Do your students act as if the moment testing is over they are finished with school? While an early summer break may sound nice, it's definitely a slippery slope, as it's so important to keep students engaged after testing. I’ve learned that if I abandon classroom routines or
Test Prep for 3rd Graders & Test Prep for 4th Graders
I never imagined I'd worry about test prep for 3rd graders or test prep for 4th graders. Every year I start the school year with good intentions. I'm going to use best practices all year, and I'd not going to stress about test prep and scores. We'll work hard all year and let the
Spring Math Centers 4th Grade
I love using these spring math centers for 4th grade! If you teach third grade, you can see my 3rd Grade Spring Math Centers here. These activities should take me through all of March and April. In April we'll be out a week for spring break (yippee!!) and I won't have centers
The Importance of Spiral Review
Who has ever experienced this scenario? You spend weeks conceptually teaching fractions. You incorporate hands-on activities, multiple models and visual representations. Your students complete a variety of problem solving tasks in authentic situations. You also have students
Student Approved Review Game
My teaching partner recently introduced me to my new favorite vocabulary review resources-Quizlet. I know that Quizlet has been around for several years. In fact, I remembered using Quizlet several years ago. According to the site, I made a quiz back in 2010, but I never used the
Directional Vocabulary for Upper Elementary
Now that it's what I not so affectionately refer to as "testing season" directional vocabulary is more important than ever. I do want to throw out a disclaimer and say that I do not believe good test prep is, or should be, the same thing as "drill and kill" and/or "teaching to
Life After Testing
It seems like during the weeks leading up to testing all I can think about is preparing for our state test. Then after testing, my lesson plans are wide open. For the most part, I've taught all of my essential standards, but I certainly don't want the learning to stop after
Elementary Testing Prep Resources
High-stake testing evokes a passionate response in almost all teachers. While I have strong feelings about testing, I recognize that standardized tests are going to be part of my life for the immediate future. Regardless of my thoughts, my students will have to take a high-stakes
