Standardized Test Stress!

It's Thursday, and I am spending my second morning in a row
with a class full of fifth graders.  

Why, you ask?

It's standardized testing time!!!

I've been an elementary school teacher for almost two decades.  I started teaching around the time that kids were only required to take the occasional IQ or achievement test maybe once or twice during their K-5 careers.  Now in 2013, the students are being tested every single year, multiple times per year- even my Kindergartners.
Let's just say that I am not a fan...

This blog post from Love Teach Blog made me cackle (internally of course because if you make a peep, it's a testing irregularity, and the world stops turning)...  I realized that I'm not the only one who feels sorry for teachers and their students, and truly disagrees with the way that our educational system stresses this one-size-doesn't-fit-all, mind-numbing form of data collection.

Anywho... on a more positive note- If you are reading this you are probably a teacher or a parent who is looking for ways to help your children feel positive about testing and "showing what they know."  Here is a cute freebie that will be sure to get your kiddos prepared for their upcoming tests.  Many struggling readers have difficulty with testing of any kind.  Standardized tests often use vocabulary that kids are not familiar with.  Imagine how hard it would be to do your best if you weren't even sure what the directions were!  This game, created by Angelia Grimes-Graeme at Extra Special Teaching is a fun way to review "testing words" that they may see in the future.  

I hope it is helpful in your class's preparation for testing day.

Peace out from your friendly test proctor!!