formative assessments

Formative assessments - before a lesson

Before a Lesson Entrance Ticket:An entrance ticket is one way to incorporate formative assessment before instruction. Teachers can pose a question for students to respond to on a note card, sticky note, or slip of paper. This question can ask students to answer a factual question, solve a problem, or even rate their own level of understanding of the material they've learned so far. 4-Corner Assessment:4-corner assessment is another formative assessment tool used before instruction. In this activity, teachers label each corner of the room with the labels: 'Strongly Agree,' 'Agree,' 'Disagree,' or 'Unsure.' Teachers then pose a series of questions about the previous day's lesson, and students gather in the corner that represents their level of understanding.

formative assessments - during a lesson

Colored Cups:During a lesson, teachers might employ the colored cups method of formative assessment. Each student has a set of colored cups on their desk (one red, one yellow, and one green). A student displays his green cup if he understands the lesson, his yellow cup if he's a little confused, and his red cup if he doesn't understand at all. Thumbs Up, Sideways, or Down:Another formative assessment method that can be used during a lesson is thumbs up, sideways, or down. This is a very easy strategy that teachers can use multiple times throughout a lesson. Students give the thumbs up sign if they understand the content, a sideways thumb if they're a little confused, and thumbs down if they're very confused. Individual Dry Erase Boards:Giving each student a dry erase board and marker is also a good way to make formative assessments during a lesson. Throughout the lesson, the teacher can ask students to write their answers on the board and hold them up in the air. This allows the teacher to see which students understand and which students do not. Fist to Three:Additionally, teachers might try the fist to three during a lesson. Teachers can ask students to hold up a 1, 2, or 3 with their fingers based on their understanding of the material. Students hold up a 1 if they don't understand at all, a 2 if they think they understand, and a 3 if they're confident that they understand the lesson.

formative assessments - after a lesson

Exit Slip:Once the lesson is complete, teachers might give their students an exit slip. Teachers can pose a question or problem for students to solve on a note card or sticky note as they leave class. This can also be a place for students to write questions they might have about the lesson. Pyramid Assessment:Pyramid assessment is another post-lesson form of formative assessment. Students are given a handout of a triangle divided into three sections. On the bottom section students write three things they learned in the lesson, in the middle section they write two questions they still have about the material, and at the top of the triangle they write the most important concept of the lesson. Learning Log:Teachers also might utilize a learning log, which is an ongoing series of journal entries that students write after each lesson. These can be used in any content area, and teachers can read students' logs to check for student understanding. 1-Sentence Summary:At the end of a lesson, teachers also can ask students to write a 1-sentence summary of the day's lesson. This allows the teachers to see if students grasped the most important concept of the lesson. Comment and Question:And finally, teachers can employ the comment and question method of formative assessment. Each student gives one comment about what he learned in the lesson and asks one question he still has about the lesson. This can be done aloud or in writing.

what are formative assessments?

Formative assessments are ongoing assessments that help teachers understand students' progress and their level of understanding during a unit of instruction. In contrast to a test given at the end of a chapter or unit (known as assessment OF learning), formative assessment is known as assessment FOR learning because this information can help teachers adjust instruction during the unit to help students experience success.

what are benefits of formative assessments?

There are many benefits of incorporating formative assessment into instruction. Some of these are that: 1. Teachers can modify instruction based on the learning of their students 2. They also can identify student errors early and provide re-teaching when needed 3. Students can receive feedback about their learning in order to identify strengths and weaknesses 4. They also are given opportunities to set learning goals and ask questions for clarification 5. Students are challenged to think deeply about what and how they've learned 6. They learn how to self-evaluate their own level of understanding 7. Student learning and achievement increases