A Surprising (and Simple) Way to Support Standardized Test Takers
Limited space and logistical issues mean many students are taking standardized tests in their own classrooms. Your state or testing agency will provide a list of what’s not permitted in the classroom, but some tools and templates ARE allowed, including some that remind students about the strategies, rules, and templates they can employ to think through various test questions.
Adding the best-sellers below to your classroom whiteboard, and getting students accustomed to using them before test time, is a great way to boost their confidence – and test scores.
Prep your students and your space with:
1. Fist to Five Check Magnets
Ensure that your students have mastered key testing concepts BEFORE the test, with the Fist to Five Check Magnets! Simply place these bright, colorful, easy-to-read magnet strips on your whiteboard and review what each one means with your class. At any time during your lessons, call out “Fist to Five Check!” and have students raise their hands to quickly assess their comprehension. Grades 1+. MSRP $8.99.
2. Magnetic Demonstration 0-120 Chart
Keep a hundred chart on your board year round – including during test time – with this oversized, boldly-colored magnetic chart that helps students visualize counting, operations, and pattern identification. Use the included frames to call attention to numbers and number patterns and the cover up squares for quizzing students about what number is underneath during regular class time, too. Grades 1+. MSRP $49.99.
3. Magnetic Demonstration Number Line
Featuring numbers -10 to 120 in easy-to-use, magnetic segments, this jumbo, bright yellow number line is the perfect reference for quick counting and operations problems, including basic calculations with negative numbers -1 through -10. Grades K+. MSRP $24.99.
4. Ten Frame Magnet Set
Demonstrate base ten and operation concepts on your classroom whiteboard with this oversized set of sturdy, magnetic, dry-erasable 10 frames. Then leave the empty frames up, with the magnetic counters next to them, as a visual reminder for students that they can draw and use the same template to work through test questions. Set includes two demo frames, four student frames; and 60 magnetic, two-color counters. Grades K+. MSRP $24.99.
5. Giant Magnetic Calendar Set
Calendar math skills are often tested in grades 3-5, requiring students to demonstrate an understanding of days of the week, months of the year, and to calculate the number of days between two dates, patterns related to dates, and more. With 94 magnetic pieces, including days, dates, months, years, seasons, holidays, and weather words and symbols, this big visual calendar template can help students see and create the formulas they need to perform these calculations. Grades PreK+. MSRP $34.99.
Your state or testing agency will provide information regarding compliant classroom décor for testing as well as notes about removing or covering specific vocabulary words, formulas, or other information, so be sure to comply with their requirements.
A note for next year: removing and replacing these helpful classroom tools – before and after testing – is much easier when they’re magnetic!
Tags: big magnetic math manipulatives , big math manipulatives , demonstration math magnets , giant magnetic math manipulatives , math demonstration tools , math magnets , Standardized Tests
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