Test Prep #2--Centers!

So I set up 8 centers for my students to rotate between.  Naturally, we ran out of time so I will need to find a way to get back on schedule.  The reason why I did 8 is two-fold...one is that for certain times/days during ELA there are 3 teachers.  That leaves only 5 stations where students are independent.  Which is what I usually have during "The Superlative Six."  Plus, with 8 rotations I can have SUPER SMALL groups...like 3 kids, which is beyond awesome.  That way I know they are engaged and involved.

On to the stations...

1.) Listening  I totally forgot to take a picture of that one. Anyway, the state releases the listening passages (except last year's because now it's Top-Secret) along with the questions.  I had students take turns reading the passage out loud.  Meanwhile, they took turns recording the GAP notes on the white board.  They then answered the three short answer questions.


2.) Context Clues (with teacher)

Students went and worked on finding the meaning of words based on context clues.  By putting the sheets in laminated protectors, it gave me the chance to reuse without making a million worksheets.  Since they were working with a teacher, she could check them as they went.

3.) Review of Practice Test

yes! That top one does say just "minus one"!!!

Anyway, here students were grouped based on the questions missed to go over and review what they got incorrect.  They worked with our AIS Reading teacher so this was structured and guided!

4.) CandyVocab

You can find out how I repurposed CandyLand here.  Anyway, I used this vocab practice cards which were pretty challenging for my kiddos as the questions.  Does anyone else use this brand of cards?  It was still tricky for some of them!

5.) Mimio Game Using the Mimio (basically a device that makes your white board a SMART Board, I found a review game for Main Idea on Quia.  The kids, naturally, LOVE this station.

6.) Would You Rather...?

This is how I ended up using the "Would You Rather?" cards.  I wanted kids to work on orally restating the question, providing and answer, evidence, and then summing it all up again.  I used the poster behind it for students to guide them at first and then eventually removed it.  Kids picked a card and then decided on what they would "rather" do.

7.) Author's Purpose/Too-To-Two Folder Games   These are two games I found in blog-land.  I made them and set them up for the kids to play as review.

8.) Ants in the Pants Comprehension I made this little center:

What does it do?  You might ask....well...

My kiddos have a short reading passage and four questions.  They work independently to answer the questions.  When they go over it, they can earn one "ant" for each correct answer.  Then they can play the game by trying to flick the ants into the plastic pants.  Total hit. :)


So in short, that's how I made Test Prep Centers!  We will be doing several more of these rotations in the coming 2 weeks before Spring Break and ultimately, The Test.

Happy Weekend!

Calling all ((middle school)) + other teachers!

Hey All!
   This post has nothing to do with any of my test prep ideas (those are coming tomorrow), or school, or ELA, or my job or anything.  It has to do with what Crystal over at Kreative in Kinder has started.  As you may (or may not) know, several schools in the Kentucky/Indiana region were impacted in March by tornadoes.  She started a Google Doc of four schools that were in need...letters of encouragement, tangible donations, electronic donations...etc. I am amazed by the outpouring of support---but primarily in the lower elementary grades.  The middle school especially in Salyersville has almost no donations.  I signed up my kiddos under the 6th grade at one of the elementary schools and for the 3 science classes.  I have a few tangible donations I am going to send but was waiting to see where items were needed since they were pretty generic school supplies.  I waited.  It's been 6 days and it is still so bare bones for the middle school.  They are in need too!  I would pretty please urge all of us middle level teachers to make a donation---a simple gift or spare school supplies...even used items from our storage.  As Crystal put it, imagine all the money we have invested in our classrooms...not just physical materials but also all of the time and home-made items.  PLEASE visit the Google Docs and consider signing up.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AobCctR2p-DIdG5lNTlMZ1MxUk8tNHA2Mks4T2ctRmc#gid=1

If you think about it, the post office sells those flat rate boxes for pretty cheap.  I will probably fill a medium box for around $10 or one of the packing envelopes for around $5.  Please please please think of donating just a little something.

If you want to get your class involved, here is a great YouTube video (OK so how did teachers teach before YouTube?)  I showed my students this today before they took their quick quiz on latitude/longitude.  After the quiz they made cards.  I'll post pictures Monday!

Anyway, consider doing some spring cleaning and helping out fellow teachers! We have to stick together!  Thank you thank you all in advance!

Test Prep #1--As Promised.

First, I would love to thank Kim and MrsL and Living a Wonderful life for their comments on my previous posting.  It is essentially official---I will not be teaching 6th grade next year.  Unless New York decides to fund education...in that case I won't be holding my breath.  I need to figure out a plan for next year.  Should I relocate?  Do I stick it out?  I know it's just March but I like to plan ahead and I am mighty worried.

ANYWAY, I promised last week that I would share some of what I have been doing with my kiddos to prep for the state exam.  It began yesterday with a little of this:

WHATTTTT!?!  You may ask.  We had about 12 of these black posters with a label up around the room. n I basically took 4 of the state exams from the past and copied them on different colored paper depending on the year. I cut apart I had one of my awesome student helpers cut apart the multiple choice questions.  From there, I determined on my own the major categories, Inference, Word Meaning, Adding Information, Setting, Prediction, Text Features, Author's Purpose/Craft, Non-fiction, Interpreting a character's feeling, Poetic/Literary Elements, Main Idea...etc.  I then passed them out among the students.  The tougher questions I gave extra to my quick thinkers.  Anyway, we taped them up where we thought they should be.  I scanned through them and we fixed "ones that needed a new home."  This worked SO WELL to show my kiddos what they need to work on in order to be successful...and what is generally tested ("ohhhh so that's why we do so much with inference!-student).  I would HIGHLY recommend a similar activity for your students.  Understanding WHAT the question is ASKING is 1/2 the battle!  It was fun, interactive, and my kids loved when I said "Today I cut apart the state test" (*gasps*) "That's right, and we are going to sort the multiple choice questions and you can complete this successfully without reading one passage!" (*cheers*)  It was sweet.  Then we took a practice test for the multiple choice section.  Not their favorite, but necessary.  One of my SPED kids only missed 2 of the 26 questions---woo hoo!

Then, today we started to tackle the listening section...aka book 2.  We did a TON of modeling where the push in SPED teacher and I modeled taking good GAP notes, filling in, etc. while the other read.  We then started working on the short answers.  I introduced this:

They remembered it!  We then started in on the extended response.  We were doing such a nice job and I could tell we were getting restless.  So I made the executive decision to go outside for the last 15 minutes of the block. Good choice since here in NY we are already in the 80s....yes, the 80s...this week.  It is SO hot here!!!

Anyway, those are just some quick ideas on Test Prep...I will share more tomorrow when we start centers!!!

Much Love,