As state testing season approaches, one of the most powerful (and often overlooked) skills we can sharpen is students’ ability to closely read the questions — not just the passages. On upper elementary ELA state tests, many incorrect answers don’t come from a lack of comprehension. They come from misreading task words like analyze, compare, infer, best supports, most likely, or missing small but critical details such as “Part A” vs. “Part B” or “Select two answers.” 

Research on assessment literacy consistently shows that students who understand question structure and academic vocabulary perform significantly better — even when reading ability is similar. Here are three practical, high-impact strategies you can use next week:  

1️⃣ The “Circle–Underline–Box” Routine (3 Minutes, Daily Practice)Before students answer a question, train them to: Circle key task words (analyze, explain, describe, summarize, infer). Underline exactly what they are being asked to find (character trait, theme, text evidence, main idea, etc.). Box constraints (two details, best answer, paragraph 3, Part B). Model this under a document camera using released-style questions. Think aloud: “The word best tells me more than one answer might seem right. I need the strongest evidence.” Have students practice with just 2–3 questions a day — no full test required. The goal is building automaticity with academic language.  

2️⃣ Build a “Testing Vocabulary Wall” (Interactive + Active Use)Instead of a static word wall, create a living testing vocabulary chart with: Word Student-friendly definition What the student must DO when they see that word A quick example For example:Infer → “Use clues + what I already know” → I must look for hints, not direct statements. Have students: Sort question stems by skill (theme, character change, text structure). Rewrite a question using synonyms (“Which detail best supports…” → “Which detail proves…”). Create mini-quiz questions for a partner using assigned vocabulary words. This repeated exposure builds cognitive flexibility and reduces anxiety when formal test language appears. 

3️⃣ Error Analysis Fridays (Metacognition in Action)Once a week, project one question with common wrong-answer traps.Instead of asking “What’s the right answer?” ask: Why might someone choose B? What word in the question makes C incorrect? Which part of the question did we need to pay closer attention to? Have students annotate why distractors are wrong. This builds test-wise thinking and strengthens comprehension simultaneously. You’ll start hearing students say things like: “Ohhhh, it says MOST LIKELY, not ALWAYS.” That awareness is gold.  

Close reading of test questions is not test prep fluff — it’s executive functioning, vocabulary precision, and metacognitive reading all rolled into one. And the best part? These strategies strengthen everyday comprehension, not just test performance.

Check out some resources that are aligned to provide practice for these exact skills!

        CLICK!                                      CLICK!                          CLICK!

   

Thank you for joining me to improve your test prep with these proven strategies!

:) Jen   (JB Creations)

Last spring, one of my fourth graders stared at the writing prompt for what felt like forever. He finally whispered, “I don’t even know how to start.” 

 It wasn’t that he couldn’t write — he just didn’t feel confident about what the test wanted from him. And honestly? I see this every year in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classrooms. Writing isn’t usually the problem — clarity and structure are. 

Here are three extremely practical ways to build writing confidence before state testing: 

🎯 1. Teach students to analyze the prompt like detectives. Instead of saying “read the prompt carefully,” model exactly how to break it apart.   Have students: 

     -Underline key words (explain, compare, describe, support, two reasons) 

     -Circle vocabulary they need to understand 

     -Box how many parts the response requires 

Then practice restating the prompt out loud and in writing: “If the prompt asks ___, I need to ___.” This alone dramatically improves focus and completeness. • 

🎯2. Create one consistent essay organizer everyone uses. Confidence comes from familiarity. Design a simple organizer students use every time — something that includes: 

       -Introduction (restated prompt + main idea) 

       -Body Paragraph 1 (reason/evidence + explanation) 

       -Body Paragraph 2 (reason/evidence + explanation) 

       -Conclusion (wrap up + restate thinking) 

When students know exactly where their ideas go, they stop panicking and start writing. The goal is automatic structure — not reinventing the wheel for every prompt. 

🎯 3. Practice “power phrases” that pull writing together. Many students struggle with transitions and formal tone. Teach and practice specific phrases they can rely on: 

       -To begin with

       -Another important reason

       -There are many examples that show

       -For instance

       -In conclusion

Post them. Chant them. Practice inserting them into responses. The more automatic these phrases become, the more polished and organized their essays feel — especially under testing pressure. Writing confidence doesn’t come from more worksheets. It comes from clarity, structure, and repetition of strong habits.

Here are a few tried & true resources that have been helpful when learning to write essays effectively!  

              
         PROMPT PRACTICE!            WRITING BUNDLE!           BUILD AN ESSAY!

You’ve got this — and so do your students.

Talk soon,  

Jennifer

“A bottle of red, a bottle of white…..” Okay, so it wasn’t exxxxaaaactly like Billy Joel’s Scenes from an Italian Restaurant song. But it was still one of those really magical days in my classroom! I always do a unit on genre at the beginning of the year. I love books and reading and have always enjoyed sharing that love with my students. But, I’ve got to admit that it’s gotten harder and harder to accomplish this. Over more recent years, I’ve sadly watched as my gently worn books get replaced by audio books and the other distractions in my young students’ lives greatly outweigh the pull of a good story. So, I decided to make reading fun again! I transformed my room into a “Book Genre Café” for an hour in the morning and then again in the afternoon. Tablecloths, soft music, and candle (electric) lit tables beckoned students to enter and wonder. Boxes of carefully selected books along with a book-rating menu greeted students at each table as their waiters (teachers, aides, even our school treasurer!) wondered from group to group, sharing some dramatic reading from the back covers of new genres.

The hour seemed to fly by. It was one of those special times when true engagement was occurring. Students were looking at books from unfamiliar genres with eager eyes, frantically writing down titles of those interesting-sounding books that they wanted to read on their “must read” bookmarks. As they moved from science fiction to fantasy to historical fiction, my students were immersed in sampling the best literature I could find. As the students went to recess, my teaching partner and I exchanged tired but genuine smiles as we quickly cleaned up our café. It had been a good day!

TEXT STRUCTURE: The very title of this topic can make the most seasoned teacher cringe a little. I’m not sure what it is exactly about this topic that makes so many teachers-present company included-shudder just a little, but it does every year!

Maybe it has to do with the fact that it’s like 5 mini topics that the students have to be aware of in order to distinguish between them? Perhaps it has to do with the fact that it’s another one of those more “inferred” skills that is often hidden in complex text? Or maybe that there’s often more than one structure imbedded in a story? Nevertheless, it remains a pretty big standard in upper elementary that must be covered. 

In order to tackle this challenging topic, I decided to take all of my material and organize it into a 3 week period of time using the “I do, We do, You do” model of instruction. 

The "I do, We do, You do" instructional model is a teaching approach that follows a structured progression of learning activities. In the "I do" phase, the teacher demonstrates a new concept or skill, providing a clear example for students to observe. This is followed by the "We do" phase, where students participate in guided practice with the teacher, receiving support and feedback as they apply the newly introduced information. Finally, in the "You do" phase, students independently practice and apply the knowledge or skills they have acquired. This model aims to gradually shift responsibility from the teacher to the students, fostering a progressive and interactive learning experience.

Week 1: (I do) 

1. I introduce the idea of text structure through a Khan Academy video. Link HERE! 
2. I spend each day this week going over a specific structure focusing on key words, purpose, and  examples as a whole group. There are some great flip books available on TPT that provide great background information on each structure and can provide a great point of reference moving forward.

Week 2: (we do)

After students have a good grasp of each text structure, it’s time to start identifying them within actual texts. We accomplish this through repeated practice in the following ways: 

•         Text Structure Jeopardy
•         Text Structure 4 Corners Game
•         Text Structure Match it game 

Week 3: (you do) 

1. By this week, we want to assess, both informally and formally, how students are progressing. To get an individual measure on each student’s progress, we have them complete the following independently:  *Text Structure task cards (digital or paper/pencil)
2. After looking at their scores, I continue to either extend their learning through following:             *Text Structure BOOM Cards set or pull back individual small groups to re-do some of the “practice” activities found in week 
3. Finally, we have them take a final assessment.  (Digital or paper/pencil)

I hope this gives you some ideas about how to go about structuring your text structure unit! (see what I did there??) As always, please don't hesitate to contact me if you have further questions or comments regarding this topic or anything in general!

:) Jennifer

Cleaning up your DIGITAL classroom!

Although cleaning is not my favorite task, I LOVE the accomplished feeling I get when I really tackle a big project. It may be easier to see if that takes place in an actual physical space, but in today's world, cleaning up your digital life can be just as rewarding! 

Cleaning up and organizing Google Drive for teachers is essential for efficient file management and easy access to resources. I recently spent some time this summer working on this in order to start the year on a fresh page! Here are ten top tips I've gathered to help you achieve this: 

1) Delete Unnecessary Files: Begin by removing any outdated or irrelevant files that you no longer need. This will free up space and reduce clutter. I was surprised at how many things I had saved that I would never use again!

2) Use Google's Search and Filter Options: Google Drive has powerful search and filter options that allow you to quickly locate files. Utilize keywords, file types, or dates to find what you need easily. 

3) Create Folders with a Clear Hierarchy: Establish a folder structure that makes sense for your needs. Consider creating folders for each subject, grade level, or project, and subfolders for specific topics or units. I like to get as specific as possible with this!

4) Use Descriptive Folder Names: Give your folders meaningful names to ensure you can identify their content at a glance. Avoid vague names like "Miscellaneous" or "Random." 

5) Color-Code Folders: Google Drive allows you to assign colors to folders. Use this feature to visually distinguish different subjects or prioritize folders based on importance. This is probably my favorite feature! Just because I love using color in my own life to organize!

6)  Utilize the "Star" and "Priority" Features: Star important files and folders or mark them as "Priority" to access them quickly from the left-hand sidebar. 

7) Keep a "To-Be-Filed" Folder: This is another game changing tip! Sometimes, you may be in a hurry and not able to place a file in its proper folder immediately. Maintain a "To-Be-Filed" folder as a temporary holding place, and make time to sort these files later.  The important thing is to remember to go back!

8) Use Add-ons and Extensions: Explore Google Workspace Marketplace for add-ons and extensions that can help you automate tasks, improve organization, and streamline workflows. I need to do this next! 

9) Collaborate and Share Wisely: Encourage colleagues to organize their Drive effectively and establish shared folders for collaborative projects. Set clear permissions to avoid accidental changes or deletions.

10)  Regular Maintenance: Cleaning up Google Drive should be an ongoing process. Schedule regular clean-up sessions to remove outdated files, archive completed projects, and ensure your folder structure remains organized. 

Bonus Tip: Consider using tools like Google Classroom to manage assignments, class materials, and communication with students. Google Classroom integrates with Google Drive, making file organization more seamless. By following these tips, you can keep your Google Drive clutter-free, well-organized, and optimize your workflow as a teacher.

I'd love to hear from you!  What are your favorite tips when organizing your digital teacher life? Please share!

Happy Teaching!

:) Jen

 Have you ever felt like there just isn’t enough time to teach everything that

needs to be covered? When I first began teaching 4th grade Social Studies and

Language Arts, I was definitely overwhelmed with this feeling! I felt like I was

constantly leaving something out and just struggled with how to do a better job

at balancing all of the content. 

It was about that time that my teaching partner 

and I stumbled upon the concept of integration. We were “in between” series in

Language Arts and decided to try teaching all of our standards through the use

of novels. As we carefully selected our first one to try, we were both shocked

at how effortlessly so many language arts standards could be introduced,

reviewed, or practiced in just one chapter of a good, old fashioned novel

written on an upper elementary reading level! 

We decided to take it one step further and choose a book that would also cover 

our social studies standards.  After analyzing several recommended books, we 

decided to go with Frindle by Andrew Clements. This novel clearly had a 

great economics connection and we felt confident that we could engage our 

students through this story in order to help them understand the economic 

standards. Wow! We had no idea how effective this method of teaching 

would be! The kids LOVED reading the story about Nick and his friends 

inventing a new word. They understood concepts like supply and demand, 

entrepreneurship, patents, opportunity costs, needs vs wants, and so many 

others as real life examples literally were right in front of them on the 

pages of this wonderful story! 

In addition, we were also able to introduce our language arts

standards of character traits and actions, perspective and point of view, and

making inferences. To top that off, our grammar and vocabulary lessons were all

based on words pulled from the book to make it more meaningful and connected

for the students. We spent about 5 weeks on that initial integrated unit of study,

and we’ve never looked back! 

Every unit we teach now surrounds a chunk of our

social studies standards and is supported by the language arts skills that we

need to cover. Today, the amount of skills we can cover in 90 minutes

incredible. And, it’s all so connected for the kids! Here is a list of 4th grade

novels and topics we cover and connect through this integrated model of

teaching:

  Frindle by Andrew Clements:  Economics 

  Who was Magellan by Sydelle Kramer:  New World Exploration

  Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth G Speare:  Native Americans 

  George Washington’s Socks by Elvira Woodruff:  American Revolution 

  Who was Thomas Edison by Margaret Frith:  Inventors 

  The Cabin Faced West by Jean Fritz: Pioneer:  Westward Movement

I can’t recommend this way of teaching enough! It will truly bring the magic and

love of literatures back into your teaching!

A "SWEET" Test Prep Activity!

Sometimes I think the hardest part of "TEST PREP" season is getting the buy-in from the students. WE know it's important, but to them I'm sure it just feels like more boring review activities. Because of this, I decided to develop a true challenge for them (and I included ice cream!) 

 In a nutshell, my Test Prep Sundae Challenge is designed to foster a sense of competition WITHIN each student to do their very best. At each stage of review, they will be rewarded with a different component for building their ultimate ice cream sundae. I've made the review activities using Google Forms so they can be quickly assessed, easily administered multiple times, and also improve students' on line technology skills. 

 This program is designed to foster a sense of self competition. Thanks to the Google Form platform, students are able to retake the 6 different tests as many times as needed to achieve a desired outcome. The focus is not on comparing their performance to others around them but, rather, to challenge themselves to grow from their own performance attempts. 

Here is how I implement it: 

√  At the beginning of my test prep “season” I send home a parent letter. This will not only inform parents of the nature of the activity linked to test prep, but give parents a chance to feel involved by providing needed materials for the activity. 

 √  I then set my date for the reward sundae party and post it for students to see. I usually leave about 6 weeks leading up to the test to get the most out of this and build anticipation. I'm always amazed by their level of excitement and commitment to meeting this challenge!   

√ I create a schedule that works best for my class each year. Usually following a 6 week period of time; I focus on 1 test per week. I pass out the sundae skill builder chart and go over it with students. This is where they can set individual goals. I then provide the link and time to perform the first task (Literature Test Prep #1) (*all links are provided in a zip file for all 6 tests!) 

√  After all students have taken the first test, I access their responses and share with them. Students fill in their first attempt on their chart. I differentiate my expectations based on student ability. For example, some students need to achieve an 80% on the first try to get the “large bowl”, and other students may need to earn a 70%. It can individualized however it works best for you and your students! 

√  Based on student results, I provide needed intervention the remainder of the week. This can be done in many different ways. I have found the most effective method to be simply printing a copy of the google form assessment and making copies for each student. I project a copy of it on my smart board and we discuss test taking strategies as we go through the test together. If I see a specific skill is really causing some students trouble, I may develop a quick re-teaching mini lesson for that skill. For students who achieved their desired goal on the first try, I assign them free, on-line games to further practice skills at their level.   

√ Re-Assess: Due to the nature of the assessments (Google Forms), students are able to retake the same assessment multiple times. They will fill in their 2nd and/or 3rd attempts scores as needed and mark their desired sundae component. 

√  Set up and enjoy a fun afternoon filled with ice cream and smiles!  Since it is review, I design it so that everyone feels successful based on their level of ability. I hope you might find the value in this highly motivating and engaging test prep activity. 

 I'd love to hear how it works for you or what other ideas you have to engage students during this time of year.  Best of luck to you as you prepare your students!