Critical Thinking: A Remedy for Boring Test Prep
Using the W.I.C.K Note-Taking Strategy to Boost Achievement on the Big Test
No matter how culturally responsive and engaging our classrooms are, students (especially during testing season) still have to read and make sense of dry, complex text, stuff you probably find boring too! The W.I.C.K. is a note taking strategy (get a premade template here, or have your students make their own) that gives students a low-floor, high-ceiling way to make meaning, have productive conversations with their classmates, and grapple with nuance and complexity. Read one teacher’s reflection from a partner district in Silver City, New Mexico, and let us know if you try this strategy with your kids!
My ELA students took their Quarter 3 milestone today, and I had them use the WICK framework to help them take a few notes during the reading passages. Because it was a test, I didn’t provide a pre-made WICK; instead, I gave them a blank piece of paper, and they had to create their own.
They wrote down words they didn’t understand, which helped them focus on vocabulary and meaning. One student even drew a picture when he couldn’t figure out how to pronounce “carousel”— 20 minutes later, he told me he knew how to say the word because he could picture it in his mind.
The impact was measurable—our overall class average increased by nine percentage points from our last milestone. The most significant growth came from students who are lower-level readers, yet still required to read sixth-grade level text independently during testing. This group grew by over 19% points from the last milestone.
This strategy seemed to give them a structured way to engage with the passage and persist through challenging vocabulary and content. I love how this simple step made a noticeable difference! Students were more intentional in their reading, took their time, and showed greater confidence in tackling difficult sections.
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