Journeys October Newsletter

Getting Formative Assessment to Work
by Sheila Valencia, Professor of Language, Literacy, and Culture at
the University of Washington and Journeys Program Consultant

Assessment continues to be a “hot” topic and, as most “hot” topics, it has been a source of some debate. Although there is finally general consensus that students in the U.S. spend too much time taking summative standardized and state tests, there is also general consensus and research to support that we should spend MORE time engaging with students in high quality formative assessment! In fact, studies have shown that students in classrooms where formative assessment is used effectively make large gains on standardized achievement tests. What’s more, high-quality formative assessment produces larger gains for low-achieving students than for other students; that means that formative assessment can help close the achievement gap while raising achievement overall.

Now, I know this may sound crazy—that we should be doing MORE formative assessment—but, if we really understand the definition of formative assessment and some quick and powerful tips for engaging it, this makes good sense.

First—the definition. The goal of formative assessment is to improve student learning—not to measure it, record it, or even report it to others. Formative assessment occurs when teachers adjust their instruction based on what they notice about a student’s learning and then share that information in a variety of ways to help the student learn better. Some people call this assessment for learning as compared with assessment of learning. So, it is not that formative assessments take place frequently or even that they are integrated with instruction that makes them work; it is the use of the information by teachers and by students to move learning forward.

Second—what it looks like. Formative assessment is embedded in everyday instruction. It happens quite frequently, on a day-by-day and even minute-by minute basis as teachers are interacting with and observing students at work. It is often “on-the-fly” but, more importantly, it is sharply focused on what you are teaching and how students are responding. It can include observation, questioning, even paper/pencil activities, but it must help you modify your instruction. And it must always provide feedback to the student that causes him or her to think—not to simply get the correct answer.

Here are two main tips for making formative assessment more effective and efficient.

Tip 1. High-Quality Feedback

An essential component of effective formative assessment is the quality of the feedback you provide to students as well as how you use the information to shape your teaching. To be effective, feedback must be specific, timely, and non-evaluative. It must also provide opportunities for students to revise and improve their work and deepen understandings.

  • Provide feedback that is specific to the learning task and causes the student to think. General feedback such as “Great job,” or “Try that one again,” or “Change the letter a to an o,” does not lead to thinking or to learning. Instead, try feedback such as, “That’s an interesting analysis of this character. An analysis uses all the information in the story, not just parts. Let’s review the clues you used to reach your conclusions.” Or, “Let’s review the sounds of /a/ and /o/. Now let’s read these words.”
  • Extend wait time before providing feedback. Research shows that most teacher feedback happens within 1 second! Try waiting 3–5 seconds before providing feedback or prompts to stimulate student thinking.
  • Provide feedback “just in time”—that means that feedback happens as close to the actual activity as possible so that it is useful and students can act on it immediately.

Tip 2. Formative Assessment Strategies

Use strategies to elicit students’ understanding so that you know what they can do and what they understand. These shouldn’t take a long time to do or to respond to. The point is to make them an efficient and natural part of instruction.

  • Have students use whiteboards during a lesson. Periodically have them respond on the board and hold up so you can see all at a glance, provide specific feedback, and adjust your teaching immediately (e.g. provide more/less practice, more explanation, demonstration, etc).
  • Teach students to use “signal cards” – green (Easy for me), yellow (OK but I’d like a little more help), red (Hard, I need help)—to signal to you how they are feeling about the new learning. Students leave the card in a corner of their desk as they are working so you can intervene as needed. This strategy also helps students develop their own self-assessment abilities as they work with you over time.
  • Have students respond to a brief question related to the lesson using a sticky note and leave the note on a response board. Look through these to plan your follow-up lesson or to individualize work with students.
  • Ask questions that get students to think—rather than simply do. Treat questions as an opening to a dialogue rather than a check on “knowing.” For example, “Who would you rather have for a friend, Charlotte or Wilbur?” or “Think of another word that has the same beginning sound as 'blue' and write it on your whiteboard.” Use follow-ups such as, “What makes you think that?” Or “How did you figure that out?”
  • “Flip” typical practice pages or classroom tests after students respond individually by supporting and providing feedback as they collaboratively review, discuss, and revise their responses. Turn the activity into a quest for learning and thinking rather than a test for the teacher.

By making formative assessment an efficient and effective part of your instruction, you can join with your students to improve teaching and learning!

 

Component Spotlight

Close Reader, Grades 1–6

The shift from teaching comprehension skills and strategies in isolation to teaching close, analytical reading of complex text can be a challenge. The Journeys Close Reader can help.

Available at Grades 1–6, the Close Reader features a weekly text—often the same connected text found in the Student Book—with scaffolding that guides students in taking notes, annotating text, gathering evidence, and responding to text-based questions. The Close Reader is available as a print consumable and online in an interactive format. To find the Close Readers in ThinkCentral, click the Teacher Resources icon on the Dashboard, and then select Close Reader.

TIP: Assign the Close Reader on Day 4 in place of the connected text in the Student Book, or on Day 5 as an analytical second read.

 
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Technology Tips

Get the Most out of Your Journeys Digital Resources

Have you discovered the Interactive Lessons for Writing, Speaking, and Listening at Grades 3–6? These learner-led, audio-equipped digital lessons provide tutorials and practice in critical writing, speaking, and listening skills. Assign them for additional practice, reinforcement, or enrichment. You may also wish to project them onto a screen or whiteboard to use as interactive mini-lessons during whole-group instruction.

Where to find the Interactive Lessons? Each lesson is conveniently linked from the Teacher eBook at point-of-use. Or, to browse all the lessons, just click the Teacher Resources icon on the Dashboard, and then select Interactive Lessons. Be sure to check out the Teacher Notes for each lesson, too!

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FAQs

Answers to YOUR Questions


Q: Where do I find the Instructional Routines referenced throughout the lessons?
A: The Instructional Routines are found in the Additional Resources booklet of each grade's Grab-and-Go® Resources. If you are looking for these in print, open your Grab-and-Go Resources kit, which is a green box with folders for each lesson. The Additional Resources booklet is at the back of the box. If you are looking for these online, click the Teacher Resources icon on the ThinkCentral Dashboard. Then choose Grab-and-Go Resources and click the Additional Resources Booklet link. The Instructional Routines are also linked at point-of-use in the Teacher eBook.

Q: Where can I find a scope and sequence for my grade?
A: Each grade level scope and sequence can be found online Just click Journeys Scope and Sequence under the Why? tab for a list of downloadable scope and sequences by grade.

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Q: Is there a list of all the high-frequency words taught in the program?
A: High-frequency words are taught in Grades K–2 in Journeys. Lists of high-frequency words, as well as other lesson vocabulary, can be found in the Word Lists in the Resources section at the back of each Teacher's Edition.

Q: How were the high-frequency words chosen? Which list was used?
A: The Journeys program consultants conducted a thorough review of the research on the teaching of vocabulary. Based on their recommendations, the high-frequency words taught in the program were drawn from the following sources. Priority was given to words that appear on all four lists.

  • Dolch list
  • Zeno lists by grade (top 300 and top 400, highest frequency)
  • Fry's 300 Instant Words
  • Eed's 227 Bookwords
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Q: How can I find more Leveled Readers at a particular level?
A: You can search and filter for Leveled Readers using the Dashboard search function on ThinkCentral. Just type "leveled reader" into the search bar, and then filter by grade, Guided Reading Level, DRA™ level, Lexile®, or other criteria. You can also find a Leveled Readers Database in the Resources section of each grade's Language and Literacy Guide.

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DRA is a trademark of Pearson Education, Inc. Lexile® is a trademark of MetaMetrics, Inc., and is registered in the United States and abroad. Grab-and-Go® is a registered trademark of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
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