Taking tests always made me panic with fear, even if I was well prepared for them. So, when spring rolls around and students are required to take the mandated state tests, I feel their anguish and understand their fear. Our third graders must take the IREAD-3 test to assess their reading and comprehension at the third grade level. If students fail this test in March, they have another chance in the summer to retake it. As a Title I interventionist it is my job to arm these at risk students with the strategies they need to master these tests. Our Title I team compiled a list of test strategies and then created a "test prep boot camp" for these third graders. We met every day for three weeks starting with a mini-lesson and then breaking into smaller groups. Students were called "recruits" and were expected to memorize the cadence of strategies as we marched through the halls.
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| Our attire |
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| Our Boot Camp Manual |
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| Portion of our "Sound Off " cadence |
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| Add some banners |
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| Runner of Strategies |
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| Finished hallway! |
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| Boot Camp mission statement |
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| Entrance to third grade hall...ready for the test! |
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| Our elementary school students were honored to have a special guest last week who came to our school to participate in our school wide read-in. Chandler Harnish, an Indianapolis Colts quarterback, attended our elementary school and graduated from our local high school with my daughter Alyssa. He has returned to our school multiple times over the past several years to participate in our read-ins. On this visit, he addressed the importance of school and doing your very best in everything you do. The students were riveted with his casual question and answer session. He shared what it takes to be successful both in school and in life. Our school is fortunate to have Chandler as a positive role model for our students. |
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| My school, a wonderful learning community |
Good luck to all students taking the state standardized tests. Especially my third graders!
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