If you’re looking for testing encouragement for your students, you’re in the right place! Testing treats and testing encouragement notes are some of my favorite ways to alleviate some of the stress associated with state testing and make it a bit more fun for students.
It’s that time of year again. State testing is on the horizon, benchmark assessments are coming up, and somewhere in your classroom there is a student who is already starting to feel the pressure. Maybe you can see it in their face when you mention the test. Maybe they’ve said out loud, “I’m not good at tests.” Or maybe they just seem a little more quiet than usual.
Here’s the thing, as teachers, we can’t always control how prepared our students feel going into testing season, but we absolutely can control how supported they feel. And that support? It matters more than you might think.
In this post, I’m sharing some of my favorite simple, testing encouragement and motivation ideas for students. Ideas that don’t require a big budget or hours of prep, but make a real impact on how kids show up on test day.
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Reducing Testing Anxiety
If you’ve ever watched a student freeze up on a test you know they were ready for, you’ve seen test anxiety in action. It’s incredibly common in elementary and middle school students, and it’s not just about being unprepared. A lot of the time, anxious test-takers are perfectly capable kids who’ve convinced themselves they’re going to fail before they even begin.
Research consistently shows that stress negatively affects working memory, which is exactly what kids need to perform well on assessments. When we help reduce that stress, we’re not just being nice. We’re actually helping our students access what they already know.
So what actually helps? A few simple things: connection, reassurance, and a little bit of fun. Here’s how to work all three into the days leading up to and during testing.
📌 Save it to your Pinterest boards so you can find it later during testing prep!
Surprise Testing Encouragement Notes
One of the most meaningful things you can do before a big assessment is to have someone leave a note of encouragement for your students. There is something incredibly powerful about a child reading words of encouragement in their parent’s handwriting (or a teacher!) right before a high-stakes test. It tells them: someone who knows me believes I can do this. That’s the kind of confidence that actually sticks.
If you don’t have time to create your own, you can grab this resource: Testing Encouragement Letter and Notes Templates for your students. It includes a letter you can send home to families as well as encouraging notes templates for parents, family members, or teachers to fill out. Then you can set these on students’ desks the day of testing for a nice surprise.
Leave a Little Treat on Their Desk
You’d be amazed how much a small treat on a desk can change the energy in a classroom on test morning. Walking in and seeing that your teacher thought of you, before school even started, signals safety and care. It doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive. An apple, a little bag of Goldfish crackers, or a mini candy bar with a fun note attached is genuinely all it takes.
If you don’t have time to make your own, this bundle includes over 35 Testing Treat Tags so there is truly something for every treat and day of testing! From Goldfish and Smarties to pencils and mints, so you have plenty of options no matter your budget or classroom guidelines.
If you want to do a little something special for your students on test day, treat tags are honestly one of the easiest ways to do it. Print them out, attach them to a treat, and leave them on desks before students arrive. Takes maybe fifteen minutes of prep for the entire class, and the reaction from students makes it completely worth it.
Teachers who’ve used these say students walk in on test morning, spot the treat on their desk, and immediately their whole demeanor shifts. That’s the magic of a small, intentional gesture.
💡 Teacher Tip: If your school has food allergy guidelines, pencils, mini bubbles, or highlighters make great non-food alternatives that kids love just as much.
Remind Them What You’re Testing, Not Who They Are
This one is free and takes thirty seconds. Tell your students explicitly that a test is measuring what they’ve learned so far, not their worth as a person or how smart they are. Kids internalize test results in big ways. A quick, genuine reminder that one test doesn’t define them can make a real difference in how they approach it.
Teach a Quick Calming Strategy
Give students one or two concrete tools for what to do when they feel stuck or anxious during the test. Box breathing (inhale 4 counts, hold 4 counts, exhale 4 counts) is simple enough for even your youngest students to remember. Writing their worry on a sticky note and flipping it over is another. Knowing they have a plan when things feel hard is itself calming.
Celebrate the Effort, Not Just the Score
Build in a moment after testing, even if it’s just five minutes, to acknowledge that your students worked hard and that you’re proud of them no matter what. A class cheer, a dance break, or a quick celebration circle reminds kids that their effort is what you value. This is especially important for your students who struggle with tests but gave everything they had.
Loop in Families
Parents and caregivers are one of your best resources during testing season, and most of them genuinely want to help but don’t always know how. A simple note home telling families how they can support their child the night before a test, early bedtime, a good breakfast, an encouraging word, can make a big difference in how students arrive at school on test day. I included a few different Family Letters in this Testing Encouragement Resource for you to use.
The Night Before Testing: A Simple Checklist for Teachers
Test week can feel pretty hectic for you as the teacher, too! Here’s a quick, low-stress checklist to help you feel ready:
- Print and prep any treat tags or desk surprises
- Send the encouragement letters home (or have it ready to hand out the week before)
- Remind students of their calming strategies
- Set out pencils, scratch paper, and anything else needed so the morning feels calm and organized
- Remind yourself: your worth as a teacher isn’t defined by how your students perform on this test
Testing season is hard. But it’s also one of the best opportunities we have to show our students that we see them, we believe in them, and that a test, no matter how big, doesn’t change how we feel about them. A little encouragement goes a long, long way.
I hope these ideas help make testing season feel a little lighter in your classroom this year. 💛
Happy Teaching!
Megan
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