If you’re an upper elementary teacher in Virginia, preparing students for SOL testing is probably on your brain often. But, let me tell you one of my best-kept teaching secrets… you do not need to spend hours planning or transforming your classroom to host an effective math SOL test review!
The end of the school year already involves testing, cleaning the classroom, and preparing report cards. You do not need the additional stress of planning elaborate review activities. Often, the best review games and activities are the simple ones that take little time to plan.
Here are some of my favorite no-prep 4th-grade math SOL review games to keep your students engaged as they prepare for the math SOL test.
Play 4th Grade Math SOL Jeopardy Games
Jeopardy is one of the best math SOL review games! Students love Jeopardy games because they allow for friendly competition while reviewing the math SOLs.
My store has Virginia SOL-aligned math Jeopardy games for every 4th-grade math SOL and SOL test review games that incorporate all of the 4th-grade math SOLs.
Each Jeopardy game features five categories, totaling 25 questions. The presentations are coded so students can easily navigate between the category board, questions, and answers. They can also type points into a scoreboard, even in presentation mode. All of my math Jeopardy games come with two versions—one for PowerPoint and one for Google Slides.
The following video is a short tutorial that shows how my math SOL Jeopardy games work.
Students have so much fun with these math Jeopardy games that they don’t even realize they are learning. Don’t believe me? Check out what this other Virginia educator said about these 4th-grade math review games:
“These are games that actually work the way they are supposed to! I love that when the students answer a question, it disappears, and they can easily see which questions have not been answered. This can be completed whole group, small groups, and even individually. This will definitely be used for SOL reviews before the spring test. Thank you for making great products that actually work and are based on Virginia SOLs.” (Ms. Martin)
Combine Math SOL and Stress Relief
I know the thought of SOL testing raises the blood pressure of Virginia’s students and teachers. But did you know there is a stress-relieving way to review for state testing? Coloring!
Coloring is proven to—
- relieve stress and anxiety
- increase focus
- promote mindfulness
For these reasons, color-by-number worksheets are the perfect calming activity for prepping students for the math SOL test.
My 4th-grade math SOL review worksheets include six color-by-number worksheets with 1-4 questions for each SOL.
Play Math Task Card Games
What teacher (or student) doesn’t love using task cards!? There are so many reasons why task cards make for a great 4th-grade math SOL review game:
- There is almost no prep work involved for the teacher.
- Students enjoy getting up and moving to use them.
- There are countless games and activities that can be used with task cards
All of my Virginia SOL-aligned math task cards come with 28 task cards in BOTH PDF format and a self-checking, digital format for Google Forms.
You can find Virginia SOL-aligned math task cards in my store for every 4th-grade math SOL. You can also find a massive 4th-grade math SOL task card review bundle that covers every SOL.
I also just added a new cumulative task card set to the store that allows students to review every SOL at the same time.
“Beautifully aligned task cards for the VA SOL. Love this resource and use it every year!” (Julia B.)
“Great product. I use these almost every day during my small group time. I love how my students can work independently, or my push-in can work with students.” (Alexis D.)
Practice with TEI Items
When I was a kid, standardized testing consisted only of multiple-choice questions. But that is no longer the case.
TEI (technology-enhanced items) are now mixed in with the multiple-choice questions. TEI items include dragging and dropping to sort information or label a diagram. It can also include typing responses.
TEI questions are known to trip up students, especially those without much experience interacting with technology. Students may know the correct answer but not know how to manipulate the items on the screen.
Therefore, practicing how to use TEI items should be a part of every 4th-grade math SOL review.
I’ve created digital math centers for every 4th-grade math SOL to give students practice with TEI items on the SOL test. Some of the activities include:
- dragging and dropping questions
- typing a response
- manipulating items to create something such as a graph or shape
“My students were highly engaged and motivated by these resources. They were simple to assign, enjoyable to work on, and directly supported our learning objectives. Evaluating student understanding was a straightforward process.” (Keiki)
“This was an amazing resource. Thank you so much! I reviewed a math topic each day to prepare for our upcoming state tests, and your slides made a perfect independent activity for my students. They were clear and easy for students to complete on their own. I will use these year after year!” (Mrs. Martinson)
Use Study Guides for At-Home Math SOL Practice
Your 4th-grade math SOL review shouldn’t stop at the end of the school day. Students should continue studying for the math SOL test at home. The problem is that many parents do not feel confident helping their children with upper elementary math.
To solve this problem, I created parent study guides for the 4th-grade math SOLs so that parents can help their children prepare for the math SOL test. If you’re tired of hearing parents say they can’t help their child at home because “the way they teach math now is different from when I was in school”… I created these parent study guides for you!
Each math parent study guide defines important terms, provides step-by-step instructions for solving problems, and shows models.
“Fantastic! I love that […] I can keep parents connected and able to support their students, and LOVE that they are VA SOL-based! Such a time saver! Thanks for creating such a solid resource!” (Abbey R.)
“This was a nice way to keep the parents involved! Students had to take these sheets home and “teach” the math to their parents as “homework” the week before the test. It served as a great review for them and kept parents updated on what they were learning.” (anonymous buyer)
Conclusion
The end of the school year is stressful! But you don’t need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to your 4th-grade math SOL review games. Save time with engaging, no-prep games and activities students will enjoy while reviewing the math SOLs.
As a reminder, some of my go-to 4th-grade math SOL review games and activities include:
- 4th-Grade Math Jeopardy Games
- 4th-Grade Math Color By Number Worksheets
- 4th-Grade Math Task Cards
- 4th-Grade Math Digital Centers (for TEI practice)
- 4th-Grade Math Parent Study Guides
Have you heard of the Virginia Teacher Club®? The Virginia Teacher Club® is a one-of-a-kind program for upper elementary teachers in Virginia. Members receive instant access to a curriculum library of SOL-aligned math, science, social studies, and ELA resources. There are lesson plans, games, assessments, passages, digital activities, and more for EVERY SOL. By using the Virginia Teacher Club®, our members save hours of planning time every month and have access to high-quality, SOL-aligned resources that students love.
CLICK HERE to join the waitlist and be the first to know when the Virginia Teacher Club® reopens for new members.
