Tag Archives: top 10

Top 10 Formative Assessment Methods

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Hello Everyone,

For one of my graduate classes this semester, I compiled a list of ten formative assessment methods. These can be used with any grade level in any content area, although I have commented on their effectiveness in the library media center. I hope they are useful to you.

Formative Assessment Method #1: S-O-S Summary

Directions:

  1. Provide students with a Statement-Opinion-Support Summary sheet (See below).
  2. Write a statement on the board for students to copy that can be argued.
  3. Give students five minutes to agree or disagree with the statement and support their options with evidence.
  4. Collect the sheets to assess student understanding adjust instruction as needed.

sos

Comments: This formative assessment allows students to practice argumentative writing, that is the support of personal opinion with evidence, in less than five minutes without having to write in complete sentences or craft a perfect paragraph. Data is collected by submission of student work on the sheet, in which the teacher is looking for the meaning of the statement, agreement or disagreement, and supportive evidence of that opinion. Several variations abound as to what the 3 things, 2 things, and 1 thing are and can be adapted to different content areas. This would be useful in its present form in the library media center when working with students on supporting opinions.

 Reference

Dodge, J. (2009). 25 quick formative assessments for a differentiated classroom [PDF]. Scholastic: New York, NY. Retrieved from http://store.scholastic.com/content/stores/media/products/samples/21/9780545087421.pdf

 Formative Assessment Method #2: 3-2-1

Directions: Give students a 3-2-1 sheet with space to work or have them write on paper:

  • Three things they learned.
  • Two interesting things.
  • One question they still have (Edutopia, n.d., p. 1)

Comments: This formative assessment allows students to summarize a lesson’s content by providing three things they learned, to connect to the content by providing two things they found personally interesting, and to wonder about the content by providing one question they still have. Data is collected from the “one question” section, which gives the teacher items that need addressing during the next class time. This is useful would be the library media center when guiding students through the research process.

Reference

Edutopia. (n.d.). 53 ways to check for understanding [PDF]. Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/blogs/edutopia-finley-53ways-check-for-understanding.pdf

 Formative Assessment Method #3: PollEverywhere

Directions:

  1. The teacher creates a free account to ask questions of a class.
  2. Students text their responses to the unique question code.
  3. Answers appear anonymously as soon as they are sent.

Comments: I used this website in a brainstorming activity in one of my undergraduate classes with my peers. It only works of participants have access to a mobile device with text messaging capability. The anonymity encourages openness and honesty in responses. Kathy Dryer (2014) states that Mentimeter is a comparable web program which does not limit the number of users like PollEverywhere does (para. 4). Data is collected through a report by PollEverywhere of submitted answers with statistics as possible. This would be useful in the library media center for several tasks, such as multiple-choice questions on library skills and summarizing in a few words the theme or main idea of a text.

 Reference

Dryer, K. (2014, January 21). 33 digital tools for advancing formative assessment in the classroom [Blog post]. Teach. Learn. Grow. Retrieved from https://www.nwea.org/blog/2014/33-digital-tools-advancing-formative-assessment-classroom/

 Formative Assessment Method #4: Muddiest Point

Directions: Ask students to answer “What was the muddiest point?” on paper.

Comments: My undergraduate English language arts methods professor would ask us to Tweet her the day’s muddiest point, a way for us to say what we were still confused about regarding the topic under discussion. I did not find it extremely effective, since the professor never used the tweets formatively to adjust instruction. Data is collected by the teacher evaluating the “muddiest points” to determine what needs more attention during the next class. This would useful in the library media center for various topics, such as searching on the OPAC, using an online database, or determining secondary characters. K. Lambert (2012), at OCPS Curriculum Services, states that a variation of this assessment could be “clearest point” (p. 3), in which students would state what they understand the best about the topic.

Reference

Lambert, K. (2014). Tools for formative assessment–Techniques to check for understanding–Processing activities [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.levy.k12.fl.us/instruction/Instructional_Tools/60FormativeAssessment.pdf

 Formative Assessment Method #5: Somebody Wanted But So

Directions: After reading a fiction piece, students write sentence using the form “Somebody Wanted But So” to summarize the story’s plot.

Comments: This formative assessment allows students to identify a story’s character(s), main event(s), problem, and solution “with structured story grammar…orally, pictorially, or in writing” (Lambert, 2012, p. 5).

Reference

Lambert, K. (2014). Tools for formative assessment–Techniques to check for understanding–Processing activities [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.levy.k12.fl.us/instruction/Instructional_Tools/60FormativeAssessment.pdf

 Formative Assessment Method #6: Analogy Prompt

Directions: Present students with an analogy prompt: “the concept being covered is like ____ because ____” (Briggs, 2014, para. 19).

Comments: This formative assessment allows students to get creative and make a concept personal through connections and similarities. Data is collected through exit slips or sticky-notes that the teacher can evaluate and perhaps mention a few anonymously the next class time. This would be useful in the library media center to help students contextualize library organization for themselves by saying what the fiction/nonfiction/everybody section is like and why.

Reference

Briggs, S. (2014, May 4). 20 simple assessment strategies you can use every day [Blog post]. Te@chthought. Retrieved from http://www.teachthought.com/teaching/20-simple-assessment-strategies-can-use-every-day/

Formative Assessment Method #7: Laundry Day

Directions: During a chapter or unit review session, students work in groups based on their choices of four detergents:

  • Tide – “students select this detergent if they are believe the tidal wave of information might drown them” and would benefit from “a comprehensive review” (Erkens, 2007, p. 4);
  • Gain – “students select this detergent if they understand the basics of the concepts taught, but seem to be missing some of the nuances or finer details” and would benefit from deeper investigation (Erkens, p. 4);
  • Bold – “students select this detergent if they are fairly confident they will pass the unit exam, but still have a few niggling questions” and would benefit from creative engagement with the content (Erkens, p. 4);
  • Cheer – “students select this detergent if they are certain they will be successful on the exam” and often elect to help those in the Tide group (Erkens, p. 4).

Comments: This formative assessment allows students to self-assess their expected performance on an upcoming summative assessment and choose the group which will benefit them the most and help them prepare in-class for the exam. It will be effective in classrooms where students will not be stigmatized for their group choice and not pressured to be with their friends in a different group. A knowledge that “fair is not always equal” and “everyone learns differently” is vital to this formative assessment succeeding. Data is collected through observation of student group choice and documented for future reference, so some students who have mastered the content do not choose to participate in the Tide group or a Tide student choose to participate in the Bold group out of stigmatization. This would be useful in the library media center when students are working on mastering a library- or inquiry-related process, such as evaluating resources or compiling bibliographies.

Reference

Erkens, C. (2007). Leading change in assessment practices [PDF]. Solution Tree. Retrieved from http://fai.tie.wikispaces.net/file/view/1a_WY+State+Conf+HOs.pdf

 Formative Assessment Method #8: 12 Word Summary

Directions: Students are asked to summarize a passage of text or a “chunk of instruction” in twelve words or less (“Formative (Informal) Assessment Strategies,” p. 1).

Comments: This formative assessment forces students to briefly summarize a passage or instruction on a topic and carefully choose meaningful words. Data is collected by the teacher reading students’ summaries. This would be useful in the library media center when working with informational texts.

Reference

Formative (Informal) Assessment Strategies [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.bostonpublicschools.org/cms/lib07/MA01906464/Centricity/Domain/44/Formative_Informal.pdf

 Formative Assessment Method #9: Quick Class Check

 Directions

  1. Distribute whiteboards, plastic plates, index cards, or sheets of paper on which students can write.
  2. Pose a question or problem to the class.
  3. Everyone answers individually.
  4. Each student holds up his or her answer to the teacher.

Comments: I used this formative assessment during a second grade lesson on three-digit subtraction during one of my Student Teaching placements. Students solved problems I placed on the Smartboard on their individual whiteboards; I was able to assess each student’s work and provide feedback quickly. It allows students to have slight anonymity among their peers, since the teacher should be the only other person seeing their board. Data is collected by the teacher seeing all the responses at once, possibly check marking “who/how many got the answer,” with “discussion[s] to elaborate” following as needed (“Formative (Informal) Assessment Strategies,” p. 1). This would be useful in the library media center for various tasks, such as assessing students’ knowledge of resource location.

Reference

Formative (Informal) Assessment Strategies [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.bostonpublicschools.org/cms/lib07/MA01906464/Centricity/Domain/44/Formative_Informal.pdf

 Formative Assessment Method #10: Give One/Get One

Directions:

  1. Students are given papers and asked to list 3-5 ideas about the learning.
  2. Students draw a line after their last idea to separate his/her ideas from classmate’s lists.
  3. Students get up and interact with one classmate at a time, exchanging papers, reading their partners’ lists, and asking questions about new or confusing ideas.

(“Formative (Informal) Assessment Strategies,” p. 1)

Comments: This activity can act as a formative assessment for two different skills, while offering students an opportunity to interact with their peers and move about the room. First, it can be a formative assessment of brainstorming, since students are writing 3-5 ideas related to the topic. Secondly, it could be used to assess students’ ability to ask and answer questions, since partners are questioning each other’s lists and could respond to the questions in writing. Data is collected through teacher evaluation of the “Give One/Get One” sheets; this would be useful in the library media center for various tasks, such as when students are generating interview questions, listing subtopics for research about a main topic, or compiling summer reading lists.

Reference

Formative (Informal) Assessment Strategies [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.bostonpublicschools.org/cms/lib07/MA01906464/Centricity/Domain/44/Formative_Informal.pdf

Enthusiastically,

Ms. Tyler

Top 10 Time Fillers: Part 1

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Hello Everyone,

  • Have you ever wondered what to do with that extra five minutes before lunch, Special Area, dismissal, or a school-wide assembly?
  • Do your students need a brain break after something that required a lot of intense focus?

Some teachers just seem to have a plethora of quick games they can pull out of their “teacher extraordinaire” toolbox when there is extra time or students need a brain break. If you happen to be a new teacher or a substitute, that “teacher extraordinaire” toolbox might not have anything useful in it for those times. Never fear; in this blog post, I will explain five great “time fillers” which might require few materials or supplies. These five activities have direct connections to Common Core standards in English language arts and mathematics, as I shall explain.

Sparkle (Word list needed)

“Sparkle” is a spelling game I learned to play with second graders in one of my student teaching placements. Everyone stands or sits on their desks as words are spelled in round-robin fashion. When the word is completely spelled, the next student up says “sparkle” (with or without optional hand motion of spreading sparkles) so the student after is out of that round. If sometime says the wrong letter or says “sparkle” too soon, he or she is also out of the round. The round continues until everyone is sitting or it is time to leave, whichever comes first.

Example:
Ms. Tyler: The word is “kind.”
Sally: k
Sam: i
Joe: n
Jill: d
Emily: Sparkle!
Evan, who would have been next, is now out; Danielle starts the next word.

You might be asking yourself: “where do I get grade-level appropriate spelling words?”

Enter the Fry Word List!

These lists, divided by grade level, have compiled the most common “high frequency” words that students of the grade should instantly recognize. By using these words, the teacher is reinforcing fluency and satisfying the Common Core standards that deal with students “recognizing and reading grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words,” such as CCSS.ELA.LITERACY.RF.2.3.F.

Incidentally, the complete list of Fry Words can be obtained here.

One, Two, Three

In my other student teaching placement with fourth graders, I learned to play “1, 2, 3.” Individual students chose to say one, two, or three digits trying not to say the number 10, the “out” number. The game repeats the sequence to ten until only one student is standing.

Example:
Ms. Tyler: 1
Sally: 2, 3
Sam: 4, 5
Joe: 6, 7, 8
Jill: 9
Emily: 10.
Emily is out because she said “10;” Evan starts the game over by saying “1,” “1, 2,” or “1, 2, 3.”
This game could be extended or simplified as appropriate for the grade level. For example, kindergarten students could play by only saying one number each to reach ten or could count to 100 by tens, which would satisfy CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.A.1. Older students could try to reach 1,000 by skip-counting by fives, which would satisfy CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.NBT.A.2.

Around the World (Flash cards needed)

While in fourth grade for student teaching, I learned to play “Around the World,” a game grounded in math fact “automacity.” Students are grouped or asked to sit at their tables before starting the game; the teacher chooses two students from one table to play against each other. The student who says the fact correctly or whoever is the fastest at saying it remains standing. The “winner” of the round plays everyone at his or her table and moves to the other tables. It is sometimes subjective on the teacher’s part who is the “winner” of the round based on who was heard first.

Since some grade levels drill fact memorization, this game helps students refresh their memories, while helping them satisfy standards such as CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.OA.C.7. It is important when playing to encourage students do not cheer or boo the “winners” or “opponents,” since that practice creates unneeded competition.

Mad Libs (Activity sheets and pencils needed)

An old stand-by for road trips and waiting rooms, Mad Libs let children be authors and use their imaginations to fill-in-the-blanks of stories and how-to pieces on various topics. Students could be grouped in pairs or tirades, allowing for collaboration opportunities, to complete Mad Lib sheets and share them with the class. These silly stories actually give students an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of “the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular sentences” such as CCSS.ELA.LITERACY.L.3.1.A.

An elementary school district in California has twenty-seven Mad Libs websites archived here.

Storybook Charades (Charades cards needed)

Charades meets storybooks in a virtually silent game that is perfect for library media centers or English language arts classrooms of any grade. Students should be briefed on the basic rules for charades before playing for the first time, and use of common charades hand signals should be encouraged to make the game authentic. Kid-friendly rules and playing tips have been compiled here, by the National Literacy Trust, a charity in the United Kingdom focused on transforming lives through literacy. After I have created some storybook charades cards for use with elementary students, I will upload the link.

By focusing on characters, book titles, and authors, this game reinforces students’ understanding of story elements and helps them to comprehend grade-level stories, dramas, and poetry, as stated in CCSS.Literacy.RL.5.10 by giving them an opportunity to act out the different story elements. With the addition of books that have film adaptations, reluctant readers can rely on their knowledge of popular culture while still participating.

I hope these five activity ideas will be added to your “teacher extraordinaire” toolbox! The next five will be posted soon!

Enthusiastically,

Ms. Tyler

PS. All of the Common Core standards mentioned in this post can be found at this website.