Over the years, hundreds of classrooms have used my Camp Write-a-Lot resource for Texas State Writing Test Prep to prepare for the ELA STAAR test.I get so much great feedback about this resource, but I’ve also gotten one request, over and over: make one for reading!

Texas Reading Ready Test Prep Camp

Camp Reading Ready consists of nine TEKS-aligned stations. I wrote them with the TEKS in mind, but guess what? They work for Common Core standards too, because they cover basic skills that most state tests expect kids to master!

What skills should kids review before their reading test?

Here’s a list of skills that Camp Reading Ready will help your kids review:

• • • Identifying genre with related author’s purposes, vocabulary & test questions

• • • Identifying main idea

• • • Identifying nonfiction text features and their definitions

• • • Matching vocabulary words with definitions and pictures

• • • Using context clues to infer word meanings

• • • Analyzing & describing characters

• • • Making inferences in poetry

• • • Sequencing events in fiction

• • • Synthesizing, using text features, and understanding text structure in expository text

Motivating kids during reading test review camp

To start with, the camp includes some motivational tools that will help kids stay focused while working through the stations. Choose from punch bracelets, punch cards, or collecting camp badges!

Test review camp activity: Identifying genre

In this activity, students read short texts and identify the genre of the text. Then they sort the author’s purpose, vocabulary and sample questions into the different genres.

Test review camp activity #2: Identifying main idea

Test Review Camp Idea #3: Nonfiction Text Features

Test Review Activity #4: Vocabulary Match

Practice Context Clues with these fun task cards

Analyzing Characters with this fun game

I really want to play this game, actually. Like, with another person instead of just with myself. Each player gets a game piece and some character cards. They move their pieces across the board, trying to get back to camp! To move faster across the board, they have to match their character cards (synonyms and descriptions) with the traits on the board. It’s Candyland…minus the candy.

Making Inferences in Poetry

I had a BLAST writing these poems! Each poem is written from the point of view of an animal. Kids have to read closely for clues to infer what animal is the speaker in the poem!

Sequencing Events in Fiction

This station is all about making sense by constructing a story out of paragraphs. Kids read the paragraphs on strips and then sequence them to tell a fictional story about… you guessed it: camping!

Students have to use sequence of events and clues they gather from transitions to put the paragraphs in logical order to tell a story!

Hands on test review activity: Building Expository Text

Okay, maybe THIS is my favorite station. I love having kids use text features, understand text structure, and synthesize all in one! First, kids sort out the text features and begin figuring out the topic and structure of the text. They match captions and photos, titles, maps, and more. Then they take out the paragraphs and really get busy! It’s one of my favorite things to do with kids because it is so engaging and requires lots of thinking.

These stations are an engaging and purposeful way to review for the Texas State Reading test, and they’re in my store, ready to go. Just click to head over and grab it. I really believe your kids will enjoy it and it will take away some of your test prep stress. And check out my Writing Camp Resource here!

Are you a Texas teacher? Enter your email address below to get the Nonfiction Matching activity from this resource!