March is affectionately (or facetiously) known as test prep month around here. That’s because we start taking all the state mandated tests in April. Let’s be real—test prep season is exhausting.
Your students are already stressed, distracted, and over it before they even sit down for the SAT, ACT, state tests, or final exams. And as their teacher? You’re trying to make sure they’re prepared without boring them to death (or losing your own sanity).
But here’s the thing: test prep doesn’t have to be dull, repetitive, or miserable.
I remember when I was in my Teaching Methods class while student teaching about 10 years ago. We all agreed that standardized testing for the most part is just… awful and pointless.
My professor (and former English teacher) said he approached it as building the skills all year and then doing a a test prep “bootcamp” the weeks prior to the test. This, honestly, made a lot of sense to me. All year I am doing the real work to build those skills, so the bootcamp is really just a review and a reminder that they have got this.
But, I also like to make my test prep a little more fun. This way it’s engaging and they are getting the most benefit out of it.
You will also be able to find all of this in my ELA Test Prep “Bootcamp” Bundle!
The Problem with Traditional Test Prep
We’ve all seen it—the endless packets, dry passages, and multiple-choice drills that leave students zoning out. Sure, we know test-taking strategies matter, but if students aren’t engaged, they’re not absorbing anything.
That’s why I started approaching test prep differently. Instead of endless worksheets, I decided to sneak in skill-building in ways that students actually enjoy.
Yes, I know when they sit down for the SATs, ACTs, Milestones, and whatever testing conglomeration sent their way, that it will be dull, long, and tedious. That’s why I think making the prep more engaging is all the more necessary. We don’t want them glazed over weeks before they even take the test!
So, my test prep bootcamp looks a little more like…
A day working with a high-interest informational text. Another day of reading and analyzing a short, but impactful story. A day (or 2) of an interactive story escape room. A day of writing a spooky story dripping with sensory details.
Of course, I throw in some grammar practice and vocabulary fun as well.
But, the point is, I try to make sure that this sneakily prepares them by reviewing all those skills in a way that is more engaging than most test prep.
And let me tell you, it works! I was recognized for my test scores several times. So, let me share some of my top activities to engage students while building those skills.
Want a mood identifying game I play with my students for FREE? Click here!
Academic Writing for Test Prep
Writing practice is always going to be a crucial part of any ELA test prep. Hands down, the best thing I ever started doing was teaching the Jane Schaffer writing method. It elevated my students’ academic writing and eased many minds by handing them the “secret sauce” for writing.
This writing method is a structured approach to paragraph writing that helps students develop clear, well-supported analysis. It follows a specific formula: a topic sentence (TS) to introduce the main idea, concrete details (CD) as textual evidence, commentary (CM) to explain and analyze the evidence, and a concluding sentence (CS) to wrap up the paragraph. This method provides students with a reliable framework for crafting strong literary analysis, ensuring their writing is both organized and insightful.
By using this formula, my students gain confidence in their writing and produce more effective academic responses and were able to continue building into beautiful essays.
Engaging Quick Writes for Test Prep
I love to bring in rich and varied prompts to keep my students on their toes!
Quick writes are a staple in my classroom. I like to call it Writing Wednesdays! What I extra loved about embedding this into our regular routine is that students often shared at the end of the year (or even years later) that this was one of their favorite things we did.
While most of the year, Writing Wednesday was just a fun and open creative prompt, during the test prep bootcamp, it may look a little more targeted… while still being interesting.
For example, I may have give them this prompt to work on argumentation:
Sensory details and descriptive writing are often a skill that most of my students need to work on. So, a prompt that includes these types of words are a great way to reinforce this skill!
However, students also need to practice their diction and tone. There is a time and place for slang, but academic (testing) writing is not it. So, I created these quick warmup-style re-writes. I affectionately call them “brain rot” re-writes.
They get a single sentence that is written in the Alpha generation slang (known as brain rot to many) and they have to re-write it in formal English.
These warm-up activities help students practice diction and tone in a way that feels relevant and engaging. By translating modern slang into formal English, students develop a stronger understanding of word choice. They learn about connotation and appropriate language for different contexts.
These also keep students interested because it connects to the way they actually speak, making the learning process more enjoyable. Instead of traditional drills, this approach encourages critical thinking and real-world application, which can improve their ability to analyze tone and style in reading passages.
Escape Room for ELA test prep and review!
Challenges, games, and puzzles are great ways to sharpen your students’ ELA skills, review ELA skills and terms, and even test prep! Escape rooms are a fantastic way to make test prep engaging and interactive. Students do not just answer practice questions on a worksheet. They become part of a story. They must use their ELA skills to solve puzzles and unlock the next challenge.
This turns test review into an immersive experience, reinforcing key concepts like inferencing, foreshadowing, and mood in a way that feels exciting rather than tedious. When students are actively solving a mystery, they retain information better. They make deeper connections to the material.
This escape room puts students inside a haunted manor, where they must break a centuries-old curse using their knowledge of literary elements. As they read diary entries, decipher riddles, and analyze key passages, they practice critical skills like identifying inner and outer conflict, interpreting figurative language, and making inferences. Because every clue builds on the last, students stay engaged while naturally reviewing for their exam.
There is also this zero prep escape room that reviews Point of View, Symbolism, and Conflict in a fantasy-based storyline. Travel with Kiera on her Hero’s Journey to find the enchanted amulet that will bring balance to Eldoria!
Your students can work together in small groups or individually to solve 5 challenges. Use this for review, test prep, a sub activity, or for a creative assessment at the end of a unit focusing on these skills!
Grammar Practice, but Add in Minecraft
Grammar practice can be engaging and effective for test prep when it’s interactive, relevant, and connected to students’ interests. Instead of drilling isolated sentences, students get to correct mistakes in fun, relatable paragraphs featuring pop culture references like SpongeBob, YouTube, or gaming.
These practices makes grammar feel less like a chore and more like a puzzle to solve. By incorporating real-world scenarios and familiar characters, students are more likely to stay engaged, retain the concepts, and feel confident when facing grammar questions on standardized tests.
The ELA Test Prep Bundle: Engaging, Effective, and Ready-to-Use
Because I know you’re already stretched thin, I’ve put together a special ELA Test Prep Bundle designed to make your life easier—and your students actually want to participate.
Honestly, I have only scratched the surface for all that is included in this bundle in the rest of this post. But, I hope you can see all the potential that you can find in it already!
Let me share a little more of what’s inside:
✅ Informational Articles & Podcast Lessons – High-interest texts that mirror real test passages.
✅ 2 ELA Escape Room Challenge – Students use reading comprehension, inference, and analysis skills to solve a mystery!
✅ Grammar Practice (with a Fun Twist!) – Activities featuring pop culture favorites like SpongeBob and Minecraft.
✅ Shaffer Method Writing Support – A structured approach to help students write stronger analysis.
✅ And More! – Additional activities that keep students engaged while reinforcing key skills.
Would you like to check out a preview video I created for this bundle? Click HERE!
Why Teachers Love This Test Prep Bundle
💡 Saves Time – Everything is done-for-you so you can focus on teaching, not planning.
💡 Boosts Student Confidence – Prepares them without overwhelming them.
💡 Engages ALL Learners – Works for reluctant readers, advanced students, and everyone in between.
💡 Makes Test Prep Feel Different – They’re still practicing the same essential skills—just in a way that’s more effective.
Final Thoughts
Test prep will always be part of our reality as teachers, but that doesn’t mean it has to be miserable. This bundle helps you keep students engaged, reduce stress, and ensure they’re truly prepared—without adding more work to your plate.
Let’s make test prep less painful and more powerful.
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