Assessment is the 6th InTASC standard. In my classroom I use assessment tools to measure the progress and success of the lesson as it continues, ultimately resulting in the refining of the lesson for each class. These assessments change based on the prior knowledge of the students, their unique learning styles, and their progress in class.
Gauging a student’s prior knowledge is the first step I take in designing a curriculum. Below is an artifact from a lesson on Story Impressions, a reading strategy where I provided my student with a list of vocabulary words and context from a story she had not read. She used these tools to make predictions and write her own story using the provided vocabulary list. She then compared her original story to the actual story to see what was right, and where she departed. This technique allows the student to access his/her prior knowledge of vocabulary to make reasonable predictions in the text. It also helps gain personal investment from the student in the material that comprises the lesson. This is much more effective than simply introducing new content.
There are many worksheets that can be used as helpful assessment tools, but class assessments are most helpful when the instruction is varied. For example, assessment that gets kids up and moving can be a nice change of pace in the classroom. During review for Julius Caesar, my class played a Flyswatter game. In this game, they were asked a question, and given a flyswatter. On the word “go” they ran to the answer that was posed on a wall in the room, and the first one to get it right got a point for his/her team. This activity helped the kids review the content, and they had a great time on their feet. This appeals to a variety of learning styles, including kinesthetic, which can be challenging to do in a ELAR classroom.
Assessment styles can, and should, change according to the progress the class is making as a whole. For example, if my class is falling behind in a certain area, it’s imperative I focus more time on that area. To best serve my class, I need to assess their troubles, and address them directly. A great tool to help with this assessment is a daily quiz. I use this technique with my kids who do daily reading to check their comprehension. It’s a nice snapshot that allows me to see what we need to focus on in conversations about the novel. This quiz is no longer than 5 questions, and the grade isn’t heavily weighted. It is more a tool for me as the teacher to use, to make sure I know that my class and I are on the same page.
