0 Test Prep & a Little Jingle (or two)

So, sadly, I have spent the last 3 hours prepping my lesson plans for next week…yes, I know, it is Saturday and I should be out doing something fun, or at least something for myself or my family…getting groceries – we’re down to the bare bones & I just finished the dang coffee creamer.  It doesn’t help that I’ve had 34 cups this morning!

But I wanted to share with you some amazing resources that I found…no, I didn’t actually have to reinvent the wheel!! If you follow my blog, you know that I am not a fan of detest standardized testing; however I know that it is not going away.  So, reluctantly, I decided to prep my kids for it.  I know, I know, only a few short days ago I said I wouldn’t….but looking at my kiddo’s I know that they need it. We’ve only been back in school one week and they need to practice those comprehension and fluency skills…not to mention, they need to be taught how to use a bubble sheet.

So, yes, that is what I’ve spent the last 3 hours doing.  Not creating amazing, fun, engaging lessons, but creating “study” materials for the CASE21 assessment.  However, this gave me some time to browse websites I’ve bookmarked or “pinterested” over the past year (it is a lot of sorting!!) and found some great practice reading passages and a {woot-woot} great site to create and print bubble sheets!!

I am sure many of you already know about this website, but I was so excited to find it {again} this morning that I wanted to tell you about it… in case you didn’t know.

Havefunteaching.comhas amazing reading passages for reading comprehension through 8^thgrade!! Yes, you read that right middle school teachers – 8^thgrade!!  Now, I am not a fan of worksheets – blech – but this site has some great test prep materials!!

And {an added bonus} I found a great site for bubble sheets.  I am very particular about how my bubble sheets look… it must be the middle school teacher in me!  Anywho – here is a great resource – it’s called Catpin Productions Bubble Test Form Generator.  I love that you can customize your answer sheets.

Now it’s time to have some fun!!!! Jessica over at Fantastically Average is having a Falalalala Friday Link Up.  I love the idea – there are some great Christmas songs that we forget about since we really only listen to them for a little while every year…however I think I may change that tradition – double check with me in July… yes, our family reunion may have to be Christmas or winter themed!

Anyway – back to the link up {can you tell the coffee is really kicking in now!?} 

Rudolphis my favorite “oldie” Christmas song… I love some Dean Martin!!!

And, no one can pass up a little Grinch-y music…. thank you Thurl Ravenscoft!!

And, of course, no Christmas would be complete without Mariah or Michael’s All I Want for Christmas…







So, happy Saturday friends! Make sure you check out some great websites… or better yet, some great tunes!!

~Realistic