Does the word “assessment” overwhelm you? Collecting data, formative and summative assessments, and report cards are three trigger words for teachers. I like to consider myself a seasoned teacher, but I am always learning new things, and one area that I knew needed improvement was my assessment procedures. After finally nailing down go-to activities and resources, the assessment process is no longer super overwhelming. But piecing the assessments together for report cards is another story, ha!
Math is one of those areas of assessment that can feel tricky because while students might be getting the correct answers, we need to assess to make sure they understand how and why. We have had to begin assessing in more creative ways to see the bigger picture of student’s understanding. For so long, assessments were simply viewed as tools to give students a grade and a ranking. We know that assessments are the roadmaps to our mathematical journey in the classroom. The pandemic forced teachers to think beyond the scope of traditional assessments. We had to get creative and develop non-traditional ways to assess our student’s understanding to help guide us in our instruction. Below are a few ways that I rope in regular instruction but with the purpose of using these tools as assessments.
Number Talks
Number talks allow for discussion where students can share and justify their answers. They enable students to be flexible in their thinking and reasoning. It is a time when we take a step back from the teaching role and allow students to be a bit more in charge of their learning. Number talks are one of my favorite times of the day. They require students to not only share their answers but instead the solution and how they got to that answer. Number talks give teachers better insight into how students take in information and where they are in the process. And, because we are all together and students are sharing, it’s a great time for me to jot down notes or grab my index cards. You can find out how I use those in my previous post on assessing reading. If you’re looking for more ideas on implementing number talks, head to this post.
Create Check-Lists of Expectations
It’s helpful to predetermine the expectations you have of your students- what are you looking for them to know. It’s beneficial to look at the bigger picture of the progression you expect your students to make and then set goals and expectations based on that.
Pre-Unit Assessments
KWL Charts are helpful steps in completing formal assessments because they give teachers insight into a student’s knowledge on a specific topic. From there, you can then begin to plan lessons based on that insight. KWL charts are excellent for differentiation or determining a student’s readiness on a topic. But then, after a unit completion, you can use them as an assessment to determine what they learned.
Exit Tickets
Like reading and writing, exit tickets are excellent to assess quickly, especially after an instructional lesson. It’s a great way to gauge how students understood what was taught. Did they understand it? What needs continuous practice? These are great for checking and understanding new concepts and skills.
Goal Sheets
When first-graders start at the beginning of the year, they enter your classroom with varying skill levels and differentiate and plan lessons-you have to know where they are. And assessments are the easiest way to get that information quickly. Inside this packet, I have assessments and goal sheets because they are a great way to track student progress and keep you organized. I include kid-friendly graphs that allow students to set goals based on the data. It’s an excellent way to get a snapshot of where they stand at the beginning of the year. Most importantly, students set goals to know what skills they need to improve on. Keeping students involved in assessments is a great way to help them stay involved in the learning process.
Games
First-graders are still so young, and it’s essential to incorporate games into their daily routine. One, because it increases engagement but two, it raises their confidence levels, which helps you get a clearer vision of their skill level and understanding of specific concepts. And the best part about math is that so many games involve math skills, making it super easy for you to begin using games multiple times throughout the day.
Monthly Assessments
I struggled to find assessments that were specifically geared toward what I previously taught. Everything seems to be geared towards the end of the year instead of where we currently are. And I personally love to assess as soon as a unit is finished because it helps me indicate where I need to focus spiral reviews. I have a packet of worksheets and assessments that I use monthly or bi-monthly with my students. For instance, I will pull out this assessment packet to use with my students at the end of April. I refer to these as skill checks.
If I use the word assessment, my students will assume it’s a quiz, so instead, I use these as early-finisher activities or sprinkle them in throughout the day. Then I have a good look at how they digested the information.
More assessments for throughout the year:
Assessments can feel daunting and stressful, but it quickly becomes second nature when you have the right tools and resources. Assessments allow you to better plan and differentiate for all students in your classroom. But also, when you are assessing consistently and clearly, report cards and conferences become a breeze because you have so much information to help guide you through these processes.
