Hi everyone! Last week was our first week back from break, and it was super productive and really great! We are coming up on the end of the third term, and so it's been timely that this week I started a course on assessment of English language learners. I'm excited to learn more about how to work with the ELL's in my class. I have five ELL's this year, and since I taught ESL for four years before teaching kindergarten, I'm excited to be working with these unique learners again. I wanted to share some of the things I learned this week, and I hope to continue sharing as I learn and grow!
When considering assessments, a teacher should take the student's language, culture, and previous education into consideration. The majority of assessments given are usually informal and observational in type. Ideally, classroom assessments should be tied to classroom instruction, should be teacher made, linked to standards, and be "student friendly" and "teacher useful." Most state assessments do not provide timely data to directly influence instruction. As a kindergarten teacher, I would agree that most assessments I give are informal and observational. I have a binder that I take anecdotal notes in once a week as I listen to students read to me. I also use a lot of hands on manipulatives (10 frames, subitizing plates, linking cubes, 2d and 3d shapes) during math assessments. I think good assessment practices come more naturally in kindergarten, where all students generally come in with basic language experience.
Identifying gains students have made, and making sure students are aware of these gains, will motivate them and promote learning. I was thinking about this today when I checked my students' sight words. At this point in the year, they are expected to know 30 words. While giving assessments, I used to not share "scores" with students, thinking that it would upset them or that they would not understand. I have found that the reverse is true. When I show students how many words/letters/sounds they got right, they are excited or tell me that they want to try again and see if they can get a better score.
Many sources emphasize the importance of getting to know the students as a whole. Even a home visit to the family or an intake interview can be considered an assessment. I don't give these myself, but I feel as if they would give valuable information that would be helpful to me. Oftentimes I do not meet the parents or learn more about the families until I meet them at parent teacher conferences.
Additionally, I would like to make use of more rubrics in kindergarten. I used to make them frequently when I taught high school ESL. I tend to sometimes think they can't grasp rubrics at this age, but they can, especially if they are visual and easy to understand. One source suggested no more than five criteria. I am getting ready to introduce a sentence writing rubric since my students are at the point where they are beginning to put words into sentences. They could also self-evaluate in other areas as well, including math fact and sight word mastery.
I am already starting to consider how I give assessments in my classroom, and already I'm thinking differently about how I assess my kindergarteners!
What types of assessments give you the most information about your students?
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