Assessment

One lesson third grade students learn is multiplication facts. Many students struggle to learn math facts. This is one area where it is easier to assess where students are at and really calculate the growth.  After studying these facts for a little while, I would give a standard test to all students with a certain number of math facts, say around 25 and give them five minutes to do it. This would be a formal assessment to see how much they know, what we need to work on specifically, and can track progress. I would also give this same test at the end to see how much they improved. These are two formal assessments I would use. I could also use a different math test to mix things up, but then I would not see how much they improved on the same test.

 As we work on the facts, I would use two informal assessments. I heard an idea from a teacher called “Number Talks.” In Number Talks, the teacher puts a math fact on the board, and students calculate it in their head mentally. They try to work the problems different ways until the teacher calls time. For each way they solve the problem, the hold up a finger next to their chest. Then, students share all answers out loud and then explain how they came to the answer.  This method helps students see how students come up with answers and see why they may get wrong answers. Teachers can see who knows their facts and who struggles. Many times when students are explaining their answers, they realize where they messed up and got the wrong answer.

Another informal assessment strategy is to play a math facts game. The teacher could have math facts or numbers on index cards or on the board. Students have to use a fly swatter to slap the correct answer to the question. This will help the teacher see what they students know. I could also see the assessment being stressful on some students because it is a race. Another informal assessment would be to give students an “exit slip” or “ticket out the door” problem or space to write questions to see where they are at and how they feel about the facts.

This is a link to a great blog by a third grade teacher in Colorado. She has many posts about assessments she has done to help her and her students. One great idea she had was to have a bookmark with different levels so students can monitor where they are at, and if they need extra help to learn something.