Assessments {with the McGrew Crew}

Being a home school family we do assessments differently than schools. We do not have the standardized state testing most schools have yearly, but I do feel that assessing my kids often is necessary in seeing where they are and making sure I haven't overlooked something. That being said, because I only have 3 students I can focus more time on each one and know where they are academically without giving weekly tests, quizzes, etc. 

Reading is one area where we don't do written assessments often. I find that sparking a discussion with my kids gives me a wonderful chance to clarify things they didn't grasp and to see how well they did understand the book. We do novel studies several times a year. Last year we read "Mr. Popper's Penguins" and completed a fun lap book along with it from Confessions of a Homeschooler. 

We do have some reading workbooks that my kids often complete on their own that are broken down into different reading categories (i.e. sequence, context, main idea, inference, etc.). This is also a wonderful reading assessment tool. 

Spelling and math are two subjects that we do have frequent written assessments. Spelling is weekly and math is after completing a chapter. Even homeschoolers don't get out of some things! ;-) We enjoy using these FREE and fun spelling tests from 1st Grade is WeinerFUL!

I love using this "Number of the Day" activity with my 1st/2nd graders each day. It's a quick and easy way to see how well they are understanding numbers. Get it HERE!

Self-assessment is a great way for students to begin recognizing their own mistakes and correcting them. I love the activities that use QR codes for students to check themselves. There are many out there, THIS is just one that we have used from Kristen Kennedy. 

Assessment with The Learning Chambers

One thing that I do in my classroom is to informally assess my students throughout the week.  It really helps me reflect and refine my teaching.  I love teaching in small groups and I informally assess my students to help guide my instruction.  It lets me know who needs reteaching and who is ready for enrichment.  Here are a few ways that informally assess my students every week.

Informal Reading Assessments 

I am constantly assessing my reading small groups to help guide my instruction.  I love using reading passages to have my students respond to their reading.  We read them closely and then I use comprehension questions to informally assess my students.  I then use the data and my observations to plan for the next day's instruction. 

My kids really enjoyed these spiders informational texts.  You can grab my Tarantula informational text HERE for FREE and try them out with your students.  The loved them so much and they had no idea that I was assessing their reading responses.

Informal Math Assessments
I also use informal math assessments to guide my math small groups.  I love guided math and also math enrichment.  This past couple of weeks we've been learning about angles, coordinates, and negative numbers.

I decided to use a STEM challenge and I also was able to use it to informally assess my students.

It was a great way for me to see who had mastered the concept of angles and also who needed to be retaught in a small group.

Want to hear more about my ozobot challenge?  You can check out my blog post HERE.

Assessments (with Mrs. Grooms' Room)

Hey everyone!  It’s Shana Grooms from Mrs. Grooms’ Room. 

I hope everyone has a great September and even a better October!  With Hurricane Matthew just around the corner, we have been working on a NO bus system in our school system.   All of our school buses are being used right now to evacuate our friends from the coast.  I am so glad because I want our coastal friends to be safe!!!  I sure hope and pray everyone gets out safely!!!  #scaryhurricanematthew

Have you read all of these great ideas and posts for assessing?  I love and  I don’t love assessing.  As a teacher, I know it’s necessary and I love that it gives a lot of insight to my students’ abilities and to what is working in my classroom.  Sometimes though I can just feel my students anguish as they take their test.  : (

One thing that we do weekly (I am sure you probably do as well.) is we send home a weekly folder with grades and behavior inside.  We send it home privately to our parents so they can see the progress their child has made.  We expect it to be returned and signed the following day.  Although, it is not an issue if it is sent home later.  Most of my tests are sent home so parents can view their child’s work.  (If I know my students are struggling, I will make a copy or I will take a digital photo.) 

We use these awesome Teacher…Parents Communicator Folders.  I truly love them.
It keeps my students organized, and I can keep a weekly account of my students' assessments with parent signatures.  I know my parents have seen their child's work and behavior. The weekly report is great for conferences, too!!

Our school orders these folders for our students, so we created our own weekly progress report for each quarter.  Inside you can record the child’s weekly grades and behavior.  

Parents sign and return these folders to us the following day so we can fill it again.
They can keep tests that are in the "Keep at Home" side. 

You can just circle the quarter for your class. Below you can find a version just like mine to use in your folder.   

Enjoy!!  

Hoping and praying that you have a safe, and dry weekend!!  

Assessments { with Stephany from Primary Possibilities }

I give quick and simple assessments to my students before, during, and after instruction.  The format and types of questions are the same that my data is consistent.  They numbers within the problems are different.

You can grab up the Common Core Assessments above by clicking on these links:  

FIRST GRADE

SECOND GRADE

THIRD GRADE

Once I have graded the assessments, I use these tracking forms to keep track of mastery.  This helps me keep track of who needs retaught, how many times a student needs a standards retaught before mastery and who can move on to the next skill.

You can grab up these Common Core First Grade Math tracking sheets by clicking on the image below.  Be sure to follow my store for more freebies and updates while you are over there!

Assessment {with Aloha to Second}

I assess my students several different ways.  I keep a large 2 inch binder that I divide into sections for each student.  I place all their assessments behind their section in the binder.  This makes is so much easier for me when report cards come around.  I can flip to their section and easily figure out how to fill out their report card. 

I assess students in reading, writing, and math.  Each unit I have an assessment that I give the students and I make a copy for me to place in the binder.  I also send a copy home to parents. 

One of my favorite assessments that tells me so much about each student are my monthly assessments.  I quickly assess my students each week based off of our word study skills, a math skill, and another kindergarten skill.  I highlight where they need to practice and place a checkmark next to those they complete correctly.  If there is more information I want to remember, I write it in the notes section. 

 I may assess by having them fill out a quick exit slip, one-on-one questions, use a white board, or through classroom observations.  

At the end of each month, I send a copy home to parents and they are asked to sign and return the bottom portion so I know they received it.  I also jot down on a post it note skills I need to review with students based off the assessments.  I then pull the students throughout the day or ask them when we're lining up for lunch to help them practice.  If we have a parent volunteer, I also have students work with them on these skills.

I LOVE this.  It holds me accountable, it makes report cards easier, and it helps me really know which students need more practice.  I have found that my students have improved so much more since I've started this.  If you would like a copy of what I use this school year, click here!

Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by. :] If you have any questions, feel free to ask. 

Assessment w/Tickled Pink in Primary

Do you dread report card time? It can be very time consuming to pull each student back and give assessments. I have an assessment system that I use that I find helpful in organizing student work and checking their progress. 

A few years ago, our district implemented data dashboards. We have to have a bulletin board graphing the progress of the class as a whole on certain skills. I decided to also create individualized folders for students to track their own data as well.

Instead of pulling students back all at once in October for report cards, I work with students individually periodically to see how they are progressing. Sometimes I work with them at center time so they don't even know I'm assessing them! One thing I love, is having all of a child’s assessment data in 1 spot! This makes it very easy if a parent or administrator has a question about how a kid is doing. I can also have my aide or parent volunteer take the folder to see what skills that particular students needs to work on.

For the cover of the folders, I use full sheet labels that I got a Office Depot. I also found them on Amazon below. Of course, you can just glue them on too. I have a variety of covers, so you can customize a folder to your student’s skin color and hair color. :)

I have tracking sheets included in the folder for things such as letters, beginning sounds, sight words, and numbers. My Kindergarten Assessment & Data Folders set includes some flashcards as well to use with these tracking sheets.

I use different colors of pens and crayons to graph the results and show how students are progressing.

I think it is very important to let the students color in the graph. This helps them take ownership and pride in their work and progress.

The folder contains very basic Kindergarten skills and doesn’t include every single thing I need for report card time, but these are the basic skills I felt that I needed to test verbally. I can use other worksheets to test number sense, math facts, etc. therefore I didn’t include that in the folder.

The Dolch Primer sight words are the list I used for this file since it is a common list. However, since we all don’t teach the same sight words, I created an editable file so you can edit the sight word tracking sheet and the sight word flashcards.

I’m sure you have your own set of assessment sheets for report card time, but hopefully giving you the idea of creating individualized folders will help save you time by having everything for each kid all in 1 place. If you're interested in my Data Dashboard folders, you can find them here. Do you have any tips/tricks for assessment time?

Assessment with Enchanted Kinder Garden

Assessment is one of those tricky things that we all have to do and it's not actually a fun time. Why can't assessment be a cup of your favorite drink or coffee. Why can't it be sweet like candy?

Yeah, I'm living in a crazy world to think it could ever be that good. Well, let me tell you one part of my assessment process PLUS how I keep digital student portfolios to use during conferences, RTI and my own data tracking for my students.

I use the Seesaw app on my student's iPads to keep up with their day to day work. This is an amazing way to see what they're doing, but not be bothered with them coming to show me what they've done. Usually during my planning time, I quickly scroll through to see what they've added. I jot down notes to see what I need to focus on in small groups or what I need to reteach whole group if most of my kids missed a skill.

Seesaw is REALLY easy to use. First thing is to create an account.

After you've created your account, you'll name your class and add your students. The students will get an icon, automatically assigned to them. I spent a few minutes one morning allowing them to choose their own. I think it gave them more ownership over "their Seesaw account" and know that parents are looking at their work.

I printed off the QR code and placed it a few places around our classroom for easy access. Next, I taught them how to use it. The first thing we added was a video. Go big or go home, right?

We had just added our 1st phonics skill poem to our poetry notebooks and I wanted them to practice reading them. We partnered up since it was our first time recording. They got a chance to listen to and record a friend reading the poem. Then, they switched. Why is this beneficial? They heard the words over and over again.

Now, you're probably wondering what in the WORLD does this have to do with assessment portfolios? Well, I go back and watch their videos and write down notes from these as well. I can easily tell who is reading fluently, who has blending down, and who is struggling.  I assess them without being right over them. A lot of students don't want to get something wrong in front of you, but they don't care about correcting themselves in front of peers or if it's just themselves there. I'm able to get a fairly true assessment of what they can do independently.

I also have them to add their daily writing into Seesaw. To be very honest with you, I love reading their writing. However, I DO NOT have time to read twenty something journals a day. Most of them, I can't read and they have to read them to me. This gives me a chance to quickly read each journal everyday and I'm not using the precious time I have with them during the day to do that. We still have sharing time in front of each other for other things, but this is something I like to keep to myself.

I also use these pictures and their portfolio during conferences and RTI meetings. I don't have to keep a bunch of papers for each meeting and show these to the team. They get a better glimpse at how they are reading when they're able to view a video.

By conference time, I have tons of work samples to show and to get an idea of how they are progressing. This is very important because as they learn and progress, my teaching style and methods may need to change. Once work is sent home, I can't go back and look at how they wrote their sentence or if they got the main idea.

If you even have ONE iPad or iPod in your classroom, allow your students to add their work to Seesaw. It is an amazing resource. Parents also love it because they get a glimpse into our classrooms without being there. They offer a PLUS part of the account that is paid. It allows you to create more classrooms, share with more teachers, add notes that parents cannot see and more. I don't have the paid version, but it seems amazing. I hope this helped you out some. Everything that I showed is available through the free account that you can sign up for.