7 Creative Ways to Test Prep for Math

Math Test Practice

The tests are coming! The tests are coming!



We all anticipate state standardized math tests and look for practice tests in math.

They come once a year and our kids end up exhausted. Material is crammed and teachers are stressed.

This year, make math test prep easy and FUN! The students won't even realize that they are working!







1. 4TH GRADE MATH TEST PRACTICE TASK CARDS

Play games with these task cards. Have your students go on a math scavenger hunt around the classroom. Play SCOOT! There are so many ways to use task cards to make learning fun.

2. 4TH GRADE MATH TEST PRACTICE

This 4th grade math test printable is a great way to test prep before your state standardized tests. Students can work with partners or you can use these questions to play a fun game with your class. Another awesome idea is to have students get up and move around the classroom and select a corner labeled with A, B, C, or D for the multiple-choice items. This 4th grade math test with answer key is a sure way to make learning fun!

3. FIND SOMEONE WHO GAME

This Find Someone Who Game is a FUN way to get kids up and moving around, all while reviewing math topics from the year. Students walk around the room and initial squares after they solve other students' math problems on their worksheet. This a fun math review game for 4th grade.

4. MATH JEOPARDY

EVERYBODY loves Jeopardy. Pair math with Jeopardy and you have an amazing combo! JeopardyLabs.com is my favorite Jeopardy website, mainly because you can keep track of each group's points and the questions are ready to go!

5. GALLERY WALK ACTIVITIES

Jennifer Findley has the best math test prep idea with this post! Students walk around the room, while answering questions that are posted around the room. LOVE IT! Check it out! This gallery walk is sure to get kids excited about math test practice.

6. ALLOW STUDENTS TO WRITE ON CHALK OUTSIDE

This is such a cute and CREATIVE idea! Have students work in math groups and take a math test prep worksheet outside. They can write their answers on the pavement and you can check their answers together. GENIUS!

7. PLAY THE STINKY FEET TEST PREP GAME

So, this game sounds super fun. Get your students into heterogeneous math groups and let the fun begin. You will need math practice questions to ask them. If they get a question correct, they have to select a post-it that has positive and negative points written on the back of them. I HAVE to try this game this year for sure!

What math test prep games do you recommend? Comment below!

13 Ways to Use Task Cards

How to Use Task Cards

Task Cards have been around FOREVER. They are a way to get kids MOVING and enthused about learning. There are so many ways to use them in your classroom too! Forget the traditional way of just cutting them out and leaving them in a bin as "busy work". These babies have TRUE POTENTIAL! Here are some awesome ways to use task cards in your classroom:

1. Play a game of SCOOT: Scoot is so fun! Here is how I play it: Place one card on each desk face down. Provide each student with his or her own recording sheet. Each student stands behind a desk. Set a timer. This will depend on the type of problem on each task card. Say "Begin" and the kids answer the question on their desk and record it in the numbered box that corresponds with the number on their task card. After the timer is up, say "SCOOT"! Then the students move to the next desk and you keep playing until all students have answered all of the questions. If you don't have enough task cards for every student, you can have a "break" desk for students to take a break or you can make up your own "bonus" question that they can answer on the back of the recording sheet. So fun!

2. Math Centers: Leave the set or 10 task cards in a math center. Provide students with a qr code or an answer key to check their work.

3. Early Finishers: As students finish work, they can choose a card and take it to their desk. You could assign a set for each week or every two weeks. They can turn in their recording sheet on the due date.

4. Small Group Work: Use the task cards for small group work to review material and make it more fun. You could have the students use dry erase boards to race each other.

5. Have a Scavenger Hunt: Hide the task cards around the room. Have students work in groups or with partners to answer the questions. The first team finished wins!

6. Leave Some for the Substitute Teacher: Leave some cards for a sub. They could always use time-fillers.

7. Homework: Assign four cards a night instead of cutting them out. Copy the sheet of four cards and send them home.

8. Put Them on a Ring: Print them out and put them all on a ring. Use them for centers or enrichment.

9. Class Warm Up: Project one task card while students are entering your classroom. Have them answer the question on the space that corresponds with that task card. Collect them at the end of the month or chapter/unit.

10. Test Prep: Use the task cards to prep for state standardized tests or chapter tests.

11. Spiral Review: After you finish teaching the topic on the task cards, use the task cards to review that material and mix them up with other topics.

12. Bell Ringer Activity: As students are coming in each morning, place one on each desk or project one on the board.

13. Formative Assessment: Every so often project a task card and have your students write the answer on their white boards and hold them up.

There you have it! 13 ways to use task cards in your classroom. How do you use task cards in your classroom? Which one do you want to try TOMORROW?

5 OF MY FAVORITE CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT IDEAS

Keeping it all together can be difficult in your classroom. I know that I am CONSTANTLY looking for ways to manage my classroom. Here are FIVE of my favorite classroom management ideas:














Teacher vs Student Class Management by Will Teach for Tacos

She focuses on target behavior and awards the students with tallies if they display those behaviors during class. This is genius! You can download the printables by clicking the link above. I love how she says to keep the scores close so that the students continue to work hard to compete with you.

 

Tap Lights by Miss Courtney's Class

You just click on the light that is under the voice level that you prefer and the kids can see EXACTLY how they are supposed to be talking or not talking during an activity. LOVE this idea! It is so simple and cheap.



While You Were Out Board by The Science Duo

I like this! It is so difficult to keep student work together when someone is absent. This board would promote accountability for your students and responsibility as well. If a parent asks for student work at the END of the day, no worries! Simply gather the pages here and you are GOOD TO GO!



Stickers as an Economy in the Classroom by An Apple For The Teacher

How cute is this idea?! Each student gets a mini notebook and the teacher gives stickers each time they turn in assignments, ask "stretchy" questions, or show good behavior. The teacher uses a class store and the kids get to spend their "stickers". This seems like a great behavior system and holds students accountable. Love it!



Bathroom Management by A Cupcake for the Teacher

This is such a great idea. Students are assigned numbers. Bingo chips are placed in pockets labeled with student numbers. Keeping track of the frequency of bathroom breaks has never sounded so easy!

Well, there you have it! These are my top 5 classroom management ideas. Which one will you try in your classroom? OR do you recommend any other ideas that you would like to share?!

Don't forget to enter our giveaway here!

Valentine's Day Craft FAVORITES!

There is something about Valentine's Day that makes me so excited! Maybe it is the candy or the chocolate?! Or the fun crafts! Here are some of my favorite Valentine's Day crafts!

This Candy Bouquet

I want to make this for my daughter like RIGHT NOW. It looks like most of this can be found at the Dollar Tree.

These Sand Treats

These would make such cute Valentine's Day treats for students! My daughter and I are going to make these to hand out to her kinderbuddies this year. This looks cheap and easy too. All you need is Kinetic Sand, cups, and round stickers.

Valentine's Day Magnets

I have made these before and they are super easy. The wooden hearts can be found at Michaels. You need red acrylic paint, a picture, magnet dots, and Mod Podge. Cute gift for parents or grandparents!

These Tic Tac Toe Valentines

This is so adorable! Kids LOVE this game! You would need to print the cards out, buy clear bags and stock up on some maroon and red M&Ms.

These Maze Valentines

These may be my FAVORITE! How easy and cute are these?! You would need to purchase the heart mazes. The pack includes 72!!! Not bad! I would probably use glue dots to hold the maze onto the cardstock valentine. I have seen Glue Dots at The Dollar Tree before. I am sure Double-Sided Tape would work just fine as well.

This Cricut Maze Valentine

And each one gets better and better! Now THIS is my favorite! How cute and easy (once you learn to make one)! You need a Cricut Air 2 for this though. The link above takes you through the tutorial and shows you how to make this. I may be trying this TODAY!

LAST ONE, before I end up making 6 different valentines this year with my daughter for her classmates....

These Car Valentines

These are ADORABLE! The link above shows a version of this with a road too. That would be cute! Don't forget that The Dollar Tree sells these cars too and sometimes the colored twine to wrap them.

Well, there you have it! SEVEN of my favorite Valentine's Day Crafts! Now to choose which one we are going to actually make and pass out this year... Which one do you like best?

Best Math Apps for Upper Elementary

Apps and games are so fun for kids to use to practice math at home and/or at school. I am always being asked for apps/game recommendations from parents and friends. I checked with Common Sense Media to view reviews and ratings. So, here are my recommendations:

1. Mt. Multiplis

Age: 8+
Summary: Build math skills while building bridges in this game. Multiplication review.








2. Prodigy
Age: 6+
Summary: Become a math wizard and play games with this fantasy-themed app.








3. Mystery Math Town

Age: 7+
Summary: Fun math practice. Division, Subtraction, Multiplication and Addition. Storyline and characters.








4. Cyberchase 3D Builder

Age: 8+
Summary: Build structures out of shapes and practice geometry skills.









5. Hands-on Equations 1

   Age: 8+
Summary: Practice algebra skills by balancing equations.









6. Marble Math

Age: 9+
Summary: Move a marble through different mazes while practicing math.

Top 10 Teacher Organization Tips

New year, New goals! Check out these top 10 teacher organization tips!


10. This planner sheet from The Colorful Apple! It looks like a printable inside a sheet protector with color-coded post-its under each category. Why did I not think of this?! So simple, yet SO SMART!

9. This Google Doc by Ladybug's Teacher Files! Love this idea! Give one of these to each of your students for them to keep track of all of their usernames and passwords. This would eliminate the need to hang username and password lists all around the classroom.

                                          

8. School Supply Organization by Michelle & Hadar. Put all of your extra supplies in a shoe storage hanger from Target. Lovin the BOLD labels used here. I also like the fact that this can be INSIDE a closet too!

7. These storage containers for centers, materials or games by Mrs. Wills' Kindergarten. They are sturdy and COLORFUL! I bet they are easy for kids to store and transport around the room as well.

6.  These bins for teacher files by Teach Outside the Box. I am so over my files sticking out of my hanging file folders and my hanging file folders somehow collapsing! I may be investing in these containers TONIGHT! :)

5. Putting student name tags on with VELCRO by A-B- Seymour! This is a game changer! No more peeling tape off of name tags. If you have a behavior concern with students sitting next to each other, quickly change their name tags.

4.  TPT Center Organization by The Bender Bunch. I have seen teachers use these folders in so many different ways. Guided reading groups, book bags to take home and read, take-home science bags, Open House folders... These are going in my cart TONIGHT!

3.  Solving the Pencil Problem by Time 4 Kindergarten.  Stick some tape on your pencils and when kids need to borrow a pencil from you, they can grab one of YOUR pencils to borrow. Pencils disappear so QUICKLY!

2. This daily storage bin from Learning in Wonderland. How cool is it that there is a drawer labeled "Sub Bin"?! It is colorful, bright, and organized. Love this!

1. These FREE Parent Flip Books are so cool from Kinder Craze. They are simple, straightforward, and colorful. As a parent, I would love to put this on my fridge and refer to it throughout the year.

Hopefully you are inspired to try some of these organization tips for teachers! Comment below on your thoughts! 

Exit Slips

Today I started to implement my Exit Slips and it went SO well! The kids loved it! I always wanted a quick formative assessment to use, so this worked out perfectly. It was a quick check and the cool thing was that I didn't have to write anything on the board. I just projected the slide that corresponded with the lesson.

Then the kids got out their Exit Slip Answer Sheet.

And they wrote down the answer in the box with the lesson number we were on. So, if the slide said "2", they wrote the answer to slide 2 in box 2. You have two options for this when they finish, you could either have the kids turn in their paper and you could check it each day OR you could collect it when you finish teaching that chapter. I decided to write stars on the boxes with the correct answer. I plan on rewarding the kids when we finish. How would you reward them?