3 THINGS YOU CAN DO NOW TO PREPARE YOUR STUDENTS FOR STATE TESTING

via NY Daily News

It is that time of year again.  State testing is just days or weeks away for many of you, and questions start to keep us awake at night.  Did I teach that concept well enough?  How will my students perform this year?  Is there anything I can do at this point?

The good news is, yes, there are several things you can still do to prepare your students.

1.  Teach them to speak the testing language.

While we all know it is important to give students practice with the test structures, teaching them testing vocabulary can also yield big dividends.  Words like "analyze" often have no meaning to them and are glossed over when reading.  By choosing some key testing terms now and explicity teaching these words, you will find that students will be more comfortable and be able to access the questions more effectively on testing day.

2.  Motivate them.

This might go without saying, but test prep is typically BORING.  Novelty sells.  Think about ways to switch it up each practice day.  This can be as simple as changing where students sit, to introducing a new game.   Also, encourage students to track their own progress.  A competition with yourself is the best kind of competition.  And, success breeds success, so seeing your growth documented before your eyes can be incredibly motivating and confidence building.

3.  Minimize stress.

When we feel stress as educators, ultimately, our students will feel it, too.  So, first, remember to implement all your tried and true techniques for minimizing your stress personally.  Maintain your positive perspective.  Then, try some of these simple tips shared by counselor Marjorie Edge on how to curb test anxiety.   I have also seen teachers encourage students to create their own personal power statement to carry into testing day such as, "I'm ready.  Let's do this!" 

If you are looking for other resources during this crunch time check out this resource from the NEA with a variety of links for test prep.  While there is no crystal ball to know exactly what each of your kiddos will need on test day,  investing time in the needs of your students beyond the tested content is time well spent!  Good luck!

:) Brandy