Owens' Class Rules

Formative assessment is a planned activity to assess student learning.  These informal assessments should occur while the content is still being taught.  Formative assessments inform teachers of what students know or do not know after a lesson or unit of lessons.  The information you gather from formative assessments will help the teacher adjust instruction to meet the needs of the students.

After I have given a formative assessment, I like to split my students into groups based on what they have struggled with.  I usually have 2 to 3 groups depending on the skill that was assessed.  I have one group that has mastered the concept, a group that almost has it, and a group that needs to be retaught the whole skill in small group.

Here are a few of my formative assessment strategies to get you started:

The Whiteboard – Dry erase board that the students can use to write answers to questions, or solve math problems.  This is probably my favorite!  Everyone is working at the same time, so none of your students are just sitting around waiting for the “smart kids” to answer.  My students also love to use these!

The Exit Ticket – short “quiz” to take.  Usually just a few questions about topic that was discussed that day.

Think-Pair-Share – Students are given time to think about what was taught during the lesson.  Then they pair up with a partner to discuss each other’s ideas.   Last, they share ideas with the class.

Carousel – Students are split up into groups (usually 4-5)  Each group gets their own chart paper and a marker.  Each group will write down what they learned about a topic.  Give a time limit for this.  After time is up, groups move to a different chart and read the answers were given by the other group.  Then they will add to the list.  They can circle or highlight answers that they feel were on target, or add question marks to comments that they feel were not on topic.

Corners – This is a great way to get students up and moving and find out what they know.  Label each corner A, B, C, and D.  The teacher reads a question with a, b, c, and d answer choices.  Students go stand in the corner of the answer that they choose.  It is very easy to tell who is understanding the material and who does not with this strategy.

Formative assessment is a proven strategy to provide evidence of student learning, helps engage students, and helps students meet their learning goals and state standards.  Here are some of the things I use to help with formative assessments!