Top Ten Formative Assessment Strategies Opportunities to Respond

Quiz; Quiz; Trade Directions: 1. Each student prepares or is given a card with a review

question on the front and the answer on the back. Using Stand up; Hand up; Pair up the pairs determine who is “A” and who is “B”, “A” quizzes “B”, and “B” answers, while “A” listens, coaches, and affirms.

2. Partners switch roles, and “B” quizzes, listens, coaches, and affirms, as “A” answers.

3. Students then trade question cards, using Stand-up; Hand-up, Pair-up to form new pairs, and continue Quiz, Quiz, Trade (you could repeat this many times)

Whiteboards

Directions: 1. Each student needs an individual dry erase

board, marker, and a piece of felt (this is a cheap and easy way to have a re-usable eraser for everyone).

2. This can be used during whole group or small group learning to get a quick snapshot.

Exit/Entrance Slip

Directions: 1. After a lesson or concept is taught, hand

students a quick question to complete before leaving.

2. This could be completed before lunch or recess or before the student’s next class.

Thumbs-Up

Directions: 1. Pose a question and ask for the response with

a thumbs-up, thumbs to the side, or thumbs-down.

2. A quick way to modify this is by changing the signal. For example, during math when asking whether a problem is addition or subtraction students show a plus sign with their fingers or a minus sign.

Response Journal

Directions: 1. Students should all have a notebook or

response journal that they keep with them in their desk.

2. Students can respond in their journal about anything you ask; this is a great way to find out how students think they are doing with a certain concept

Four Corners

Directions: 1. Label the four corners of the classroom with

A,B,C, and D, just like a multiple choice question.

2. Ask questions and have students move to the correct corner associated with that question.

Think-Pair-Share

Directions: 1. Think: Tell students to ponder a question

or a problem. 2. Pair: Students pair up to discuss the

answer or solution to the problem. This is the time students might decide to alter or change their answer based on the discussion.

3. Share: Pairs are asked to share their thinking (Ask students to share their partners thinking to check listening skills)

Snowball Fight

Directions: 1. Ask students to respond to a question or

multiple questions on a piece of paper. 2. Once students are finished responding, have

them crumple the paper up into a little snowball.

3. Stand in a circle and on the count of three, all students throw their snowballs in the middle.

4. Once all snowballs have been thrown each student picks up someone else’s and reads the answers.

Sequencing

Directions: 1. Cards, which contain components of a

content area (steps solving a math problem, actions in a story, etc.)

2. Working in pairs, students take turns placing one card at a time in the appropriate sequence.

3. Students reach consensus about the placement before moving on to the next card.

Fist-to-Five

Directions: 1. Ask students to hold up a fist and show 0 to

5 based on their understanding of the concept (this could also be used for an opinion question)