Thursday, March 29, 2018

Assessment


Assessment.  We all know and probably groan about it.  Somedays it seems like all that we do is test or prepare students to take the next test, especially as we enter the state standardized testing season.  While we can find value in those tests, how can we really figure out what our students know that is not dependent on them being good test takers, eating a good breakfast, getting enough sleep, or any of those other extenuating factors?  The simple answer?  Conversations. You take the time to talk to them, and more importantly, take the time to listen to the students.  This is especially important when you want to determine if students have read books or other materials.  Not only will this let you know if they have completed the book, you will now know more of the students’ interest, if they comprehended the materials, how much they are using reading strategies you have taught, as well as many other things. 

We have learned how reading in the content areas can differ from how we teach and read in English Language Arts.  So when we have our conferences about nonfiction books, we can teach about using the skills found within those books.  For example, there may be tables and charts that students skip over, not realizing their value.  Or students may be reading the book cover to cover, when all they need is one small section of the book and can use the table of contents or index to locate the information.  By having conversations with our students, we can see if they understand how to read different texts or if they are attempting to read them as they would a novel. 

A Short flyer about conferencing strategies and questions can be found here:


3 comments:

  1. I read Lent's This is Disciplinary Literacy and this was something that I really took away from my reading. I read the section that talked about conferencing with our students about what they read rather than giving them quizzes about it. This made me think of accelerated reader tests. AR was very popular when I was in middle school and I hated it! I have always had a hard time giving my students quizzes or tests on what they've read because I don't want them to hate reading like I did for a very long time. I think talking about their reading is a great idea and it will help them not only with assessments but help them as lifelong readers as well.

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  2. Love this! Conversations and conferencing with students bring so much value! I believe this is how to make things more personal and get to know them more on a personal level. Also, I think this is a great way to truly access them. You can see exactly how they are reading and what skills they have mastered or lack. This does take a lot more time but I believe essential for so many reasons. I think this strategy will greatly improve their reading and understanding. Thanks for sharing!

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  3. Hi Katherine,
    I found myself nodding when I read your first paragraph about assessments and how one of the most effective forms of assessments are conversations in the form of informal conversations with our students so we can find out not just if they read, but what they learned and what they thought about it, and what new questions they have. This leads to information that can help us target our support and provide instruction that specifically aligns to their next steps.

    Thanks,
    Dawn

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