Testing season is here and it’s a stressful time for students and teachers alike. Thank goodness for the authors who have tackled this tough topic and provided kids with stories to help them deal with the anxiety they may be feeling about upcoming tests and state exams.
Take a look at these ten titles and see which ones your school library has available. It’s National Library Week (April 10-16) so a great time to take a break from testing and visit the library!
1. Testing Miss Malarkey by Judy Finchler and Kevin O’Malley
State testing often causes some pretty strange behavior in adults, and this can be quite confusing to students. This story pokes fun at the commotion surrounding standardized testing, a staple of every school’s year.
2. The Anti-Test Anxiety Society by Julia Cook
Bertha Billingsworth (BB for short) is basically a happy person until she has to take a test. To her, the word test stands for “Terrible Every Single Time,” because that’s how she does on them: TERRIBLE! BB’s teacher comes to the rescue by inviting her to become a member of the Anti-Test Anxiety Society.
3. Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! by Dr. Seuss, Jack Prelusky and Lane Smith
Started by Dr. Seuss, finished by Jack Prelutsky, and illustrated by Lane Smith, this book is about the courageous teacher Miss Bonkers and the students at Diffendoofer School. The school must prove it has taught its students how to think–or the student will be sent to dreary Flobbertown.
4. The Big Test by Julia Danneberg
Mrs. Hartwell is preparing her class to take the Big Test. Knowing they have studied and are well-prepared, she helps the students practice how to sit quietly, fill in the bubbles, and follow the directions. She even instructs them on proper morning-of-the-test nutrition. As her students grow increasingly anxious about the Big Test, Mrs. Hartwell realizes she has to teach the most valuable test-taking skill of all: learning to relax!
5. This Test Does Not Define You! by Bianca Liriano
Testing anxiety is a growing problem for student’s everywhere. In a creative and rhythmic way, this book provides students with the best test taking tips and helps them cope with the stress surrounding tests. Above all, this book reminds students that their character matters the most and that a test does not define them!
6. Outsmart Test Anxiety by Erainna Winnett
This is fun a workbook meant to help kids who struggle with test anxiety. Through therapeutic art and writing exercise, kids can get their feelings out, process and learn to conquer their anxiety, learn strategies for studying and test-taking, and boost self-esteem.
7. Mathsketball: A Story of Test Anxiety by Erainna Winnett
Ethan excels in almost every subject, except math. When it comes to test time, the numbers turn into some kind of alien language. His best friend, Jack helps him to relax by playing a quick game of mathsketball. And with help from his teacher, learns to take his mad mathsketball skills into the classroom and learn to overcome his test anxiety.
8. The Biggest Test by Nancy Poydar
Sam is getting nervous. The BIG TEST is coming. The older kids claim the BIG TEST booklet is as huge as a telephone book. This story helps take the terror out of test-taking for students who are facing their own BIG TESTS.
9. First Grade Takes a Test by Miriam Cohen
When the principal sends a lady to administer a test to the first grade class, the children find that none of the proffered answers are exactly right and they have trouble with the test. Fortunately, their teacher knows what is really important: being creative and being a good friend, positive traits that a standardized exam cannot test for. This is a great book to remind people that doing well on a test is not all that matters in the classroom.
10. Test Day, Team Player by Shannon Moore Fitzgerald
In this heartwarming story, an elementary teacher offers a solution to reduce test anxiety for her students and provides a strategy that can be used in any classroom.
Have anything to add? We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts, ideas or suggestions in the comments below.
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