Test Prep Activities for Third Grade
Quizzes and tests are inevitable when it comes to teaching. And as teachers, we need to help our students prep for tests and be ready to show what they know. It’s not enough to give study guides and do practice tests. But what can we do? Take a peek at some of my favorite quiz and test prep activities in my third-grade classroom, and let me know if you have some new ideas to add.
I think all of us have had that moment sitting in front of our computer, Google ope, trying to search out how to engage our students in lesson reviews before a test. I’ve been in that place multiple times. Over the years, I’ve discovered some fun and engaging ways to review for any test. Here are my favorites:
play ‘stump the panel’ as test prep review
This is a game where all students come up with a set of quiz questions. Several students are chosen to be on a panel and they sit in a row of chairs at the front of the class. The remaining students are in the audience and they are responsible for asking questions of the panel. If one of the panel students does not answer a question correctly, they will take a seat in the audience and be replaced by the student who asked the question. Learn more here!
review for a test with kahoot
This is a website based game. I love creating purposeful review activities and this website is a fantastic tool. On Kahoot, teachers are able to program in questions that they would like the students to answer. I have my students bring in their devices (or you can use school devices). Then I group my students together and give them the access information for the website. On their devices, they can pick their answers to the review questions and see a growing graph of what answers other students picked. This also provides a quick check for me, so I can see who might need some extra review.
Photo from getkahoot.com
preparing for a test with flashcards
This is an oldie, but a goodie. Students really do need to be taught to create flashcards or study notes. It’s an essential skill that they will use throughout all their education. However, flashcards do not need to be stagnant. I once had a parent tell me that she inserted “Gummy Worm” cards throughout the flashcard deck. As she quizzed her daughter on sight words, the “Gummy Worm” card would come up every once in awhile. She would then give her daughter a gummy worm. Her daughter LOVES doing sight word flashcards now.
take part in a ‘quiz takeover’ activity
Students often like to put on their teacher hats. Give students an opportunity to “think like a teacher” and predict the quiz questions. Then, have them write a few quiz questions for their peers and coach their peers through the answers.
This ‘Quiz Takeover’ game is available for FREE in my TPT store. It’s a great print-and-go way to review for any quiz or test, in almost any subject! It’s the perfect way to have your students think critically about the subject matter.
FREE Quiz Takeover Game
A quick test prep activity where the STUDENTS create potential questions for an upcoming quiz and challenge their peers to solve them!
use Charades or Drama to review
I like doing charades or dramas because it lets students interact with each other and move around. Another bonus is these movement games take virtually no preparation! To play charades, throw a bunch of the unit vocabulary words into a hat and have students act out the words without saying anything. Alternatively, you can have students create a short drama to enforce vocabulary terms. For example, if you were learning about the lifecycle of a plant, students could pretend they are a plant growing through the stages of seed, germination, seedling, young plant, and mature plant. While this might make some students uncomfortable, it will definitely give your kinesthetic learners a chance to shine.
I’m always looking to expand my repertoire of review games and activities. Have you discovered any that work well for you?
