Types of Formative Assessment For Math
A formative assessment is a set of casual games, activities, and tests that teachers use to regularly assess student understanding and guide how they teach classwork in the future. Formative assessments typically aren’t bogged down with paperwork and structured record keeping, as this is reserved for summative assessments like exams and end-of-year evaluations. Formative assessments cover a small time frame of weeks or terms. Some teachers may hold on to smaller topic tests as a record to show themselves, students, and parents the progress that’s being made.
How maths is taught can benefit from regular formative assessments where teachers can provide prompt and useful feedback to students – that they can use right away.
Feedback from formative assessments is useful for students as much as teachers. There’s a sense of dialogue with these tests as they allow students to tell teachers about what they might be struggling with, and teachers can support specific students on specific subjects.
Below you’ll find a series of wonderful formative math assessments that will engage students with their classwork and give crucial information to teachers.
Formative Assessments can be integrated into your normal classroom routine, and given that they are used to observe more than to collect data, you can create fun assessment options that students won’t always know are happening at all.
Four Corners
This game is a perfect chance for teachers and parents to see math skills in action. It’s a formative assessment in math where students engage in physical and mental activity. Each corner of the room represents an answer, then a teacher poses a question, and students must gather in the corner that holds the correct answer. You will be able to see clearly who might need more help, who isn’t confident, or who finds the right answer right away. Very sure students can often help explain maths to other young learners in ways adults might not have thought of. Or, you can schedule some one-on-one learning time with students who need support.
Pop Quiz
This is a classic formative assessment for maths and is one of the most useful ways to track student progress. A simple quiz at the end of a day or week to cover the new topics that students have engaged with. You can understand who might be struggling at a single glance.
A formative assessment should allow you to give feedback and support straight away. A small quiz will allow teachers and parents to offer that support immediately. If you keep track of these quizzes and record scores, it’s easy to see progress when your young learners make it. Showing these records to students can be a great motivator as they can recognize that they are improving too.
Equation Relay
This is a fun game that tests quick thinking and teamwork. Splitting students into teams of three (or more depending on the topic), each student will be given an equation to solve. The answers to the first two equations can be put into the third equation for the final team member to solve. The team that solves the most groups of equations wins. This assessment allows students to discuss their work and try to decide on a team – it’s a covert way to encourage peer-to-peer learning. You also see which sections work well and determine how easily your students take to the material.
Maths is commonly a subject that students report having difficulty understanding. So it is important to include these formative assessments for math in your learning time. The beauty of these activities is that they open a fresh dialogue between you and your students – you can keep a watchful eye on their progress and offer them help before they’re aware they’ve asked for it. It also strengthens relationships with faculty and parents – for parent meetings, they can understand the small details of their child’s development and hopefully feel more informed about their child’s place in the class.
