to make any teacher lose their cool. But what if we told you it doesn’t have to be this way? What if there’s a way to make test prep enjoyable (and even fun) for both you and your students?
Read on to find 5 tips and tricks to transform your classroom test prep from mundane to magical and grab a freebie or two on the way!
1. Highlighters and Black Lights
2. March Madness Trashketball
March is the perfect time to bring basketball into your classroom. All you need for this engagement booster is a trashcan, a small basketball and masking tape. We like to use task cards with targeted skills your students need, but really any worksheet or set of problems would work.
How to play: Divide your class into teams (size of teams is up to you but we find smaller teams of 3-4 work best). Take turns handing a task card or problem to each team. If they solve/answer the problem correctly, they earn 1 point. They then have to decide if they want to try for 2 or 3 extra bonus points. The point lines are marked with masking tape on the floor with 2 points being closer to the trashcan and 3 points being slightly further away. One student from that team will shoot the ball. If they make a basket, the bonus points are added to their team’s score. If they answer/solve the problem incorrectly, it’s the next teams turn for a problem.
3. Kaboom!
4. Bean Boozled
There’s just something kids love about the possibility of eating something disgusting. This is a fun and easy game, all you need is a pack of Bean Boozled jelly beans. If you’re not familiar with these, each color has two versions of jelly beans: one tastes really good while the other tastes horrible. There’s no way to tell which is which.
How to play: Students will play in groups. Each group will answer a question. You can use existing test prep questions or task cards. If they answer correctly, they will send one student up to taste a bean. Fair warning: You may want to have a trash can nearby so they can spit out the jelly bean if it’s a bad tasting one.