Often you need to assess learner knowledge and understanding within a lesson but the moment hasn’t been planned for.
Either instinctively you recognise the need for a rapid scanning process in order to gain data on learners’ understanding, or there’s enough evidence (e.g. confused faces – higher levels of disinterest) informing you now is a time to stop and to undertake a stocktake.
Often you need to assess learner knowledge and understanding within a lesson but the moment hasn’t been planned for.
Either instinctively you recognise the need for a rapid scanning process in order to gain data on learners’ understanding, or there’s enough evidence (e.g. confused faces – higher levels of disinterest) informing you now is a time to stop and to undertake a stocktake.
It’s an unplanned moment where some form of formative assessment is essential. It is a critical juncture in the lesson. Do you push ahead, assuming learners have grasped concepts and have understanding or do you stop? Are there some learners who are ready to progress and if so, who? Are there learners who would be best served by slowing down and repeating content and if so, who?
Making the right decisions at times like this can make or break a lesson. Getting the decision right for each learner is also critical…
Visit SLEUTH to read more on how Rapid Formative Assessment skills can help grow your pedagogy and your learners outcomes….
SLEUTH™ ‘Quick Solutions’
+1 Thinking Routine
The +1 Thinking routine is used after learners have been presented with new information. It asks them to suggest the key ideas from memory before accessing the group’s knowledge to enhance their written record.
3-2-1 Bridge thinking routine
If the class has had some prior exposure to the new topic, use the 3-2-1 Bridge routine to ask them to represent their knowledge in 3 Words/Ideas, 2 Questions, and 1 Metaphor or Simile.
Fist to Five strategy
You really need to have this one in your toolkit. It’s a lightning-fast formative assessment tool, in which you ask the class to hold up the number of fingers of one hand – where a fist is 0, and the highest rank is a 5 – to indicate their comprehension of a topic or idea.
Circle Triangle Square thinking routine
The Circle Triangle Square routine provides an accessible format for learners to quickly show you what they have understood about what is important in what they have learnt, what they are comfortable with, and what they are still unsure about. It can be done as a group activity with young children or an individual activity for older age groups.
These are 4 of 36 Quick Find Solutions available on SLEUTH™ in the area of Rapid Formative Assessment.
Visit SLEUTH to read more on how Rapid Formative Assessment skills can help grow your pedagogy and your learners outcomes….
