Three Ways to Make Your Review More Exciting and Engaging for Your Students

Ways to engage and motivate your students with review

Sick and tired of the review activities you use with your students? Reviewing before a test can sometimes bore students (and teachers). They might be sick of hearing the same information over and over and over again. I used to do the same exact review with my students until I realized if I was bored with it, they probably were too. I then looked into different ways to switch it up.

Here are three ways to make your review motivate and engage your students.

#1: Quizlet Live:

I started sharing Quizlet links with my students after introducing a unit. This gives them the ability to practice vocabulary from the unit on their own in a fun way. You can then use this to create a Quizlet Live. I like to use this because it is collaborative. Students must work together to find who has the correct definition. It also makes them communicate because that is the only way they can determine who has the right answer. These are two areas my students need further help with so it’s allowing me to tackle a couple different skills at once. I also like it because it reinforces vocabulary and looks for accuracy over speed. If students are super quick but wrong, well they go back to zero and need to start over again. This is a tough concept for them to grasp at first.

How to Use Quizlet Live:
1. Pick a set to start Quizlet Live
2. Share the “join code” with your class
3. Students are randomly assigned a team
4. Teams sit together so that they can see one another’s computer screens and start playing
5. Teams race one another to win
6. It gives tips how to do better next time

Why I love Quizlet:

It forces students to work collaboratively with one another.
Students need to communicate with each other – one student cannot carry the whole group.
It reinforces vocabulary concepts and skills over and over again. (If a student gets a wrong answer, the group must start at the beginning of the game which forces them to review the questions again).
Unlike other games, accuracy over speed is what is most important.

#2: Sketch Notes:

I love art and coloring. I love using sketch notes with my students because it combines art, coloring, and concepts they need to know for an upcoming assessment. In addition, studies are now showing that if you combine coloring and different types of art activities that are traditionally right-side of the brain activities with traditional learning which is usually left-side of the brain activities, our brains are making more connections to the understanding of the topic which will allow for a deeper understanding. After using sketch note activities in class, I am noticing my students are able to provide better explanations and examples of their learning.

Why I love sketch notes:

I love combining art with other subject areas.
Students are making deeper connections using this type of activity.

#3: Boom Cards:

Boom cards can be described as task cards on crack. They really help students reinforce their learning but in a different way from traditional task cards. Boom cards are interactive, which truly motivates students. It should be noted that because of the interactive feature, students go through them at a quicker rate than traditional cards. However, since they complete them at a quicker rate, I like using them as a quick review at the beginning of the period. If used on the Smart Board, this is also getting students up and moving. That kinesthetic element really awakens them and motivates them. They also work well in centers. Students can work independently or in small groups to complete the activity and it is self-grading. The program lets them know right away if they are right or wrong.

Why I love Boom Cards: