✨ YOU'RE IN! ✨
This isn’t just a collection of resources—it’s a way for you to motivate, engage, and prepare your students for test day.
Motivation
Motivation is the foundation for test prep season. It doesn’t matter how prepared students are or how well they know the material—if they’re not motivated, they won’t put in the effort when it counts. Test prep can be hard, and for some students, it can feel especially overwhelming. Without motivation, we’re not setting them up for success.
From experience, I know how easy it is to put pressure on students instead of encouraging them. But I’ve seen what happens when we help students build confidence instead—when we show them this is their opportunity to shine and to show what they know, not to be perfect. Some students might not hit the highest scores, but they’ve still learned so much, and this is their chance to demonstrate it. That’s what motivation is about: helping students see the test as a reflection of their growth.
Resources to Motivate:
Rock the Test Motivational Printables and Posters:
Build students’ confidence with goal-setting sheets, testing mantras, and posters that remind them this is all about showing what they know.
Motivational Story and Reflection:
Share a story that helps students connect to the value of their hard work, encouraging them to find their own reasons to put in the effort.
Math Coloring Printables:
These math coloring activities keep the environment light, reminding students that they’re capable and ready.
Motivational Coloring Sheets:
These relaxed coloring sheets reduce stress and encourage students.
When students feel motivated, they’re willing to give their best effort. Starting with motivation lays the groundwork for everything else.
Engagement
Engagement is just as essential as motivation. Even when students feel motivated, we need to keep them actively involved during review time to make the most of each session. Engagement doesn’t mean creating something elaborate or totally new. It means using what we know works, keeping things fresh, and adding a bit of excitement to keep them interested.
Engagement isn’t about overhauling your routine—it’s about knowing what works for your students. That could mean adding in a few games, more collaboration, or maybe just changing the pace a little. You don’t have to do everything you see online; it’s all about finding the kind of engagement that clicks with your classroom. Maybe that’s digital work that gives immediate feedback, or maybe it’s centers and movement. Trust your instincts, and lean into what you know gets them involved.
Resources to Engage:
Reading Vocabulary Dominoes:
A hands-on game that gets students actively matching terms and definitions, perfect for small groups or centers.
Reading Game with Text-Dependent Questions:
Turn review into a game that reinforces core reading skills without burnout.
Math Vocabulary Bump Games:
A fun twist on vocabulary review that brings in some friendly competition, keeping students focused and engaged through repeated practice.
Egg Hunt Test Prep:
Make test prep fun and engaging when you put your questions in plastic eggs and have students "hunt" and solve them!
Engagement is the spark that keeps students present, interested, and invested in the process.
Preparation
Preparation brings it all together. The most important thing I want you to know about preparation is that your students are already prepared. Everything you’ve done with them this year has built up their skills. Now, test prep season is just about refreshing those skills, not stressing them out with last-minute pressure. It’s about showing them that they’re ready, helping them feel familiar with the test format, and giving them strategies that make a difference.
Preparation isn’t cramming; it’s making sure students are comfortable and confident with what they already know. This means practicing test-taking as a genre, guiding them through strategies for reading passages and understanding questions, and showing them how to approach different question types. Preparation also means reviewing skills from the year, giving them a chance to see how much they’ve learned.
Resources to Prepare:
Types of Math Questions Practice:
Introduce each question type in math, so students know exactly what to expect.
Types of Reading Questions Practice:
Cover the common reading question formats, giving students tips so they feel comfortable tackling each one.
Rock the Test Math Word Problems:
Targeted practice with skills they’ll need, reinforcing concepts from the year in real-world contexts.
Writing Prompt Analysis:
Help students analyze writing prompts so they feel clear and comfortable with any task.
Reading Test Prep Helpers:
Provide definitions and examples of fiction and informational reading skills to help students review.
Test Taking Strategies:
Give students strategies for taking tests to build confidence and help them show what they know.
Work the Text:
Use one of my go-to reading test prep strategies that helps keep students engaged while reading lengthy texts and supports their comprehension.
5th Grade Math Vocabulary Task Cards:
Review key 5th grade math vocabulary words with these printable and digital task cards.Â
4th Grade Math Vocabulary Task Cards:
Review key 4th grade math vocabulary words with these printable and digital task cards.Â
Preparation is what turns anxiety into confidence. When students feel familiar with what they’ll see, they approach the test with calm and readiness.
Members Only
If you are a member of All-Access Math or All-Access Reading, you also have instant access to all of my test prep resources! Be sure you are signed in for the links below to work.
All-Access Math Test Prep Resources
- 4th Grade Spiral Review
- 5th Grade Spiral Review
- 4th Grade Rock the Test Math Centers
- 5th Grade Rock the Test Math Centers
- 4th Grade Rock the Test Booklet
- 5th Grade Rock the Test Booklet
- 4th Grade Test Prep Task Cards
- 5th Grade Test Prep Task Cards
- 4th Grade Multiple Selection Questions (3 sets)
- 5th Grade Multiple Selection Questions (3 sets)Â
- 5th Grade Test Prep Helpers (10 sets organized by skill)Â
All-Access Reading Test Prep Resources
- Reading Benchmark Assessment
- Daily Skill Review (Fiction and Nonfiction)
- 4th Grade Review
- 5th Grade Review
- Test Prep Quick Lessons (Fiction and Nonfiction)
- 5th Grade Test Prep with Long Passages (Fiction and Nonfiction)
- Test Prep Reading Games
- Multiple-Choice Task Cards (Fiction and Nonfiction)
- Two Truths and a Lie Task Cards (Fiction and Nonfiction)
- Test Prep Roll and Answer (Fiction and Nonfiction)
- Multi-Part Reading Questions Centers
- Reading Vocabulary Bingo
- Survivor-Themed Test Prep
- RACE Strategy Practice
- RACE Strategy Booklet
- Restate the Question Bingo
- Restate the Question Task Cards (3 sets)
- Restate the Question Practice with Texts
- Text Evidence Practice (6 activities)
- Text Evidence of the Day
- Constructed Response Practice with Passages (Fiction, Nonfiction, and Paired)
- Themed Test Prep (8 themes)
Not a member of All-Access Memberships yet? Click here to learn more!
Bringing It All Together
Motivation, Engagement, and Preparation aren’t separate—they work together to create a test prep experience that feels manageable and purposeful. Motivation sets the foundation, giving students a reason to show up and try. Engagement keeps them connected, turning learning into something they’re actively part of. Preparation builds on that, making sure they’re truly ready and familiar with what they’ll face.
Rock Your Test Prep Season was created to help you approach test prep with confidence and support, knowing you’re building a positive experience for yourself and your students. Let’s make this season one they’ll remember for all the right reasons: because they felt motivated, stayed engaged, and walked into test day prepared.
