Sheila Cantonwine

Test Prep and Review

Math Review Games Your Students Will Love

by

Math Review Games Your Students Will Love.png

There are many different ways to review math for end-of-year testing. You can use worksheets, task cards, Boom cards, or games. This article focuses on math review games your students will love. Specifically, I want to talk about games that are similar to Jeopardy.

I enjoy using Jeopardy-style games because students love playing them. They usually have so much fun playing the game that they forget that they’re doing math.

They can also work in groups which takes the pressure off knowing all the correct answers. They also learn how to collaborate with their peers.

Here are some tips for choosing math review games that your students will love.

Consider Games with Editable Questions

4th Grade Math Games

All of the PowerPoint games in my TpT store feature editable questions. That means you can change any of the questions and answers to customize the difficulty of the questions. You can use some or all of the questions. It’s completely flexible.

For an extra activity, consider having your students write some of the questions themselves. They’ll love the opportunity to stump their classmates with their review questions. Plus, you’ll have multiple game versions that you can save for future years.

Make It Fun

Math Review Games Your Students Will Love

I always suggest assigning only positive points for correct answers. Subtracting points for incorrect answers prevents students from wanting to participate. Positive points also create a safe zone for students to try without the worry of answering incorrectly in front of their classmates.

Having the students work in groups also makes the game more fun. You can divide your class into four or five teams with a handful of students in each team. Assign a team leader who will answer the questions, so you don’t have many students shouting answers at you.

Be generous with the time they have for each question. Some questions require computation and will require more time than multiple choice answers.

Math Review Games Your Students Will Love

Award Fun Prizes for the Winning Team

Students tend to work a little harder when they’re excited about the winning prize. Homework passes are usually my go-to for prizes. Homework passes allow students to miss a day of homework when they’re busy with after-school activities. Students valued those homework passes.

Candy or baked goods are always desirable. Make sure you consider food allergies and sensitivities when selecting any food items. Store-bought foods with easy-to-read labels will help students who need to know the ingredients.

Use Games as Rewards

I also use games as a reward for good behavior. At the beginning of the week, I’d write the word GAME on the whiteboard. When the class was loud or had difficulties settling down, I’d quietly erase one of the letters. If they didn’t settle down after a minute or two, I’d erase a second letter. They knew they had to have all four letters in the word GAME on the board by Friday morning to play the game. That helped them settle down pretty quickly.

If they were missing letters, I’d give them back during class when they actively participated or were kind to each other. It was a great way to encourage positive behavior. Luckily I had a lot of games in my TpT store to choose from each week. My students particularly enjoyed holiday-themed games like this St. Patrick’s Day Game.

Practice for End of Year Math Testing Using Task Cards

by

Practice for End of Year Math Testing Using Task Cards

Practice for end-of-year math testing using task cards is a great way for your students to review all the math topics while having a little fun. One of the great things about task cards is that there are so many different ways that you can use them in your classroom. Use them in a scavenger hunt, with Scoot, as math centers or a game of Around the Room. You can even use them for early finishers, sub plans, morning work, or bell questions.

Task cards are also a great way for students to get up and move around the room. They can move from desk to desk with Scoot, or around the room for mather centers, scavenger hunts, or around the room. They are also wonderful for collaborative work where students can work in teams or groups.

Here are some helpful hints when choosing task cards to practice for end of year math testing:

1. Laminate the Task Cards for Practice for End of Year Math Testing Using Task Cards

Laminate your task cards so you can use them throughout the year as spiraling activities or review. You can even purchase the grade level below to assess your students at the beginning of the school year. For example, if you’re a 5th-grade teacher, purchase the 4th-grade task cards for a fun review at the beginning of the year. Laminating is also helpful for keeping the task cards in great condition for multiple years so you can use them with more than one class.

2. Use the Math Standard for Each Task Card

4th Grade Math Task Cards

This makes it super easy to review. Let’s say you have your students complete the task cards right before the exam and you notice that a lot of students missed question 11. If you look at the bottom of the task card, you can see the math standard for that question. Then you know you’ll need to review that standard before the exam.

In the same respect, if most of your students answered a question correctly, then you know you won’t need to spend as much time reviewing that particular topic at the end of the school year.

3. Task cards should cover ALL the math topics Practice for End of Year Math Testing Using Task Cards

Choose task cards that cover ALL the math topics to make sure your students are fully prepared. We sometimes have a tendency to review the topics we enjoy teaching while neglecting the ones we don’t enjoy. I definitely have some favorite math topics (fractions, equations, and integers) and some less favorite topics (probability and geometry) so it was always a challenge to review the topics I didn’t enjoy teaching in the first place.

Having task cards that have all the questions is a great way to make sure you effectively covered all the topics throughout the school year.

4. Make sure the recording sheet and answer key is provided.

6th Grade Math Task Cards

Having the answer key is a huge time saver and an absolute must-have for me. My time is precious and life is so busy so having the answer keys provided is a huge time saver for me. With task cards, it’s super easy to grade when students put their answers on a recording sheet so you can quickly grade all the task cards at once.

As an added bonus, I often used the answer keys for students to self-grade. After they would complete the task cards, I’d have them compare their answers to the answer key to see what questions they missed. This is a great way for them to learn from their mistakes.

5. Use the task cards throughout the year in multiple ways for Practice for End of Year Math Testing Using Task Cards

Use the task cards all year long as morning work, spiral review, or math centers so students don’t feel overwhelmed with ALL the questions at once. Working on all the task cards in one sitting can be overwhelming at first so breaking it up into smaller groups at a time makes it more manageable.

I like to break them up by standard. For example, one day you could review all the task cards with Measurement and Data, and the next day you could review all the task cards with Geometry. You could also have them review a set of task cards after you teach each topic throughout the year.

6. Although printable task cards are best used in the classroom, having a digital option can be helpful for absent students.

5th Grade Math Task Cards

Having both digital and printable options included is helpful for students both in-class and learning from home. All of my task cards have a digital component included so it’s easy for students to also complete the task cards on their computers if they need to.

Having a digital version is also a great way to save paper, toner, and storage containers since everything is stored online. Many state testing is moving to computers so this also gives students additional practice with test-taking.

In addition to having worksheets or practice tests, I also had my students work on their math facts throughout the year. I am a huge fan of using grill and drill in my math classes. When students know their basic math facts, it definitely makes test-taking so much easier for them.

Here are some 4th-grade math, 5th-grade math, and 6th-grade math task cards that might be helpful for your students for end-of-year review and testing.

4th Grade Math
5th Grade Math
6th Grade Math

Preparing for End of Year Math Exams with Worksheets

by

Preparing for end of year math exams can sometimes be stressful. There’s so much information that needs to be reviewed and it’s totally overwhelming for students and teachers too.

One of the ways I review math topics with my students is by using worksheets also known as practice tests. It’s the most traditional form of review or test prep and is very effective for most students.

Here are a couple of things to keep in mind when Preparing for End of Year Math Exams with Worksheets:

1. Know the Standards for Each Question

It’s always helpful if the math standard is listed on each question. That way, you can easily see what topics might need additional review before the end-of-year exam.

Preparing for End of Year Math Exams with Worksheets

2. Worksheets Should Resemble Actual Exam

Use worksheets or practice tests that most resemble the end of year testing for your students.  For example, if the test is multiple-choice, then make sure the worksheets or practice tests are also multiple-choice. This helps students practice their test-taking skills while reviewing the math topics. There is always such an emphasis on students showing their work on worksheets so it can sometimes be a challenge to find multiple-choice options.

3. Choose Resources that Cover Every Topic on the Exam

Select resources that cover ALL the math topics to make sure your students are fully prepared. We sometimes have a tendency to review the topics we enjoy teaching while neglecting the ones we don’t enjoy. I definitely have some favorite math topics (fractions, equations, and integers) and some less favorite topics (probability and geometry) so it was always a challenge to review the topics I didn’t enjoy teaching in the first place.

Preparing for End of Year Math Exams with Worksheets

4. Use the Worksheets Individually

Use the worksheets in chunks as morning work, spiral review, or math centers so students don’t feel overwhelmed with ALL the questions at once. If the worksheets cover all the math topics, students would be answering 50 or more questions. Working on all of those in one sitting can be overwhelming at first so breaking it up into one page at a time makes it more manageable.

5. Digital and Printable Included

Having both digital and printable options included is helpful for students both in-class and learning from home. Some states are even moving to online testing so having your students practice answering the questions online is super helpful in preparing them for the end-of-year exam.

6. Answer Keys are a Must

Make sure the answer key is provided.  Don’t waste your precious time having to create one. I can’t tell you how many resources I’ve used over the years that didn’t have one provided. It was such a struggle finding time to create one in the super busy days at the end of the school year. Plus, when you have an answer key, you can have your students self-grade the worksheets to learn from their mistakes.

In addition to having worksheets or practice tests, I also had my students work on their math facts throughout the year. I am a huge fan of using grill and drill in my math classes. When students know their basic math facts, it definitely makes test-taking so much easier for them.

Here are some 4th grade math, 5th grade math, and 6th grade math worksheets that might be helpful for your students for end-of-year review and testing.

4th Grade Math Test Prep and Review Worksheets
5th Grade math test prep and review worksheets
6th Grade Math Test Prep and Review Worksheets

4 Fun Ways to Test Prep and Review for 6th Grade Math

by

6th Grade Math Review while preparing for End of Year exams can be super stressful for students and teachers too.  Especially with all the craziness of the pandemic these last couple of years.

Ideally, you want to cover all the topics before the exam while making sure the students feel confident and not overwhelmed.  From the student’s perspective, you want to make the review engaging and fun.  Using the same materials over and over again can be boring for students. It can also be very stressful if they struggle with taking standardized tests. 

Trying different types of review will make test prep fun for your students. You will also gain valuable knowledge on what math topics they are confident with and what topics need to be reviewed. Here are 4 Fun Ways to Test Prep for 6th Grade Math.  

1. PLAY AN INTERACTIVE GAME FOR 6TH GRADE MATH REVIEW

6th Grade Math Review Games for Test Prep and End of Year Review

Students love playing games and these are perfect for 6th Grade Math Review. They are a fun way to review and students can also learn to collaborate and play well with other students. Digital games are particularly fun because they’re interactive.  

One example is this PowerPoint game that is played similar to Jeopardy.  Students form teams, nominate a team captain, then work through all 50 questions to review all the topics in 6thgrade math.  Each question has the common core alignment so teachers can take note of which questions might cause students to struggle.

The questions for this game are also editable which means you can use them for additional activities.  After playing the game once, many teachers assign questions to different teams, then create a totally new set of questions for a totally new game.  Students enjoy writing the questions and it’s a great way to extend the review to multiple days.

2. USE PRINTABLE TASK CARDS FOR EARLY FINISHERS, SCOOT, OR AROUND THE ROOM

6th Grade Math Task Cards for Test Prep and End of Year Review

Printable task cards are a great activity for 6th Grade Math Review. They’re interactive and students can either work individually or with a partner.  Some teachers print these at the beginning of the year then use them for early finishers throughout the school year.

Scoot and Around the Room are fun because students get to move around the classroom a little.  With scoot, you would put 1 or 2 task cards on each desk then students scoot from desk to desk to answer the questions.  Around the room is similar except you place the task cards all over your classroom.  Walls, the floor, the door, windows, all make great places to tape the task cards.  Then students have to find the card, like a scavenger hunt, before they can answer the questions.

I usually laminate the cards so they last a little longer.  Students record their answers on recording sheets and it’s really easy to grade with the answer key.  You can even have students grade their own recording sheets then go back and try the questions they missed again.

3. SELF-CORRECTING DIGITAL TASK CARDS ON BOOM LEARNING FOR 6TH GRADE MATH REVIEW

6th Grade Math Boom Cards for Review and Test Prep

I love using digital task cards because they’re interactive, self-paced, and can even track student data. These are probably the easiest for teachers to use because everything is digital which means no printing, laminating, cutting, or storing the task cards.  Plus, you can either play them in person in the classroom or as a remote learning activity which makes them really versatile.

With certain memberships on Boom Learning, you can also track student data.  This makes it super easy to see which questions are most missed by your students so you can review and reteach before the big test.

If you are new to digital task cards or want more information about how to use Boom cards in your classroom, check out this article on 6 Reasons to Use Boom Cards in Your Classroom. You can also learn how to make your own Boom cards to sell on Teachers Pay Teachers and the Boom Learning website.

4. PRINTABLE WORKSHEETS SIMILAR TO A PRACTICE TEST

6th Grade Math Worksheets for Test Prep and End of Year Review

Worksheets with multiple-choice questions are always valuable because they are most similar to the test that your students will most likely take for their end-of-year exam. Worksheets give them practice with multiple-choice questions, they cover all the topics for 6th grade math and also have the common core alignment for each question. 

I have found that this review can be intimidating for students sometimes so it might be best to break this up with a page or two per day rather than the entire set of worksheets.

If you are a 6th grade math teacher, this would also be a great pre-test for your students at the beginning of the school ear to see how much information they retained over the summer break.

SAVE WITH THE BUNDLE FOR 6TH GRADE MATH REVIEW

6th Grade Math Review and Test Prep Bundle

I hope you find all of these suggestions helpful for your math test prep in your 6th grade class.  If you are interested in using all four types of review, try the Math Test Prep Bundle for 6th Grade Math Review. 

It has a couple of weeks worth of review materials with completely different questions to keep your students engaged in the test prep season.

4 Fun Ways to Test Prep and Review for 5th Grade Math

by

4 Fun Ways to Test Prep and Review for 5th Grade Math

5th Grade Math Review while preparing for End of Year exams can be super stressful for students and teachers too.  Especially with all the craziness of the pandemic these last couple of years.

Ideally, you want to cover all the topics before the exam while making sure the students feel confident and not overwhelmed.  From the student’s perspective, you want to make the review engaging and fun.  Using the same materials over and over again is tiresome for students and can be very stressful if they struggle with taking standardized tests. 

Trying different types of review will make test prep fun for them and you’ll gain valuable knowledge on what information they are confident with and what needs to be reviewed. Here are 4 Fun Ways to Test Prep for 5th Grade Math. 

1. PLAY AN INTERACTIVE GAME FOR 5TH GRADE MATH REVIEW

5th Grade Math Games Similar to Jeopardy

Students love playing games and these are perfect for 5th Grade Math Review. They are a fun way to review and students can also learn to collaborate and play well with other students. Digital games are particularly fun because they’re interactive.  One example is this PowerPoint game that is played similar to Jeopardy.  Students form teams, nominate a team captain, then work through all 50 questions to review all the topics in 5thgrade math.  Each question has the common core alignment so teachers can take note of which questions might cause students to struggle.

The questions for this game are also editable which means you can use them for additional activities.  After playing the game once, many teachers assign questions to different teams, then create a totally new set of questions for a totally new game.  Students enjoy writing the questions and it’s a great way to extend the review to multiple days.

2. USE PRINTABLE TASK CARDS FOR EARLY FINISHERS, SCOOT, OR AROUND THE ROOM

5th Grade Math Task Cards

Printable task cards are a great activity for 5th Grade Math Review. They’re interactive and students can either work individually or with a partner.  Some teachers print these at the beginning of the year then use them for early finishers throughout the school year.

Scoot and Around the Room are fun because students get to move around the classroom a little.  With scoot, you would put 1 or 2 task cards on each desk then students scoot from desk to desk to answer the questions.  Around the room is similar except you place the task cards all over your classroom.  Walls, the floor, the door, windows, all make great places to tape the task cards.  Then students have to find the card, like a scavenger hunt, before they can answer the questions.

I usually laminate the cards so they last a little longer.  Students record their answers on recording sheets and it’s really easy to grade with the answer key.  You can even have students grade their own recording sheets then go back and try the questions they missed again.

3. SELF-CORRECTING DIGITAL TASK CARDS ON BOOM LEARNING FOR 5TH GRADE MATH REVIEW

5th Grade Math Boom Cards for Test Prep and End of Year Review

I love using digital task cards because they’re interactive, self-paced, and can even track student data. These are probably the easiest for teachers to use because everything is digital which means no printing, laminating, cutting, or storing the task cards.  Plus, you can either play them in person in the classroom or as a remote learning activity which makes them really versatile.

With certain memberships on Boom Learning, you can also track student data.  This makes it super easy to see which questions are most missed by your students so you can review and reteach before the big test.

If you are new to digital task cards or want more information about how to use Boom cards in your classroom, check out this article on 6 Reasons to Use Boom Cards in Your Classroom. You can also learn how to make your own Boom cards to sell on Teachers Pay Teachers and the Boom Learning website.

4. PRINTABLE WORKSHEETS SIMILAR TO A PRACTICE TEST

5th Grade Math Worksheets for Test Prep and End of Year Review

Worksheets with multiple-choice questions are always valuable because they are most similar to the test that your students will most likely take for their end-of-year exam. Worksheets give them practice with multiple-choice questions, they cover all the topics for 5th-grade math and also have the common core alignment for each question. 

I have found that this review can be intimidating for students sometimes so it might be best to break this up with a page or two per day rather than the entire set of worksheets.

If you are a 6th grade math teacher, this would also be a great pre-test for your students at the beginning of the school ear to see how much information they retained over the summer break.

SAVE WITH THE BUNDLE FOR 5TH GRADE MATH REVIEW

5th Grade Math Review and Test Prep Bundle

I hope you find all of these suggestions helpful for your math test prep in your 5th grade class.  If you are interested in using all four types of review, try the Math Test Prep Bundle for 5th Grade Math Review. 

It has a couple of weeks worth of review materials with completely different questions to keep your students engaged in the test prep season.

4 Fun Ways to Test Prep and Review for 4th Grade Math

by 1 Comment

4 Fun Ways to Test Prep for 4th Grade Math

Preparing for End of Year exams can be very stressful for students and teachers too.  The goal is to cover all the topics before the exam while making sure the students feel confident and not overwhelmed.  From the student’s perspective, you want to make the review engaging.  Using the same materials over and over again is tedious for students and can be very stressful if they’re not strong in taking tests.  Trying different types of review will make test prep fun for them and you’ll gain valuable knowledge on what information they are confident with and what needs to be reviewed. Here are 4 Fun Ways to Test Prep for 4th Grade Math.

1. Play an Interactive Game

4th Grade Math Games for Test Prep and End of Year Review

Students love playing games.  They are a fun way to review and students can also learn to collaborate and play well with other students. Digital games are particularly fun because they’re interactive.  One example is this PowerPoint game that is played similar to Jeopardy.  Students form teams, nominate a team captain, then work through all 50 questions to review 4th grade math.  Each question has the common core alignment so teachers can take note of which questions might cause students to struggle.

The questions for this game are also editable which means you can use it for additional activities.  After playing the game once, many teachers assign questions to different teams, then create a totally new set of questions for a totally new game.  Students enjoy writing the questions and it’s a great way to extend the review to multiple days.

2. Use Printable Task Cards for Early Finishers, Scoot, or Around the Room

Printable task cards are a great way to review for the end of year math exam.  They’re interactive and students can either work individually or with a partner.  Some teachers print these at the beginning of the year then use them for early finishers throughout the school year.

4th Grade Math Task Cards for Test Prep and End of Year Review

Scoot and Around the Room are fun because students get to move a little.  With scoot, you would put 1 or 2 task cards on each desk then students scoot from desk to desk to answer the questions.  Around the room is similar except you place the task cards all over your classroom.  Walls, the floor, the door, windows, all make great places to tape the task cards.  Then students have to find the card, like a scavenger hunt, before they can answer the questions.

I usually laminate the cards so they last a little longer.  Students record their answers on recording sheets and it’s super easy to grade with the answer key.  You can even have students grade their own recording sheets then go back and try the questions they missed again.

3. Digital Task Cards on Boom Learning

4th Grade Math Boom Cards for Test Prep and End of Year Review

I love digital task cards because they’re interactive, self-paced, and can even track student data.  These are probably the easiest for teachers to use because everything is digital which means no printing, laminating, cutting or storing the task cards.  With certain memberships on Boom Learning you can also track student data.  This makes it super easy to see which questions are most missed by your students so you can review and reteach before the big test.

If you are new to digital task cards or want more information about how to use Boom cards in your classroom, check out this article on 6 Reasons to Use Boom Cards in Your Classroom. You can also learn how to make your own Boom cards to sell on Teachers Pay Teachers and the Boom Learning website.

4. Printable Worksheets Similar to a Practice Test

4th Grade Math Worksheets for Test Prep and End of Year Review

These are always valuable because they are most similar to the test that your students will most likely take for their end of year exam.  It gives them practice with multiple choice questions, covers all the topics for 4th grade math, and also has the common core alignment for each question.  I have found that this review can be intimidating for students sometimes so it might be best to break this up with a page or two per day rather than the entire set of worksheets.

If you are a 5th grade math teacher, this would also be a great pre-test for your students at the beginning of the school ear to see how much information they retained over the summer break.

4th Grade Math Bundle for Test Prep and End of Year Review

I hope you find all of these suggestions helpful for your math test prep in your 4th grade class.  If you are interested in using all four types of review, try the Math Test prep Bundle for 4th Grade Math Review.  It has a couple weeks’ worth of review materials with completely different questions to keep your students engaged in the test prep season.