How to Create a Quick Review Sheet for Class

As a teacher, you are responsible for ensuring students learn the topics and skills that they need to succeed. Despite the collective groans and protestations from your students, the best ways to analyze how well they are learning the material is through review worksheets and exams. However, there are several ways you can make these review sessions fun.

Race to knowledge!

One fun way to reinforce information is to have worksheet races in class. Create several different printable worksheets, each with different questions and answers. Depending on the student's age, these can have anywhere from four to 10 questions. It is helpful to code questions and answers with an ID number to keep the information organized for you. Divide the class into equal group - four to six students per group usually works best. Have them form groups and elect a runner, and write all the group names on the board for scorekeeping. As soon as a group is finished with the worksheet, the runner brings it up to you. You check it against your teacher worksheets for accuracy, sending it back if there are errors. The first team to complete all questions correctly wins 3 points; second team 2 points, third team 1 point. Repeat for several rounds, with the team with the most points winning a prize at the end.

Class competitions

You can also create an exciting entire class competition. Create a worksheet with a large number of questions. You can reuse questions from homeschool worksheets to make it easier to review. Divide the class into two teams, such as the left side of the room against the right side. Separate the chalkboard into two sections, and have a student from each team come up to the board. You can either read or write a question on the board, and the first student to have the right answer wins a point for their team. If both students get it wrong, the next two students have an opportunity to answer correctly. Keep cycling through until all the questions have been answered and all students have had several turns. If you have trouble keeping the class quiet, you can deduct points for students answering out of turn or cutting in line. The winning team at the end wins a prize.

Bingo fun!

For vocabulary or math skills, your class can play review Bingo. You will need to create a worksheet of at least 24 questions with different answers, which you can develop by reviewing previous assignments. On the board or a transparency, write down all of the answers. Give students a few minutes to create their own Bingo cards, placing answers randomly in squares. Once they have their cards set up, read questions randomly. The first student to mark off a Bingo on their card with the correct answers to the questions read receives a prize. You can then have students clear their boards to start again, or continue playing, depending on the number of questions you have to use.

A good review for students will both challenge them to remember learned skills and have fun. You can also choose to follow up the in-class review by sending home review worksheets comprised of the questions for completion at home. Selecting questions or problems from previous assignments or from the upcoming test can make preparation easier for you - and fun for the students!