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Literacy, Test Prep
April 23, 2025
Step-by-Step Guide to the Best ELA Test Prep Game for Grades 3–4
How to Play This ELA test prep Review Game in Your Classroom
Say goodbye to boring worksheets. This fun, standards-aligned ELA test prep game brings teamwork, text evidence, and excitement back to review.
Need an ELA test prep game your students will actually want to play? This Jeopardy-style review turns reading, writing, and language practice into a team-based game that gets everyone talking, thinking, and having fun — without losing academic rigor.
Whether you teach 3rd or 4th grade, this game is your go-to for making ELA test prep less stressful and way more engaging. Let me walk you through exactly how I use it with students, what makes it so effective, and how you can set it up in minutes.
What Makes This ELA Test Prep Game So Effective?
As a former 4th grade teacher, I’ve lived the test prep struggle. You’re juggling standards, burned-out students, and the pressure to make sure they’re ready — without boring them to tears.
That’s why I made this.
This ELA test prep game flips the script. Students read real texts, answer test-style questions, and work together to justify their thinking. It feels like a game — but they’re still doing the deep work.
Here's why it works:
- Students read grade-level texts and answer standards-aligned questions
- Includes multiple choice, drag-and-drop, and Part A/Part B formats (just like the test)
- Teams work together to discuss, explain, and defend their answers
- Explanations are built in, so you can guide students through mistakes
- Most questions require students to return to the text to find evidence — others give them hands-on practice with grammar, sentence structure, and word meaning.
- It feels like a game, not a worksheet — perfect for reluctant readers or burned-out testers
This was a great way to review for the MSTEP. My students loved this activity—it was so engaging and entertaining.
- Parker M.
How to Play (with Real Tips from My Classroom)
You’ll get step-by-step instructions inside the game, but here’s how I’ve played it with my students — what worked best and what I’d recommend to make each ELA test prep game run smoothly.
1. Form Teams
Split your class into 4–6 teams. I like to mix up ability levels in each group, then let them pick fun team names to get the energy going. If you’re using the PowerPoint version, add their names to the built-in scoreboard before starting.
2. Print the Passages
This is key! Each question links to a numbered passage, and every student needs a copy. I print one full packet per student, so they can easily flip to the right story and follow along during discussions.
Teacher tip: Don’t read every passage out loud. Let students read in their teams — it gives them practice, saves your voice, and keeps them engaged.
Team Reading Options
There are lots of ways to have teams read the passages, depending on your setup, timing, and students’ needs. Here are a few of my go-to strategies that have worked well in my classroom:
- Popcorn Reading: One student reads a sentence, then the next student takes over, rotating through the group until the passage is done. This keeps everyone involved and helps build fluency.
- Designated Reader: One student reads the full passage aloud while the rest of the team follows along. Switch readers with each new question so everyone gets a turn.
- Silent Reading and Discussion: Each student reads the passage quietly on their own, then the team comes together to discuss the answers.
- Partner Read with a Coach: Students pair up in their team. One reads aloud while the other follows along and helps with tricky words. They switch roles with each new passage.
- Read & Highlight: Give teams a couple of minutes to read the passage silently and highlight key evidence. Then they discuss how their notes connect to the question.
Teacher tip: I like to switch it up depending on the length of the passage or how much energy the class has. Try a few of these and see what works best with your students.
3. Reading for Steals
I always remind students to read the passage even when it’s not their turn — because if they get the chance to steal, they’ll only have 10 seconds to answer.
What’s a steal? If a team answers incorrectly, the next team can “steal” the question and earn the points. That’s why everyone needs to be reading and ready — even when it’s not their turn.
This keeps the entire class tuned in. They’re reading along, thinking through each question, and ready to jump in when another team misses.
This one tweak turned my class from half-listening to fully focused. Everyone stayed locked in from start to finish.
Bonus tip: If a team steals and gets it right, I still let the original team try the bonus question. It keeps the game fun and gives everyone a fair shot at earning points.
4. Let the Games Begin
Each team takes turns choosing a category and point value.
When a question slide opens, they’ll see the corresponding passage (if the question is text-based) and work together to determine the answer.
Each passage is labeled with a numbered circle that matches the printable passage packet. This makes it easy for teams to flip to the right passage and follow along.
- Click the magnifying glass to zoom in on the passage for easier reading
- Click “Go to Question” when students are ready to answer
- Click the book icon at any time to return to the passage — perfect for showing students how to find evidence or revisit the text during a discussion
I love using the return-to-passage feature during class discussions. It’s a great way to model how to find evidence and explain why an answer makes sense — or doesn’t.
Once they’ve read and discussed:
- Click the answer choice — PowerPoint will tell you if it’s correct or incorrect without revealing the answer
- If it’s wrong, the next team can steal
- I usually give 10 seconds for a steal — so teams need to be prepared
Teacher tip: If you’re using Presenter View, you’ll see answer explanations in the notes section for each question. It’s a great tool for guiding students through mistakes and clearing up misunderstandings. Prefer paper? You can also print the Answer Key with Explanations to have handy while you play.
5. Bonus Questions & Scoring
Some questions in this ELA test prep game include a Part B bonus question, which appears after students get Part A correct. Here’s how I usually handle it in my classroom:
- If the original team misses Part A, I still let them try the bonus question
- I typically make bonus questions worth 100 points, but you can adjust that however you want
- Use the built-in scoreboard in PowerPoint or the printable one for Google Slides to keep track of team points
We used this ELA test prep game before the GA Milestones test. It was a great review and helped keep students engaged when reviewing gets boring!
- Taylor H..
6. Keep It Moving
After each question, move on to the next team — even if the previous team got it right. This keeps the pace fair and makes sure every group gets a turn to play.
PowerPoint’s faded boxes help you track which questions have already been used.
Most passages are tied to two different questions. If it’s been a while since teams read that passage, I’ll let them take a minute to reread before answering. Trust your teacher gut here — you’ll know what your class needs.
A Quick Note About Timing
This game usually takes 2–3 class sessions to complete. If you need to stop partway through, just keep in mind:
- Exiting PowerPoint will reset the team scores and remove the faded (answered) questions.
- Before closing, jot down each team’s score and which questions have been used so you can pick back up easily the next day.
I like to write team scores on the whiteboard or take a quick photo of the screen before exiting — super quick and saves a ton of time later!
What Teachers Are Saying
"LOVE this. My students and I played this the day it was downloaded. It was used as a review for our state testing."
-Laura C. 3rd Grade
"Very helpful to prepare for state testing! Super fun, and easy with printable passages, answer keys, and explanations! Loved it!"
-Paige P. 4th Grade
"My students loved this. They were engaged and able to review ELA skills. The reading text was interesting and my kids were totally engrossed."
-Kimberly H. 4th Grade
Want to Try It?
3rd Grade ELA Test Prep Games
4th Grade ELA Test Prep Games
Final Thoughts
This ELA test prep game has quickly become one of my favorite review activities. It gets students reading real texts, sharing their thinking, justifying their answers — and best of all, having fun while they do it.
If ELA test prep has felt like a drag lately, this might be the shift your classroom needs. And if you it a try, I’d love to hear how it goes. 💛
Hey, I'm Samantha
I’m a teacher, creator, designer, and lifelong learner passionate about developing engaging educational resources that save you time, lighten your workload, and inspire your students to think and learn in new ways.
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