HELP! My kids seemed burned out already and we have state testing coming up. I have finished "practicing" or giving them any more sample type questions until "the test." I need some fun ideas to get them excited for the testing week. Anyone have a good lesson idea for reading? I want it to be fun yet integrate concepts for the state test. Thanks in advance!

Hi!
I took released items from old tests or test prep books and made them into game cards for the kids to use with board games I made. It was a relaxing review for them. I put the multiple choice answer for each ? on the back of the card so that another person playing the game could check each player's answer. Not right, don't move. I assigned number of spaces to move by the difficulty of the question and then wrote that amount on each card. Hope this works for you! I also took test released items, made them into transparencies, and made a competition/Jeopardy type game out of them.

[Miller]

We did test prep and used booklets. They seemed burned out, so the week before testing, I didn't do test prep. I just did my regular lessons. To give them incentives through the test, for good behavior I gave a treat a day- a starburst, lollipop or hershey's kiss. Our whole grade level had perfect attendance, so we are buying freezy pops and having a free time on Friday.

[kathy]

I went to the dollar tree and bought visors (3/1.00) They are our "wiser visors." They decorated them with stickers etc. They only wear them during a test and chant, "Before I test, I put on my visor, for when I do, I feel much wiser." Then they snap fingers two times and throw hands in the air and say "WOO!"

I also have a hangman type thing on the board that will spell out ICE CREAM. Each test that no child skips a question earns them one letter.

Finally, I gave them all a small blue post it note. They put it on the stop sign, that way they really know when to stop. Red notes would probably be even better, but the note itself signals them.

Kathy