I teach Junior English. Helping students prepare for the ACT is an important part of my class, but fitting in practice in a way that fits logically into the course has always been a challenge. There’s plenty of ACT prep out there, but using it requires other instruction to come to a screeching halt while we practice.

Why, I thought, does test prep have to detract from our other reading and writing? Why can’t test prep ALSO deepen students’ understanding of a topic?

It CAN! And it should. Because excellent instruction isn’t a series of disparate tasks.

I’ve just released a collection of 10 ACT English usage practice exercises is designed to deepen students’ understanding of the Vietnam War. This new resource simultaneously provides repeated practice in tackling English usage ACT questions while still fitting logically into our current unit. I am using it as a companion to The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. Passages are engaging, not too long (500-800 word articles; 6-11 grammar/usage questions per article), and are designed to look just like the real ACT. Students can even practice using a bubble sheet to respond, just like the real ACT. When it comes time to grade, a detailed key with thorough explanations (and links to relevant resources) ensures that students know WHY the correct answers are correct.

Check out the E2E ACT English Practice Exercises for The Things They Carried here.

This is part of my ongoing quest to make learning test-taking strategies a meaningful part of our daily practice.

Keywords: enraged2engaged, E2E, ELA, secondary ELA, junior English, ACT, test prep, Vietnam War articles, nonfiction articles, grammar, usage, Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien