Inside: Don’t worry if your students think test prep is boring, it’s not your fault! After using numerous standard-based reading passages I realized that passages were no longer exciting to my students.
I’m going to help you learn how to do test prep the right way with exciting and original nonfiction reading passages.
High-interest nonfiction reading passages are the difference between student engagement and student boredom! Not to mention teacher boredom! I bet you’re just like me and have to find some inner motivation to get through a reading passage you’ve used for the last few years. Right? You know all of its nuances and can practically remember it verbatim! You’ve tried making it exciting with different games and activities, but it still falls flat.
It’s not your fault.
Original Nonfiction Reading Passages
After prepping my 4th-grade students for the reading and writing state tests for the last ten years, I have quite a list of things that don’t work and things that DO! The first thing I noticed was how disengaged my students were with the nonfiction reading passages. Not that all of the texts were bad, but most didn’t have that “extra something”! Also, I realized that we were doing all of this reading, and then it was over. Done. Never to be used again. I realized that these high-interest reading passages could transfer into a writing prompt or research unit!
Talk about working smarter, not harder!
Now my students read original nonfiction reading passages about topics from around the world. It allows them to travel without leaving the classroom. Their excitement levels have increased, and it’s much easier to use the passage as a springboard for additional reading or assignments. No longer is it just a one-and-done passage.
Nonfiction Reading Strategies
I’ve always tried to make reading a happy time in our day, even if it’s test prep season! The students can feel the stress in the air even if you’re not projecting stressful vibes. They tend to drag their feet around this time of year, and they know “the big test” is looming. Somehow they always know. I always tell my students that I want them to become readers for life, NOT just for some test. The test does not define who they are. It doesn’t celebrate all of their strengths. My students know that every single day. During the first week of school, we do a lot of talking about this. Throughout the year, I weave it into our lessons and informal discussions. The test is just a one-day glimpse of what their brain knew on that day in time! Period. I used to stress out about my student’s test scores. But not anymore!
I do fun activities with my 4th-grade students ALL year, so test prep doesn’t feel like anything new. I love to teach them a lot of nonfiction reading strategies that will work on any text.
Annotating at a Glance
- Read the title and begin making predictions (tap into background knowledge)
- Preview questions first
- Circle & underline keywords in the question to make sure you know what it’s asking
- Skim and scan the text (a light reading to get familiar with the structure)
- Annotate the text by making notes, drawing pictures, underlining and circling information
- Return to answer a question if you land on the answer
- Continue reading and answer the remaining questions
A lot of things start to happen during this time. In fact, students already know what 75% of the story is about by reading the title and looking at the questions! They haven’t even read the text yet, and it’s quite an empowering experience! Then they start to realize what the questions are really asking them before they start reading. Their brains are getting warmed up, and again, they haven’t even read the passage yet! By the time they do a light skim and scan of the text, they’re now familiar with 90% of the text.
Annotating the Text
Once it’s time to actually dig in and read critically through the passage, their anxiety has been reduced! This is my favorite moment and where the transformation happens. Next, they love annotating their papers with what is comfortable to them. After a lot of modeling and practice, students begin to feel confident to take notes (annotate) in a way that works for them. It takes the pressure off of having them all use special symbols. As you know, all of our brains process information differently. Some of my students with dyslexia love drawing pictures. A few of my perfectionist students enjoy using highlighters or Flair pens. My reluctant readers start with underlining or circling and soon transition to emojis or reactions on their papers. I’m thrilled with all of their annotating strategies and celebrate them equally! All students can have success with this!
Benefits of Annotating
The best thing about annotating a nonfiction reading passage is that they can touch the answer in the text! In fact, I always tell my students that the authors have given them the answers, it’s just up to us to find them. Imagine their shocked faces when they figure out that they’ve figured out this secret! It’s true, think of how many times you’ve read a nonfiction text and the answer is RIGHT HERE! It’s practically screaming at you!
I call this “return to the text” or “touch an answer, touch a bubble” when it’s test prep season. My students begin writing the number of the question next to where they found the answer in the text. Some even quietly cheer for themselves. It’s another empowering thing as they’re becoming more confident readers!
These two ideas have helped me teach my students how to become lifelong readers. First, I make sure we’re always reading high-interest and original nonfiction reading passages. Next, I make sure they know a few test prep strategies and utilize the power of annotating to its fullest. Once they know how to annotate, it works for ALL genres.
It’s a no-brainer!
Regardless if it’s test season or not, have fun with it and set a positive reading environment for your students! Sprinkle in a few of these techniques and sit back and watch them soar!
I promise they will!
Wishing you and your student readers lots of fun!
Explore. Travel. Read. Repeat.
