The countdown to 5th Grade Science STAAR is upon us! Don’t let this be a stressful season- The Science Penguin is here to help!
We’ve developed a monthly countdown containing options that can help you make the most of your instructional time to understand STAAR expectations, analyze data to review weak concepts, and have a clear plan for the closest days to STAAR. Let’s dive in!
3 Months Until STAAR: Increase Exposure to STAAR-like Questions
By exposing your students to materials similar to the STAAR test, they’ll know what to expect! This doesn’t have to be separate from your normal instruction. By embedding some activities that include STAAR-like questions, the rigor and language on the test will be easier to tackle on the big day. Here are three resources to consider implementing when you are three months out:
Spiral Review: By doing a STAAR-like question every day, this mixed review will keep content fresh for your students! It focuses on the heaviest-hitting STAAR topics, too.
Test Prep Task Cards: These were designed with STAAR in mind! Each set has 20 questions that increase in difficulty. There are several ways to gamify these to create a fun activity, and discussing them afterward is a great way to solidify that content knowledge. We recommend using these as each topic is taught, instead of waiting until the days before STAAR!
SCR Practice: Our SCR Practice can be used as you teach each topic. Having students practice an SCR on a regular basis and then score themselves or their peers is a great way to conquer this new item type!
2 Months Until STAAR:Dig Into the Data and Fill Gaps!
We know teachers analyze data year-round, but about 2 months before testing is a great time to get a detailed view of exactly who could benefit from some boosted instruction to fill any learning gaps. Here are two things that may help:
Assessment Options: Do you know which standards your students have mastered? We have ways you can determine that! If your district doesn’t have a benchmark/quarterly assessment, you may be left wondering exactly how your students will perform on a mixed-topic test.
Our TEKS Readiness Benchmarks can tell you that! They are designed to be used at the beginning, middle, and end of the year, but don’t fret if you didn’t use one earlier. You can always give one of the assessments at this point (try “Middle of Year”) to see where students stand and identify any weak standards.
If you just need to find out mastery for a few standards, TEKS Based Assessments and Vocabulary Quizzes are a great way to assess single topics. The TEKS Based Assessments have 4 STAAR-like questions each, and the Vocabulary Quizzes have 10 questions each. The best part? They both have Google Form versions, so grading is a snap! You can easily see which students are mastering each TEK with these quick assessments.
Small Group Science: Once your data is collected and you know which students have learning gaps, time to fill them in! Our Small Group Science lessons are perfect for reinforcing TEKs as a quick intervention. These lessons are low-prep and engaging, designed for 20-minute sessions.
1 Month Until STAAR: Get Your Game Plan Together!
So, you’ve worked hard all semester by exposing students to STAAR expectations, analyzing data, and filling gaps. What’s next? In the weeks right before STAAR, it’s vital to keep a balance of fun and review. We’ve got you covered with one suggestion:
STAAR Planning Guide: This 2-week review outline is designed to be used in the 10 days before STAAR. It suggests several activities to go over the hardest-hitting STAAR concepts and leaves some room for personalization, too! It’s not all a cram session, either- you’ll find information about a variety of engaging activities!
Bonus Suggestion
Here’s a bonus suggestion, too, especially for newer teachers: STAAR Teacher Reference Sheets. The students aren’t the only ones who need a deep knowledge of what to expect on the STAAR test! Our Teacher Reference Sheets were designed with YOU in mind, so teachers can know the ins and outs of every standard to understand exactly what material should be covered and any misconceptions that are common. Consider it your personal study guide for the TEKS!
Prepping for the 5th Grade Science STAAR test may seem daunting at first, but by implementing some of these suggestions, your students will be ready to tackle those questions! We know that teaching is about far more than results from a standardized test, but by preparing them for what they’ll encounter on this test, we are also helping to ensure that they are confident in their science knowledge and have a better understanding of the world around them. That knowledge is the REAL goal, whether or not a test is involved. 😉
