At Robinson Elementary, test preparation is looking a little different this spring — and students are loving it. As third through fifth grade students participate in the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), teachers are finding creative ways to build confidence, reinforce learning, and make practice engaging.

In third grade classrooms, teachers Ms. Hooper and Ms. Hsu introduced students to the “Math Basket Challenge,” an interactive, team-based activity designed to strengthen math skills while making review fun. Using sample CAASPP-style questions, students first solved problems independently on whiteboards before collaborating with teammates to discuss strategies and agree on answers.

Teams that answered correctly earned the chance to shoot balls into baskets positioned around the room — each with hidden point values students later had to calculate to determine the winning team. Along the way, teachers reinforced important problem-solving strategies, test-taking skills, and the importance of showing work, especially for multi-step problems.

The activity not only reviewed key concepts taught throughout the year, but also created excitement around learning. One student captured the energy best upon walking into class and excitedly saying, “Yay, we’re doing test prep!”

This enthusiasm reflects the positive classroom culture being built at Robinson, where students are encouraged to see challenges as opportunities to learn, collaborate, and grow.

Thank you to Robinson teachers and staff for their dedication in supporting students throughout testing season, and thank you to Principal Cavallaro for contributing this story!