Testing season will soon be here, so I thought I would put together a few new ideas for getting your students motivated to take those standardized tests! Student success depends a lot on their mindset, as well as having test-taking strategies in place to support them during the testing window. Years ago, I did a whole smart cookie theme with my students before we took the SAT10 test. When The Smart Cookie book came out, I thought it would be perfect to plan out some testing motivation lessons around. I came up with five mini-lesson type activities that you can do while reading The Smart Cookie. This would be perfect to do the week prior to taking the test. The crafts will look so cute hanging during the testing window and will also serve as a reminder of how smart and well-prepared your students are for those standardized tests!
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Go ahead and order or pick up these snack pack cookies. You will give these to students on day one of your test, but you want to make sure you have them prepped. Print the tags and attach to the snack packs of cookies. I just punched a whole in the package and the tag to attach the ribbon or string.
I would read the whole story on day one. Then, throughout the week, you could just read the part of the story that pertains to that day's activity.
Go ahead and prep the anchor charts for the week. There are four anchor charts that relate to the lessons that week. (I provide instructions on how to print these as posters in the pack.) I got these super cute star sticky notes HERE. You can use them to write student responses on for the anchor charts.
On day one, you want to focus on what the students are worried about and mistakes they have made in the past, much like the cookie in the story. It's important that students know it's perfectly normal to worry, and that we can learn from our mistakes. In the story, the cookie refers to a report card, so I thought it would be a great connection for students to make their own report cards about themselves. Having discussions about their worries will help you identify what they need to work on, and give them the opportunity to get it all out in the open before addressing some strategies to help on day two.
The cookie talks about feeling lost sometimes in class. We know that students are going to face problems on the test that they do not know how to solve or questions they aren't sure how to answer. On day two, come up with some strategies to help them when this occurs. You can add those strategies to the anchor chart together.
Have them then choose three strategies from the anchor chart to record on their own paper. Afterwards, have them share with a partner the strategies chosen, which will help reinforce even more what to do when they encounter something they don't know on the test.
On day three, they will make connections to the text. The teacher asks students to create something original, so students will imagine they get to do the same. They will draw and write about what they would create.
I am all about an acrostic poem! How perfect is this one containing testing tips! You will create a poem, just like the cookie did in the story, with your class. You can either use the one I made up, or you can create your own.
The poem gives students tips to help them while taking their test. You can have them transfer the poem to their own papers. There is a blank one and a traceable one included, which is perfect for differentiation. They will also make these Smart Cookie crafts to attach to their poems. How cute will these look on your hallway bulletin boards?!?!
Finally on day five, it's time to showcase the different ways in which your students are smart. Everyone is different, and those differences should be celebrated!
Brainstorm different ways in which you can be smart. Add those to the anchor chart. They will use these ideas to help them when they create the next craft.
Students will create this cookie jar craft, containing five different cookies. Have them write five ways or areas that they are smart. These crafts would be perfect to hang in your classroom for extra motivation during the test!
Don't forget to leave these on students desks on day one of the test. I like to put them out the day before so they're a surprise when they come in the next morning. I have also had families write them a letter of motivation to leave there with the snack.
You can find these activities by clicking HERE or on any of the photos. I hope they help motivate your students to do well on their upcoming tests!
