Surviving the 3rd Grade FSA Test with Nintendo Selects

Need parent tips getting through the Florida Standardized Test? Check out how we’re Surviving the 3rd Grade FSA Test with Nintendo Selects. This post is sponsored by Nintendo. All video game loving opinions are my own.

Surviving the 3rd Grade FSA Test with Nintendo Selects

3rd grade is no joke. Harder materials, harder learning, and the first year of standardized testing. Today begins the 3rd grade FSA Test for math. The Florida Standardized Test is the one test that determines whether our boy moves from 3rd grade to 4th grade. Months of preparation, practice tests and learning all culminate to this moment – and I’m beyond nervous for my son. But we have been diligently working away at home and he’s ready. He’s SO ready.

Here’s how we’re surviving the 3rd Grade FSA Test, with lots of tips for kids and parents. Plus check out how Nintendo Selects is helping us stay on track for this year’s FSA testing.

Helping My Son Handle FSA Test Stress

The test anxiety is real. My 9-year old son can easily get himself worked up into a panic attack just thinking about the Florida Standardized Test. He knows how much is at stake. And he doesn’t want to watch the rest of his classmates go on to 4th grade without him.

When my son gets stressed, we have to stop and redirect him to the things that bring him joy. Building bricks. Reading comics. Playing his Nintendo 3DS. Nothing brings back that beautiful smile faster than a few minutes with his favorite video games. And with so much time and effort being put into this FSA test this year (like literally MONTHS!), I knew that I wanted reward my son for all of his hard work.

Nintendo Selects – Fun for Under $20

But let’s be honest. Sometimes a new Nintendo game would cost upwards of $30-$50+. Not in the family budget. That’s why I was excited to hear about the new Nintendo Selects collection of classic games for Nintendo 3DS and 2DS systems. Featuring games your whole family will love like Super Mario Land 3D and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, NES Remix, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D and more, there’s lots of fun ways to help your child stay on track for the best FSA testing year ever.

Need a digital copy? No need to carry around those game cartridges with a Nintendo eShop gift card! You can purchase a digital copy of Nintendo Selects games online! Just sign into your Nintendo account and download right onto your game system. The Nintendo eShop gift card makes a great gift and easy for kids to grab their “hard to find” Nintendo Selects games.

Giving my son just 10-15 minute mental break with his new Nintendo Selects games really helps him to stay on task and be more focused to get his 3rd Grade FSA Test practice questions complete – without complaining. And he just LOVES these classic games too, the ones this mom grew up on!

3rd Grade FSA Test Tips for Parents

The Florida Standardized Test is a huge school milestone for your 3rd grader. And as unprepared as I was going into this FSA testing season, I don’t want any other parent to feel that way. So I’ve come up with a handy list of 3rd Grade FSA Test Tips for Parents to help control the stress, ease the learning and allow your child to shine.

Goals – My son focuses better when he has goals to achieve. Whether it’s getting “x” amount of math practice questions correct on his homework or knowing the difference between finding the perimeter vs. area of a shape, I like to give him concrete and obtainable goals to help him on his FSA journey.
Practice, Practice, Practice! – Ask your child’s teacher for a list of test resources or extra practice tests to take home. There are also free FSA practice tests online (print and computer) to go over with your child at home. Here’s a list of FSA practice tests to try: HERE and HERE.
Go Over Answers Together – One of the things we found out is that while my son does go over the answers to practice test in class, he was sometimes too scared to ask for further clarification on wrong answers.
Breaks – Give your kids plenty of mental health breaks. Allow them to have time to do things that they love like playing sports outside or playing their Nintendo Selects games! We set timers so he knows that when the timer goes off, it’s time to get back to work.
Praise – My kids thrive on praise for their hard work. I make sure to praise and encourage my son for all of his hard work before, during and after the FSA.
Rewards – Consider using a rewards system to help encourage your little tester to excel. We love using this Nintendo Rewards Printable to help my son earn extra playing time when he goes above and beyond his normal FSA studying.
Sleep – A good night’s sleep can make a HUGE difference during test day. Make sure not to do anything too strenuous or draining the day before and make sure they go to bed on time if not early the night before the FSA test.
Balanced Meals – This goes for meals too. A balanced breakfast before the FSA can also help fuel that little mind to work smarter during the test as well.
Keep It Simple – We also lay out clothes the night before, get everything for school by the door and try to cut down on the amount of morning tasks before heading out that day. Less stress!
Love – The most important 3rd Grade FSA Test tip I can give is to make sure that your child feels LOVED, no matter what the outcome. Tell them, show them and be there for them every step of the way. Let your child know that they are so much more than a test.

The FSA is here, and we’ve done all that we could. This smart and amazing kid is going to rock this test, move onto 4th grade and do awesome things. I just know it. Thanks to a hard work ethic, a brain full of ideas and Nintendo Selects, the 3rd Grade FSA Test is just another stepping stone in his school career.