As a fifth grade teacher, you know that students aren’t always excited about studying for the STAAR test. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. With the right tools and methods, your students can feel motivated to study and confident on test day.
The STAAR test has many different sections, including math and reading. During the math section, there are 46 questions that require students to answer multiple-choice and open-ended questions. Students are not allowed to use a calculator during the test, but they are given graphing paper and a reference sheet that they can use for calculation purposes. Students should practice adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers, rational numbers, decimals, and fractions to ensure that they are prepared for this portion of the test.
It is important to remember that STAAR tests are not “elementary.” In fact, the state-wide exam has been a source of much debate because of its perceived difficulty for young students. In 2021, nearly 40% of Texas students failed the math section of the test. This caused some to wonder whether the test was too difficult, though other factors may have contributed to the low pass rate, such as lack of in-person attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
STAAR test prep can be challenging for teachers as they work to catch up on learning losses during the pandemic and prepare students for the redesigned standardized tests. However, it is possible to make the review process more motivating for students by introducing fun activities and games that are designed to teach students the new TEKS standards in an engaging way.
