Many of us hear the word testing and automatically the hairs behind our necks stand up. The same holds true for many of our students. Sharing picture books about testing that are geared towards elementary students can be helpful.
The benefits include:
- showing students that they aren’t alone
- opens up the line of communication to discuss what test anxiety is
- offers solutions on how to best deal with test anxiety
I’ve compiled a list of some read alouds that you can share with your students on the days leading up to testing. Share one or share a few.
(This blog post contains affiliate links which means that if you choose to purchase an item through the link below, I will receive a small commission with no added expense to you. Thank you for your support.)
1. Testing Miss Malarkey by Judy Finchler
This book definitely shows the stress students, teachers, administrators, and school staff feel during testing season. It’s a grew way to share with students that even adults tend to get anxious at times even when they are trying to help reduce others anxieties.
2. The Anti-Test Anxiety Society by Julia Cook
This story is told through the perspective of Bertha Billingsworth, aka BB, who suffers from severe test anxiety. She learns ways to deal with the stress and anxiety. One of the best features of this book is that it shares 12 ways students can help ease testing stress.
3. The Big Test by Julie Danneberg
This read aloud shares the way a class prepares for the big test by practicing test taking skills. A few of the students begin to feel stressed through the process. After the test is over, the class feels good about the outcome. They are excited to get it all over with.
4. A Little Spot of Anxiety (A Story About Calming Your Worries) by Diane Alber
In this book, children learn that anxiety is normal, but it can be controlled. It gives suggestions on how to quickly shrink anxiety. It’s a great way to give students strategies after understanding that worrying is normal.
5. Last to Finish (A Story About the Smartest Boy in Math Class) by Barbara Esham
Max is a boy who feels he should be good at math, but every time he has to take a timed test, he can’t complete it on time. He starts to feel bad about himself even more when the kids in class begin to ease him. Max’s teacher and parents realize that although he has a difficult time recalling his multiplication facts, he is extremely smart in understanding math. This book is such a great one to share with students who get extended time on tests. It shows kids that just because you don’t work well under the pressure of timed test, it doesn’t mean they aren’t smart.
6. Mathsketball by Erginna Winnett
Ethan, the main character, suffers from math test anxiety. His teacher realizes what is going on and helps him identify the problem and gives him strategies on how to deal with it.
After reading one or a few of these books, it may be a good idea to get students to reflect on testing. Sometimes having a game planning and knowing what to do can ease testing anxiety. Feel free to download the freebie below and use it with your class.
Ways to incorporate the worksheet:
- Use it as an anchor chart as your reflect during a whole group lesson
- Have students fill out with a partner or a small group and then discuss it with the class
- Play some soft music and have students fill it out individually
Sharing picture books about testing that are specifically geared towards elementary students can be extremely helpful. In addition, providing test review activities in class of the skills taught in class can also help students feel confident during the big test. It’s not always easy to make it enjoyable, but you can pick up some free game templates and learn how to implement games in your classroom review to make it fun.
