It's common for students to feel anxious about formal assessments. They might feel like they just don't know how or what to study even if you know as their teacher that they are well prepared! This is because math tests can create a heightened sense of angst from the pressure to perform well given that there isn't a scripted set of questions to memorize.
Why do fractions test prep and review matter?
Math tests serve a great purpose for assessing students' procedural and conceptual understanding of concepts. To measure their transfer of knowledge, or their ability to reason more abstractly, it's important that tests differ from the study guides and problems practiced in class by calling for students to demonstrate their understanding in various ways.
Math tests often differ significantly from the study guides and practice problems teachers assign. Teachers aren’t going to assign the same problems on a fractions practice test and the actual fractions test. That’s because teachers want to see procedural and conceptual understanding.
Test prep and review matter. They allow students to solidify their understanding and identify areas that may be unclear. Differentiated practice and review help students find their power to perform on assessments by familiarizing them with the format and types of questions. Students who feel prepared also feel confident and comfortable tackling the test.
How to make fractions review fun
Fractions review can be fun and engaging while bringing the same result - prepared students! When teaching fractions, or any math concepts, the priority for review should still be to connect the concepts to the students at hand.
Make reviews relatable. Teachers know their students, so tap into what they love and put a fractions spin on it!
5 fun test prep ideas for fractions
Test prep can be fun. Dominoes, Bingo, scavenger hunts, and charades – all can be differentiated and tie into concepts involved with fractions using a bit of creativity. Here are five more ideas to consider when planning reviews for tests:
- Use visual aids like number lines to help students understand the concept.
- Involve students in hands-on activities like measuring ingredients for a recipe made in class.
- Offer a variety of choices to keep students engaged and address different learning styles.
- Use collaborative learning for students to work together in pairs or small groups to discuss and solve problems.
- Take fractions to the next level with Frax for an adaptive online learning experience.
Support math discourse
Talking about math is just as crucial as doing math! Create a classroom environment where students feel comfortable contributing to math discourse with classmates. That means designing review lessons that require students to share their ideas and listen to the thoughts of others.
Promote reasoning by asking students to think critically and solve open-ended problems. Pose questions to get them thinking, and make it a safe place to discuss and explain their thinking. This can be done by encouraging students to listen to each other and take risks.
Gamify your fractions review
Students always ask, “Are we doing anything fun today?” You can respond with a resounding yes and make your fractions review fun. Engage your students in small group activities that allow them to “play” with fractions. Provide a variety of fraction games for students to try. You can even set up a Prize Box for students to work for points and shop for prizes in this self-paced study idea.
Incorporate real-world examples
To incorporate real-world examples of fractions, look for applications of fractions in the everyday lives of your students. The options are all around!
Start with measuring time. What does “half an hour” or “quarter after” mean, and why? Think about sports statistics like batting averages. For the kids who love shopping, discuss calculating “¼ off” the original price. What about doubling a cake recipe because of the number of people coming to a birthday party? Then, there’s the money problem of splitting a bill evenly.
Try a fractions Bingo game
Fraction bingo isn't just your average bingo! Numbers on the board are written as fractions, a fun way to introduce and practice various concepts! Present problems to solve, like finding the sum of two fractions, where answers result in a match on the board. Or, take it a step further and ask students to find equivalent fractions to win bingo!
Use adaptive digital tools
When searching for adaptive digital tools to teach fractions, look no further than Frax. It utilizes game-based learning and adapts to each student's understanding level, allowing them to progress through fraction concepts at their own pace. Personalized feedback and visual representations like number lines and block models make it a powerful tool for building a solid foundation in fractions.
Use ExploreLearning Frax in your fractions test prep
Frax makes learning fractions fun by meeting students where they are and unlocking new games, challenges, and rewards for their efforts. Frax is a tool that takes students through the full learning experience. It’s ideal to prepare for your fractions unit in advance with Frax. This allows students to develop baseline knowledge and confidence to tackle advanced fractions work during your core instruction.
It’s also essential to follow the program. There’s a reason Sector 1 comes before Sector 2. Sector 1 instruction lays the conceptual groundwork that the rest of Frax is built upon, helping students understand fractions as numbers. As students progress from Sector 1 to Sector 2, they develop a mutual understanding of key concepts, skills, and vocabulary they can apply during teacher-led instruction. When it’s time for fractions review and test prep, circle back to Frax to strengthen foundational skills and understanding.
Use Frax offline activities, including task cards and more, for fun test prep to review and reinforce fraction concepts in a collaborative group setting.
Review fractions concepts in the Sector Review Room
The Sector Review Room is only accessible when a Frax Sector is completed. The Sector Review Room door isn’t labeled until students complete the Sector. Sector Review provides individualized practice based on students’ needs. The power of this review is the differentiation.
The Sector Review Room can be used if students finish early or when others are behind. The targeted practice benefits both scenarios.
Build excitement with Frax Competitions
How about setting up a friendly fractions rivalry? With Frax Competitions, teachers in the same building can host competitions in different classrooms. Now, students in one classroom can face off against other classes in a school for amped-up fractions engagement and increased motivation!
Teachers can set custom durations for each Frax Competition period. Once a competition is active, students do not need to take any additional action when using Frax. Their individual Frax data will contribute to overall Team performance. The class with the greatest average number of completed Frax missions wins!
Try Frax for free and start improving test scores
Research shows Frax drives improvement in end-of-year summative assessments testing fractions standards performance. Are you ready to deliver fractions instruction that’s both effective and fun to your students? Start your free trial today.
