by Maureen McCaffery, Community Engagement Manager, TenMarks, with help from TenMarks Teachers:
It’s hard to avoid thinking about end-of-year testing this time of year. We don’t want to teach to the test, but our students need review to fill gaps and feel confident. With purposeful planning and engaging activities, teachers can refresh students’ understanding while building confidence and motivation.
We asked TenMarks Teachers how they are reviewing math concepts with their students this year. Here are 5 activities that will keep students engaged during review:
1. Math Scavenger Hunts
"I plan math scavenger hunt “survivor style." Students have task cards that they work to complete and acquire points. They work with different partners on different days and then they can see their individual points by the end of the week. They can't move on to the next task card until the previous one has been checked by me. This is a highly motivating and engaging activity. It helps them to find and fix errors as they occur and learn from their mistakes." – Kelly King, grade 5, Brodnicki Elementary School, Justice, IL
2. Keep Score
To prepare for testing, I allow my students a lot time for partner work. Students read passages individually and then compare their answers with a partner. Students are paired with partners that I know are able to provide insight into areas for the other to grow. After partners work together, we discuss answers as a whole group, demonstrating the many different strategies used. We turn it into a game by keeping score tracking which partners are working well together. – Jamie Dyas, grade 5, Bridges Preparatory School, Beaufort, SC
3. Make Mistakes…on Purpose
"During small group review, I project a question for the group and we start working through the problems together, letting the students take the reins. We talk about the important information in the problem. We practice setting up the problem on a separate sheet of paper to show our work. I follow their lead -- I actually want them to steer me in the wrong direction sometimes so that we can learn from mistakes in the moment and apply this learning going forward. It is a fun game for them to try and catch where we went wrong." – Katie Kayastha, Middle School Math Interventionist, Hauser Junior High School, Riverside, IL
4. Jeopardy!
"I make up answers to questions. I group them into categories at the top of a white board. I place four to five answers beneath the category and then I cover the answers with paper, listing a prize associated with the question. For example: Students may say, “I’ll take fractions for two pencils.” I read the answer after I lift up the paper. I give all students a chance to work the problem and find the correct question. Grades rose 25% to 30% after I started reviewing this way. It is fun and competitive. So, the kids are engaged and focused." – Valerie Clarkson, grades K-12, Manchester Community Schools, North Manchester, IN
5. Compete to Complete Personalized Assignments
TenMarks Math Assignments provide students the practice they need while having fun and gaining confidence. The TenMarks Math Madness contest is under way, a great way to get your students motivated to practice and review math.
“I take advantage of the Math Madness competition to provide my students with review of past math concepts. I assign them 20 questions per strand for grade 5. The idea of competing against other schools fuels their motivation. I can't believe how many math problems they complete each week!” Jennifer Misko, grade 5, James Madison Intermediate Elementary School, Edison, NJ
“Review, Review, Review. TenMarks Math is a wonderful tool to help my students build confidence over the topics we have previously covered. They love that they can check math skills privately and get the remediation and differentiation they require on their own.” Christy Shepherd, grade 4, Northeast Elementary School, Cookeville, TN
There’s still time to get started with TenMarks Math Madness to provide your students with the personalized practice they need to review math concepts.
How are you reviewing math concepts in your classroom? Share with us in our teacher communities on Facebook and Twitter. Good luck to you and your students these last couple of weeks before summer!
