The Best Way to Gamify Test Prep with Ease

STAAR testing season is right around the corner! The best STAAR test prep strategy is high-quality instruction throughout the school year, but many teachers like to add a test prep session to their schedule for good measure! {Whatever helps, right?!} Whether you test prep throughout the school year or in the final weeks before the STAAR test, or other standards-based assessment, you can gamify your test prep materials to improve student motivation and engagement! Do your students want to learn? Are your students making the effort to learn? Are they enjoying the process and doing well? Are your students motivated to learn or are they dragging their heels? Gamifying test prep might be just what your students need, especially if you are reading this right around Spring Break?! Continuing reading to find a simple way to increase motivation and engagement during test prep!

How To Increase Motivation and Engagement During Test Prep

Test Prep Games are Good for the Brain

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The social component of working on a game in a group leads to LOADS of benefits on brain function including:

- Activate neurotransmission
- Increase brain plasticity
- Rewires
- Mitigates brain inflammation
- Mitigates deleterious effects of oxidative stress

These are just the benefits of the social components of gamifying educational content.

Adding learning games in your classroom will boost intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, engagement, and learning outcomes for learner!

With so many benefits, what are you waiting for friend?

My favorite way of gamifying the classroom is by simply adding a popular game to test prep sessions.

Want to do it too?

Here's How To Test Prep with Ease:

Collect a game or gameboard. Goodwill and Savers are the best cost-savings options. I often find games on clearance too!

Use word problems or sample test questions as the educational basis of the game. You can use questions from worksheets, released test questions, or specific game cards to practice heavily-tested standards. (In Texas, we call these the readiness standards.)

Rigorous game cards

The class can be divided into two teams. The team can work together to solve the problem.

If the team gets the problem correct, the team has a turn to play the game. Students within each team can take turns being the “player” for their team by following the game’s instructions.

If the team does not get the problem correct, they forfeit their turn. {You can also create a “Steal” option. The other team can generate a solution for an extra turn. You can give teams a couple extra chances to use through the game, three strikes, etc.}

Connect Four Shots

Are you ready to try this strategy, but need test-like questions to minimize your prep time?

I'll keep you afloat with my math test prep bundles that are just waiting for you to print. These will surely add some challenge into your math test prep sessions. They can be used during testing season or throughout the year for a spiral review. The bundles come with printable game boards OR you can add your own physical game too.

I hope this post inspires you to gamify your test prep sessions, if you need Connect Four Shots,
you can find it here.

The rigorous test prep bundles can be found in my TpT shop:

Third Grade Math Test Prep Bundle

Fourth Grade Math Test Prep Bundle

Fifth Grade Math Test Bundle

What are some other ways you have motivated and engaged your students during test prep sessions?