Math Test Prep that Doesn't Totally Suck
Oh testing season, how I loathe thee.
But this isn’t a blog post about how much I hate testing time (there’s only so much room on a blog). Instead this is how to navigate the reality that is mandated math testing.
All year we work on making classrooms where students are doing math, or we should. Math, the skills, not math the content. Then the sneaky pressure of testing sneaks up and it feels as though we have to flip everything on its head. Math tests are notoriously closed, usually multiple choice. This means that students can pass just by knowing how to work a test (ask me how I passed an algebra 2 end-of-year test when my teacher slept every day). This is proven by how we do traditional test prep. We spend most of the time teaching test strategies, not math strategies. Ultimately, your students can might be down to the fate of if they know how to test…or not.
But there is a beautiful reality here too. If students can do math (the skill, not the content), they can answer math questions. That is, if they don’t have text anxiety or the myriad of other things that could make tests frustrating for them (that’s another post). This is because the skills of math are actually helpful testing skills. Problem solving, reasoning, representing, logic, etc. It’s also because if students conceptually understand concepts to the point that they can do them…they can answer a multiple choice question. For example, if a student can represent a shape with an area of 24, they can find the shape with the area 24 on a test. If students can create a math pattern and explain it, they can explain the pattern made on the test.
See? You don’t need to make the rows and print the packets, isolating your kids for the month of March so they can do the test. You can do test prep in a way that is like our classrooms should be all year: open-ended and personalized.
The first step is actually really easy. You can even use the test prep resources you already have! All you need to do is use the mathematical practices of a quality math teacher and take closed tasks and turn them open. Let me show you some examples.
One of the easiest ways to get kids practicing a concept (and not the steps they saw you do one time) is to take the numbers right out. This is not so students can pay attention to keywords (that don’t actually always work and hinder true understanding) but so students can use problem-solving skills to understand what the problem is asking. Then, they can put numbers in that they are comfortable with. After all, it’s less about what they can do with isolated numbers (or else we would just give them a straight computational test) and more about how they can solve problems in context.
This numberless strategy doesn’t just work with word problems in the algebraic thinking strand, though. You can help students do this with computation in base ten.
“I added 3 numbers and ended up with 837. What numbers did I use?”
”My number rounds to 360. What is my number?
It translates well to number and operation standards too.
Let’s take a look at how this can look in each strand of math for third grade.
Operations & Algebraic Thinking
Create a pattern that follows an addition rule.
Meals cost between 5 and 9 dollars at Maria’s work. She spends 45 dollars a week. How many meals does she buy?
Maggie bought 56 straws. Her family used some each day until they ran out. How many could they have used each day?
Jimmy and Kara are going on a trip. They will drive 568 miles. How could they split their trip up into multiple days?
Numbers & Operations: Base Ten
Write 3 numbers that would round to 2,000.
Write 3 other expressions that are the same as 30 x 5.
I estimated a sum and got 325. What 2 numbers could I have used?
Numbers & Operations: Fractions
The school passed out candy bars. Each person ate a different fraction of their candy bar. Which person ate the most of the candy bar?
What two fractions make 1/2 ?
Make P in 3 different ways.
Measurement & Data
Draw 2 shapes that each have an area of 32 square inches. Label the sides.
Baby Ryan weight 7 pounds when he was born. Here is his weight in pounds each month (graph). Write a true math statement about Ryan’s weight.
The perimeter of Tia’s yard is 48 inches. How wide is her yard?
Geometry
Dirk drew a shape, The shape has exactly 4 angles that are not all the same. draw his shape.
Mandy drew a quadrilateral that is a rhombus but not a square. What could she have drawn?
All I did to make these tasks was look at test prep that was already out there and either take some numbers out or turn the whole thing around. Anything that gets the kids creating, making, doing, building, or solving is instantly deeper. And if students can do these tasks, they can answer the closed questions.
So next time you have a chance, look through your materials and see how you can help your students continue to do math..all the way to test day.
It’s not uncommon for students to have anxiety about testing. And let’s give them a little credit…they usually know what the struggle with or are worried about. So why have all students do the same test prep? I have used this board for the past 2 testing seasons and it works magic.
I put all the concepts students have been working on all year and they must put 3 sticky notes up in the areas they feel they need help with (they may put more than 3…even all). Then instead of our traditional math groups I pull kids by concept area. Some groups are small (like one kid) and some are large…but they are all there for what they feel they need the most help with. It’s also a cool snapshot to see the areas your whole class feel more confident with or are struggling with. This is a general good practice in your teaching to guide your planning.
Once students are in their targeted group, we start working on those open tasks we created from step one. Students are collaborating, thinking, representing, solving, and engaged in the process.
So let’s make it our mission this year. If we have to give the tests, we refuse to stop best practices because of it. There is hope for test prep that doesn’t suck!
But if you lack the resources or time to one up your test prep, you’re in luck because I am the nerd who loves doing this. You can click below to get some test prep already opened up for you.
