Frequent Testing

I've read that one way for students to develop greater recall of material is to test or quiz them on the material learned on a regular basis.

One way to do this is with the traditional once a week quiz where the students know they are being tested.  The quiz doesn't have to be for points but some students freak out if they take a quiz that has no points attached. 

So I make it worth a few points. This way if they do not do well, it won't hurt them much at all.

Another way to sneak in a "quiz" is by using a math based Jeopardy.  My kids love it. They have to work together in partners to get the answer which they write on a whiteboard.  I check the answer on the whiteboard and announce how many got the right answer before I unveil the answer.  This builds suspense and they get excited.

The really enjoy the game.  It is a good way to test their knowledge in a fun and unthreatening way.  Often, I give them a small halloween sized piece of candy as their reward.  Another game they love is Kahoot because it allows them to compete and the winner is always changing.  You should hear them whine about not getting in faster or darn, it took them too long to find the answer. 

I think Kahoot is their favorite game of all time.  Unfortunately, the bandwidth out here is so narrow that the minute 45 students are testing, no one else can use the internet and that restricts my use of it.  With Jeopardy, I can download the games but as far as I can tell, I cannot do it with Kahoot. 

Several of my students enjoyed the mathematical bingo we played the other day.  I need to make a couple for next week so students can play it.  Its not hard to do and using a rolling random name selector makes it more fun.  In addition, if you make them fill in their own Bingo cared from all the possible choices. This gives them a better buy in.

There are more.  In geometry, you could create a mathematically based charades or pictionary game for members of the class to play.  This type of game integrates physical movement with learning so some students will enjoy it more.

The whole point behind most of these ways of testing student knowledge is with a game framework.  Most people would rather play a game that tests their knowledge than take something labeled a quiz. Much of it has to do with the 'testing' connotation associated with the word quiz vs something fun.  By alternating what we do, I can sneak in frequent test a couple times a week.

Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.