In this post you will find nine quick strategies you can use to provide evidence of learning in your classroom.  These strategies were revised for the K-1 learner  from the book, “25 Quick Formative Assessments for a Differentiated Classroom” by Judith Dodge, written for grades 3-8.  There are three strategies for three different formative assessment types. The first type of formative assessment includes summaries and reflections.  These strategies require students to reflect on and summarize their learning.

1. Dry-Erase Boards/Sentence Surgery

In most classrooms, teachers use dry erase boards, plates or paddles to promote student engagement.  Dry erase boards are good for any subject and a variety of tasks ranging from making lists, drawing visualizations, answering questions, and guided practice, to solving problems.   One example is expanded sentences.  Students write a simple sentence on their board.  The teacher reads one of five different cards to direct the students in adding more details to their sentence.  The cards say: With whom?, When?, Where? Why?, and How?  With each card the students are challenged to expand their sentence.  A variation of this activity is “Sentence Surgery”.  Instead of writing on a dry erase board, students write on a sentence strip.  Each time they add more information, they write it on a sentence strip and cut and tape into the original sentence.  The sentence grows with meaningful details.  Repeated practice will help students to write more detailed sentences the first time over time.

 

 

2.  The second strategy is called, “A Write About: ______________”

Students pick a topic that they are learning about.  They draw a picture of their topic in the top left corner.  They list key or academic vocabulary words about their topic in the top right corner.  On the bottom of the page the students write a paragraph using the words from the vocabulary list above.  They can circle the words in the paragraph and check them off of the list as they go.

Kindergarten and first grade students can start this by doing a whole group sample on a large sheet of chart paper with the same format.  Instead of writing the paragraph, record the information on sentence strips that can be organized and taped to the bottom of the page in the correct sequence.  After several opportunities to learn the format in whole or small groups, the students will be able to do an individual one.  You can modify storybook newsprint or other primary writing paper for individual use as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.  S.O.S.  Summary

Read the students a story like ” I Wanna an Iguana” by Karen Kaufman Orloff.  Give the students a statement for example, “The boy in the story should not have a pet.”  Students discuss what it means.  They circle or tally if they agree or disagree.  They write statements to support their opinion with evidence from the text.  To introduce this strategy to young children, write the format on a large sheet of chart paper.  Go through the process with the whole class to start.  With practice, students will be able to do this independently by writing or drawing their evidence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second type of formative assessments includes lists, charts, and graphic organizers.  These strategies help students to reflect and organize their learning in a visual way.

1. The first strategy is called “My Top Ten List”.   This strategy helps students to identify the key concepts or most important ideas.  The strategy is appropriate for all subject areas.  Here is an example of a language arts top ten list about a character.  Students list attributes, examples of what others say and think about the character, actions, conflicts, and how the character changes.  This sample is from the book, “A Mother for Choco” written by Keiko Kasza.  Two large Top Ten List charts were generated after listening to the story.  One was for Mrs. Bear and one was for Choco. This can easily be differentiated by varying the number of items required for the list.  Some students might have a top three list , while others may have a top five list before they are required to have all ten.  Young children can include drawings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.  Matrix

A matrix is a visual tool that helps students to compare the same things in multiple pieces of literature.  It can be used to review a unit, compare stories by the same author, or genre, using a variety of story elements or text features.  Different headers and tape construction make this a quick assessment tool.  For more details and  illustrations look at the Genre Matrix post on this blog.

This matrix was developed from three different Biscuit books using the headers, author and title, characters, problem, and solution.  Students complete the information on sheets of paper in landscape style.  They attach the sheets under the correct headers for each story.  The students explain each piece as they attach it to the matrix.

 

 

 

3.  Noting What I’ve Learned

This is an eight part graphic organizer which includes four drawings and four statements of learning.  A perfect format for young children is the four page flipbook.  Students fold a large sheet of construction paper in half like a hot dog and in half again.  Opening the paper like a tent, the students cut one side along the vertical folds to the top fold creating four flip pages.  On the bottom of the flipped page students write a statement of learning.  On the top of the flip page, they illustrate their writing.  A flipbook can help to differentiate learning by creating more or less pages.  This four page flipbook was completed after listening to “The Butterfly Garden” by Margaret McNamara and depicts the life cycle of a butterfly.

 

 

 

The next three formative assessments are visual representations of information.  This type of formative assessment  allows students to draw which enhances their understanding of the subject and impacts their achievement by increasing retention of the content over time.

1. Quick Write/Quick Draw

This strategy is a right and left brain assessment.  Students draw what they are visualizing while listening to a poem, short passage, or story on the left side of the head graphic.  On the right side, they write their understanding.  This form of assessment can be used in a variety of content areas with both fiction and nonfiction pieces.  Ask students to share their work.  Students can add to their graphic in a different color after listening to the comments made by their classmates.

This quick write/quick draw was completed after listening to the poem, “The Little Turtle” by Vachel Lindsay and is part of the Nellie Edge  “I Can Read” anthology.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Unit Collage

On a large sheet of chart paper, write the unit topic in the center on an index card or in a box.  Fold the chart in half and half again so that you have eight boxes.  As you work through the unit of study, you can write and draw memorable concepts, vocabulary, subtopics, and other facts and details in a block each day.  At the end of the unit, the collage becomes a review of the topic.

This unit collage chart was completed after reading “A Tadpole Grows Up” by Pam Zollman.  The participants gathered  information about the difference between frogs and toads.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Flipbooks

Using three pages of paper, make a flipbook, stepping each page down an inch at a time to make five tabs.  Staple the flipbook at the top with several staples.  On each tab write a subtopic for the flipbook focus.  Students illustrate on the top of each flap and write on the bottom.  This format works well for solving story problems also.  This flipbook was made to illustrate a story problem taken from  “Ten for Dinner” written by Jo Ellen Bogart.  For more information on flipbooks, look under literature based research models on this blog.