Elementary School ELA Test Prep Centers

Shake up your classroom by playing this fun ELA matchmaker review game! As the testing season approaches, this comprehensive 81-page PDF resource offers a perfect blend of fun and education, ensuring a thorough review of essential literary concepts.

Our resource is thoughtfully crafted to cover five crucial categories: Synonyms, Antonyms, Figurative Language, Literary Elements, and Affixes & Roots. Each category is rich with 30 pairs, enabling full class participation and ensuring that every student is actively engaged in the learning process.

Our 'ELA Review Extravaganza' is designed to be flexible and adaptable to your classroom needs. Here are two effective ways to use this resource:

Option 1: Print and Cut

Prepare the Activity:

• Print out the pages of the resource
• Carefully cut out each pair from the categories

Distribute the Pieces:
Hand out one piece of the puzzle to each student.

• Activity Instructions for Students:
  Each student should first define or describe their term or concept.
• Then, allow students to get up and mingle in the classroom, searching for the student who holds the matching pair to their piece.

Finding Matches:

• As students find their pairs, they can sit together and discuss why they are a match, reinforcing their understanding of the concept.

Class Discussion:

• After everyone has found their pairs, have a class discussion or sharing session about the matches.

Option 2: Assign & Go (Digital Version)

Assign the Activity:

• Assign the digital version of the resource to students through your preferred educational platform.

Independent or Pair Work:

• Students can work through the slides independently or with a partner. They will find the best match for each term or concept from the word bank provided in the slides.

Interactive Learning:

• The digital format allows for interactive learning, as students can easily navigate through the slides and select their answers.

Review and Feedback:

• After completion, you can review their answers and provide feedback, or students can share their answers with the class.

Embrace the Versatility

• Print & Digital Formats: Choose the print version for a hands-on classroom experience or the digital version for a seamless, tech-integrated lesson. The digital version is perfect for 1:1 device classrooms and offers an easy-to-assign-and-go option for busy teachers.
• Interactive Learning: Students can enjoy the interactive elements in the digital version or the physical engagement of the print version.
• Ideal for Centers & Independent Work: Set up as learning stations in your classroom or assign digitally for individual completion - adaptable to various teaching strategies.
• Hassle-Free Preparation: With the digital version, say goodbye to cutting and prepping. It's all ready to use at the click of a button!

Perfect Tool for Diverse Educational Needs

• Comprehensive Test Review: An engaging way to review and reinforce ELA concepts before exams.
• Builds Core Skills: Enhances vocabulary and understanding of literary terms in an interactive manner.
• Encourages Critical Thinking: Students analyze, match, and connect concepts, fostering deeper comprehension.
• Flexible and Convenient: Whether in a traditional classroom setting or a remote learning environment, this resource fits seamlessly into your lesson plan.

Transform your ELA review sessions into an 'Extravaganza' of learning and excitement. With our 'ELA Review Extravaganza,' education is not just about memorizing; it's about engaging, interacting, and understanding. Download now for an enriching educational experience that your students will love!

Should schools ban soda? This is an argumentative essay prompt, three articles, and outline sheet. Your kids will all have their own opinions about sugary drinks and whether or not schools should ban soda. This comes complete with rubric.

Google Drive Version can be found here

Looking for more argumentative prompts with articles?

Cell phones in School: Argumentative prompt, articles, and outline sheet

Facebook: Argumentative prompt, articles, and outline sheet

Did Shakespeare write his own stuff?:Argumentative prompt, articles, and rubric.

Minimum Wage: Argumentative Prompt, articles, and outline sheet

This is a powerpoint drag and drop activity on prefixes and suffixes.

This prefix and suffix activity includes:

• Prefix, suffix, and root word definition match
• Finding the prefix, suffix, and root word
• Matching a prefix to the root word to create a word
• Finding the prefix and the root word to match the given definition
• Matching a root word and a suffix to create a word
• Finding the root word and the suffix to match the given definition

All slides include movable pieces. Includes 7 activity slides.

This product can be used:

• To supplement a lesson
• To assess student understanding
• To review the standard with students
• As a center activity for students to complete individually or in pairs/groups

TOU:

This product may not be used by more than one teacher unless multiple licenses are purchased.

Introducing Super Star Synonyms – the ultimate Synonym and Antonym game that brings fun to literacy centres! Perfect for Years 3-6, this exciting game transports students onto the red carpet as they learn synonyms and antonyms in an engaging and interactive way. Up level those literacy centres!

As students move along the game board, they’ll land on Hollywood stars, pick up star cards with words, and record their synonyms on the included recording sheet. For an added challenge, they can also write down antonyms to further expand their vocabulary skills. That's right, working in synonyms AND antonyms! The goal is to reach the end of the board while mastering key vocabulary concepts!

Whether you're using it in the classroom or for small group activities, Super Star Synonyms is a fantastic resource for reinforcing vocabulary in your literacy centres. This game not only builds synonym and antonym knowledge but also encourages collaborative learning in a fun, Hollywood-inspired setting.

Key Features:

• Hollywood theme with stars, red carpet, and movie-related words
• Includes recording sheets for synonyms and antonyms
• Perfect for Years 3-6 literacy centres
• Fun and engaging way to practice vocabulary skills

Add some Hollywood glamour to your literacy centres with Super Star Synonyms and watch your students shine as vocabulary superstars!

Follow along on the blog Captivating Kids blog

Inspire your students to think critically about informational texts with this set of engaging, open-ended questions! Perfect for 4th-5th grade, these questions encourage students to explore main ideas, text features, structure, and author’s craft in any nonfiction text they read.

Ideal for:

• Class Discussions
• Small Group
• Center/Station Rotations
• Prompts for Close Reading
• Early Finisher Tasks
• Test Prep
• Comprehension Practice

Aligned with Common Core standards, this resource is a great way to help students build confidence in analyzing texts, connecting ideas, and uncovering the author’s purpose. Make each reading experience more meaningful and memorable!

For Middle Grade Students, all writers have it, but do you know what style is and how to recognize it? This 15 page presentation for will help students understand and analyze their own writing styles, as well as other authors' styles. Easy to follow format will have students analyzing style in no time! Includes: Checklist for Authors Handout Definitions for Author's Style . Examples of Classic Literature and Fairy Tale to Analyze How to Find Author's Style in Writing Extra Style Analysis Activities Author's Style Workshopping Handout How and Why to Improve Student's author's style Terminologies and definitions include: Audience—listeners, readers, viewers of work Author’s voice—sets writing apart from others; uniqueness of writing Genre—category/organization pattern of writing Purpose—intent of writing Mood—reader’s emotion to the writing Tone—author’s attitude about subject matter Sentence fluency—cadence, flow, transitions used Sentence variety—lengths/mixture of sentences Word choices—descriptions, figurative language, repetitions, synonyms… Excellent for introducing style, writing concepts, standardized testing reviews, class assessments, college readiness, CCSS, literacy centers, and grammar/editing revisions, Students will be able to identify their authors' styles after working through this presentation.

Students can use the printable or digital version of these fun conTEXT clue cards to infer how the character is feeling based on the conversation displayed on the phone-shaped cards. Blank templates are included on the digital version for you to create your own. I have also included answer sheets with and without sentence stems so students can practice answering questions based on text evidence. Twenty slides total are included (11 in the printable file and 9 in the digital file which is embedded in the pdf).

Common and Proper Nouns Grammar Activity | Digital Google Classroom Self-Checking

Enhance grammar skills with this engaging Common and Proper Nouns activity, designed specifically for Google Classroom! Perfect for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders, this interactive Google Sheets activity helps students master identifying common and proper nouns with a fun, self-checking system. Students receive instant feedback as they work through 20 questions: answers light up in green for correct and red for incorrect responses. As students progress, correct answers reveal a hidden picture art for added motivation!

Aligned with CCSS standards (L.2.2, L.2.2a, L.3.1a), this activity is ideal for ELA Test Prep and Grammar practice. Boost engagement and mastery in English Language Arts with this effective digital resource, perfect for remote learning or classroom use!

Tags: Common and Proper Nouns, Grammar Activity, Google Classroom, Self-Checking, Digital Worksheet, English Language Arts, ELA

Enhance vocabulary in any class or content area with this AVID-inspired vocabulary awareness chart in Google Sheets. This vocabulary awareness chart allows students to check their awareness and knowledge of words found in the content they are learning about.

Directions

• The vocabulary self-awareness chart allows students to assess themselves on class vocabulary words.
• In my classroom, we chose our words from the words students have come across in their reading.
• Students write the vocabulary words, determine how well they know the word (checking a checkbox in the correct column), and type any notes or definitions they have for the word.
• Simply duplicate the chart in Google Sheets when you are ready for students to make a new self-awareness chart over new content you are learning so that students can keep a log.

What's Included

• One Google Sheets document where students will duplicate and log their vocabulary awareness across all the readings completed in your class.
• In the document, students will include:

- Name

- Date

- What the vocabulary is for

- Word

- Students will check a box for the following: know it well & can explain it, heard it or seen it before, no Clue

- Notes/Definitions

*This resource is available for Outschool teachers to purchase without the need for extra licenses.

Check out other AVID resources HERE!

Check out other Reading resources HERE!

Check out Writing Resources HERE!

Check out Collaboration resources HERE!

Check out Public Speaking resources HERE!

Engage Early Readers with a Fun, Replayable Reading Comprehension Game:

Help early readers decode unfamiliar words with this Nonsense Word Reading Comprehension Practice Game! Using riddles and poems filled with "nonsense" gibberish words made up of letters, symbols, and numbers, early readers apply critical-thinking skills to practice using context clues to unlock meaning. Perfect for building confidence and reading comprehension skills in young learners who struggle with decoding unfamiliar words.

Key Features:

• Interactive and Engaging: A simple game with simple animations, sound effects, and visuals designed to keep young learners focused and excited.
• Unlimited Replay: 15 riddles are selected randomly from a pool of 50+ passages, ensuring every session is fresh and fun. No need for extra purchases!
• Aligned to Standards: Fully aligned with TEKS ELA.2.3.B and CCSS standards, helping learners use context within and beyond a sentence to decode unfamiliar words.
• No Tech Barriers: Play on any device—no macros, no Google account, and no prep needed.
• Automatic Scoring: Save time with instant feedback and an included answer key.
• Personalized Learning: Learners are acknowledged by name for an extra touch of engagement.

Why Educators Love This Game

• Cost-Effective: With unlimited replayability, this game offers exceptional value. Students can play again and again without additional costs, making it a budget-friendly classroom solution.
• Versatile Usage: Use in-class, at home, or as part of a blended learning approach. Perfect for individual practice or group challenges.
• Fun Meets Learning: Transform reading comprehension into an exciting adventure for young readers, while meeting essential educational goals.

This simple game is designed to focus on reading comprehension and is fully aligned to TEKS ELA.2.3.B and CCSS standards, helping learners use context within and beyond a sentence to decode unfamiliar words.

Features include:

• Simple animations, sound effects, and simple visuals for maximum learner engagement.
• Automatic scoring and answer key—zero prep required.
• Replayability to keep learners practicing without extra cost.

Suggested Price: $4.99 - $6.99 (AI generated)

Not convinced? Try it! Here's a preview of this game.

Call-to-Action

Click Add to Cart now to bring this exciting, no-prep decoding activity to your learners today!

Play on any device: No macros. Google account not required.

What to Expect:

You'll receive a PDF file that includes a link to the online game. This content requires the Internet and is not editable. Again, you are encouraged to test drive the functionality via the preview game, so that there are no surprises after purchase. While I'll update the game periodically, I will do my best to retain the same link. After purchasing, you'll be notified about any updates to this product.

Help Me Get Better:

If you encounter any issues, please reach out to me at zaneylaneylearning@gmail.com before posting a negative review. I have a lot of ideas, and I'm trying my best to present an error-free, high-quality product.

Engage 3rd-5th graders with this Animal Theme STAAR ELA review! Includes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, paired passages, new question types,  SCR, and ECR practice. Great for RTI, stations, bell ringers, spiral review, or independent reading comprehension work.

A no-prep resource designed to help students master reading comprehension!

➡️ Why You Will Love

⭐A resource that is planned and prepped so you get your planning time back!

⭐Science of reading-aligned strategies for students to apply to their reading.

⭐A variety of question types to familiarize students with updated test formats.

⭐Flexible Format to integrate into any curriculum. 

⭐Supports differentiation to reach all your students.

➡️ What’s Included

• 5 passages
• Each passage includes hot text, multiple choice, multiselect, multipart, SCR prompt, and ECR prompt.
• Teacher Directions
• Answer Key

➡️ Suggested Classroom Uses

1. Literacy Centers or Stations
2. Small Group
3. Independent Practice
4. Partner Work
5. Sub Plans
6. Formative Assessments

➡️ LET’S CONNECT

Follow ELA Vibes to get updates on new resources! 

➡️ Additional Supports

Mini-Lessons

Activity Packs

STAAR Prep

Short and Extended Constructed Responses

Help your 5th-grade students master the essential reading skills of identifying character, problem, and solution with this thoughtfully crafted resource! This set includes three engaging fiction passages at a Level T reading level, each designed to strengthen students' ability to track character development, analyze the main problem, and understand the solution.

Each passage is accompanied by:

• 5 multiple-choice questions that focus on character traits, the main conflict, and how the problem is resolved.
• 3 higher-level discussion questions to encourage deeper thinking and classroom conversation.
• Answer keys for all questions, making grading easy and efficient!

Also included in this set is our popular "Story Detective" Anchor Chart—a visual tool that guides students through the key questions to ask themselves when reading any fiction story. This anchor chart breaks down the process of understanding the character, identifying the problem, and following the solution.

As a bonus, we've included a student note catcher, perfect for independent practice, where students can jot down their observations on the character, problem, and solution of any story they read.

What’s Inside:

• 3 Level T Fiction Passages with:

  • Strong character development and relatable situations
  • Multiple-choice questions to assess comprehension of character, problem, and solution
  • Discussion questions to spark deeper classroom dialogue
  • Answer keys for all questions

• Story Detective Anchor Chart: A helpful visual reference for understanding any fiction story.

• Student Note Catcher: A worksheet to help students independently track character, problem, and solution in their reading.

Why You'll Love This Resource:

• Differentiated Practice: Level T passages are perfect for 5th-grade students, reinforcing essential reading comprehension skills.
• Engaging Content: Stories feature relatable characters, everyday problems, and meaningful resolutions that will captivate your students’ attention.
• Easy to Use: Printable and ready to go, with everything you need to teach character, problem, and solution all in one place.

Perfect For:

• Independent practice
• Small-group reading
• Homework assignments
• Test prep for understanding fiction text structures

This bundle includes a great range of activities perfect for grades 5-8 for all of February!

1. Speed Friending Activity: A dynamic classroom icebreaker designed for middle and high school students. It includes a comprehensive teacher protocol, an interactive Google Slides presentation, engaging conversation rounds with embedded timers, a note-taking sheet, and a reflection writing prompt. Ideal for building classroom community, enhancing behavior management, and fostering open communication.
2. ELA Matchmaker Review Game: An 81-page ELA review resource covering synonyms, antonyms, figurative language, literary elements, and affixes & roots. It includes printable and digital versions for flexible classroom use, promoting interactive learning and critical thinking in literary concepts.
3. Black History Month Digital Resource: A set of 45 Google Slides featuring 15 influential African American artists. This resource includes detailed informational texts, short videos, and interactive response prompts. It's a comprehensive tool for exploring African American history and art, ideal for daily classroom activities.
4. Civil Rights Movement Song Analysis: Titled 'Harmony of Hope,' this resource integrates Valentine's Day and Black History Month themes for middle schoolers. It includes a Google Slides presentation and a comprehensive PDF packet, featuring analysis of seven influential Civil Rights era songs.
5. GenZ Valentine's Day Cards: A collection of 24 unique, humorous, and inclusive Valentine's Day cards suitable for middle school students. These printable cards are gender-neutral, featuring relatable puns and high-quality graphics, adding a fun twist to traditional valentine exchanges.
6. The Science of Crushes and Heartbreak: An educational resource that blends science with Valentine's Day themes, targeting middle schoolers. It includes an article, a mini-lesson in Google Slides, a graphic organizer, and analytical questions. This resource enhances understanding of text features and author's purpose.
7. Valentine's Day Argumentative Writing Resource: A tool for grades 4-8 to enhance argumentative writing skills. It features 28 'Would You Rather' prompts, available in both PDF and Google Slides, to encourage debate and persuasive writing. Ideal for various classroom activities, including warm-ups and group discussions.

Includes prompts for writing informative and argumentative essays. Also includes writing powerpoints, outlines, and rubrics

Need help with organizing cause and effect essays? These 7 charts will guide students through planning and pre-writing cause and effect essays. Step-by-Step graphic organizers with note about cause and effect definitions, paragraph writing tip, and writing challenge to reorganize the essay on each handout.

Excellent for assessment practice, college test prep, standardized test prep, and expository writing. Helps build critical thinking skills. Meets state and federal ELA guidelines.

Common and Proper Nouns Grammar Activities - Mystery Picture Reveal

Engage your 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-grade students with this fun and interactive Common and Proper Nouns Grammar activity! Perfect for grammar practice and review, this Google Sheets resource features 20 targeted problems designed to help students distinguish between common and proper nouns while revealing a hidden mystery picture.

Proper Nouns and Common Nouns Grammar Digital Activity Practice & Review

As students answer each question correctly, portions of a vibrant picture reveal automatically, providing instant feedback and motivating them to complete the activity. Self-checking cells display a green color for correct answers and red for incorrect, helping students practice independently and teachers assess quickly.

This Common and Proper Nouns activity is ideal for grammar lessons, centers, or homework, providing a digital, engaging twist on traditional grammar worksheets. Boost your students’ grammar skills with this interactive tool that combines learning with excitement!

Best for Grades: 3rd-4th, adaptable for 2nd

Engage 3rd-5th graders with this text organization pack featuring three interactive activities, perfect for STAAR practice, stations, RTI reading intervention, and comprehension review.

These low-prep activities are designed to help learners master text structure in a fun and structured way within the Fiction Genre.

➡️ What’s Included

• Maze
• Cut and Paste
• Tic Tac Toe
• Answer Key

➡️ Why You Will Love

⭐STAAR rigor activities that are planned and prepped so you get your planning time back!

⭐Flexible Format to integrate into any curriculum. 

⭐Variety of activities to differentiate to help you reach every learner in your classroom. 

➡️ Suggested Classroom Uses

1. Literacy Centers or Stations
2. Small Group
3. Independent Practice
4. Partner Work
5. Homework
6. STAAR Prep

Bring creativity and comprehension together!

➡️ LET’S CONNECT

Follow ELA Vibes to get updates on new resources! 

➡️ Additional Supports

Mini-Lessons

Activity Packs

STAAR Prep

Short and Extended Constructed Responses

Dive into the rich tapestry of Black history with our Ultimate Black History Month Educational Bundle, meticulously crafted for educators passionate about providing a comprehensive, interactive, and engaging learning experience. This bundle combines a variety of resources, ensuring a well-rounded approach to teaching pivotal moments and figures in Black history. Suitable for grades 4-8, these resources are perfect for integrating into ELA, Social Studies, Art, and more.

1. Black History Month Athlete Trading Cards - Interactive Digital & Print Resource: Engage and educate your students with this interactive set of athlete trading cards. Celebrate the achievements of influential Black athletes with this 60-slide resource, perfect for classroom activities, creative projects, and bulletin board displays.
2. Claudette Colvin STAAR Test Prep Text (Grades 6-8) - FREEBIE: Dive into the inspiring story of Claudette Colvin with this STAAR test prep text. Designed for students in grades 6-8, this resource not only enriches students' knowledge about an important figure in the Civil Rights Movement but also sharpens their test-taking skills.
3. MLK 3 Interactive Timelines, Bulletin Boards & Door Decor: Honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with interactive timelines and visually appealing decor. This resource is perfect for creating an educational environment that celebrates MLK's journey and teachings, inspiring students through interactive learning and creative expression.
4. Black History Month Digital Resource - 45 Google Slides, 15 Texts, Video & Writing: This comprehensive digital resource is a treasure trove of information, featuring 45 Google Slides, 15 texts, videos, and writing prompts. It's designed to provide a rich educational experience, sparking discussions and deepening understanding.
5. Civil Rights Movement Song Analysis (Grades 5-8) - Valentine's Day Special: Analyze the profound messages in songs from the Civil Rights Movement with this unique resource. It's an engaging way for students to connect with history through music, enhancing their analytical skills and emotional understanding of the era.
6. Color & Discover Modern Heroes of Black History Month - Freebie: This creative resource allows students to learn about modern heroes of Black History Month through coloring activities. It's a fun, engaging way to introduce younger students to influential figures and their contributions.
7. Claudette Colvin STAAR Test Prep Text (Grades 6-8) - FREEBIE (Duplicate): Reinforce your students' understanding and appreciation of Claudette Colvin's courageous stand during the Civil Rights Movement with this STAAR test prep text. This resource doubles the opportunity to integrate critical reading and historical knowledge into your test preparation activities.

Each resource in this bundle is thoughtfully designed to cater to different learning styles and classroom needs, making it the perfect package to explore, celebrate, and honor Black History Month in your classroom. Equip your students with knowledge, critical thinking skills, and a deep appreciation for the contributions and stories of Black individuals with our Ultimate Black History Month Educational Bundle.

Digital Task Cards are a great way to help your students practice figurative language! These cards can work on a computer or mobile device! No printing of cutting just assign the deck to your students and you are ready to go! Boom Learning is free to sign up for. Students get immediate feedback and teachers can take advantage of reporting tools. Easy and effective! Great for distance learning or in a digital classroom. A total of 23 task cards.

*****READ MORE ABOUT BOOM CARDS: Boom Cards are self-grading, DIGITAL resources. They live in the cloud. They can't be printed. They play on most modern browsers, Android, iPads, iPhones, and Kindle Fires. You open a Boom Learning℠ account to play them (to protect the children). Create Fast Play pins to assign your Boom Cards to students.

Boom Learning also has premium accounts. Premium accounts offer advanced assignment tools, individual and whole class performance tracking, and more. If you are a new Boom Learning customer, when you redeem your Boom Cards purchase you get 90-day free trial of a premium account. When your trial ends, you can renew or move to a free account. You may upgrade, downgrade or cancel at any time. Free accounts use purchased Boom Cards with Fast Play pins.

***Did you know??? You can use Boom Cards in Google Classroom™! Just CLICK HERE to find out how!

Every April, students can celebrate Tell-a-Story Day, which occurs at the end of the month. This 16 page handout will help students with organizing and telling fact-based stories. Great for building oral communication, evidence/proof, and re-telling memories. Includes: Finding storytelling topics Graphic Organizers for planning stories in chronological order Setting up a storytelling event Designing advertisements/invitations Peer workshopping stories Links to multicultural, professional, international/national storytelling centers, storytelling videos and websites Can be used any time of the year! Students will enjoy sharing stories while learning how to use fact-based information. Fun and educational!