Effective teachers should actively monitor the understanding of their students, much like a chef tastes soup to adjust seasonings. This is more than testing students’ knowledge. Teachers must be able to adapt their teaching methods to the needs of their students. These kindergarten assessment suggestions are essential if you want to ensure the success of all your students. Remote teaching? Remote learning? We’ve got you covered!
Move it!
Your kindergartners will learn while you also gauge their student learning.
1. Rocket Ship
Ask students to close their eyes after reading through an assessment question. Continue the question and ask students if they have any questions. Ask students not to look at the sky and ask them to stay there until you announce "Rocket launch!" then everyone can jump like a rocket. You can easily take notes on individual student responses as students stand still waiting for the launch. Peer influence can be prevented by students keeping their eyes closed.
2. Four Corners
Use the letters A, B and C to indicate the corners of the room. Next, read out an answer and then ask students where they are going to be located. This concept can be used across the curriculum in many different ways. In phonics instruction, students may need to look for the phonemes in the corners. Students could label the corners with different numbers to help them recognize numbers 1 through 100.
Four Corners is a great way to get students moving. You can also gauge how confident students are by the speed they move to the correct answer. Students who appear to follow other students may need extra support when learning the concept. If students seem to be following too many others, each student should write down their answer and then move to the corner with their answer.
3. Thumbs up, thumbs down
Ask students to show their understanding by holding up a thumbs-up, thumbs-down, or sideways thumb before continuing with the lesson. To help students remember what each sign is, you can hang an anchor chart or sign in the classroom.
- Thumbs up = It’s possible!
- Thumbs up = "I don’t understand" or "I need assistance!"
- Thumb to side = "I kinda get it." Or "I could use more practice."
4. Sign Language
Your kindergartners should know how to sign letters A, C, and B. Students should wait for all answers. Have students now make the alphabet sign that corresponds to their answer. Ask them to place their letter sign on their lap and wait for you to call "Eyes closed letters up!"
5. Color Cards
Each student receives a set consisting of three cards. Each card is explained below. Ask students to show you the colored card that best reflects their feelings about learning as you teach them a lesson. Remember that every student learns at their own pace. The goal of a group of learners is to make sure everyone understands the lesson. You can show a , , or yellow card. You can also use color cards to communicate with your teacher during independent work. Encourage students and teachers to support one another throughout the year. A green card holder can help a red or yellow card holder.
- Red = I need your help.
- Green = "Keep moving, I understand."
- Yellow = "I’m not sure what to do."
Register It!
These assessment ideas use written/drawn answers, which makes them ideal for quiet classroom time.
6. Exit Surveys
It’s a lot like pop quizzes with no "pop", but adding exit tickets into your weekly routine will help you keep track of student progress. Online, you can find many templates for kindergarten exit tickets or make your own. It is possible to use exit tickets prior to lessons to gauge how much students know. After the lesson, you can give another set to track how much they have learned.
7. Dry erase boards
Each student will be provided with a small marker and a whiteboard. Then ask students to write or draw their answers. Next, hold up the whiteboard. It’s easy for students to understand the material by scanning the room.
Vote!
These oral assessment tips will allow you to tap into the enthusiasm of your students for talking.
8. Partner and share
Simple and effective. Move around the room while students speak and listen to their conversations. There are many ways to use pair and share, such as:
- Explain the concept in turn, as if you were taking turns
- Ask your partner to describe their understanding level and any questions they have.
- Answering the teacher’s question
9. Musical Match-Up
As students move around, you can play a few seconds of music. Students should talk to their classmates about the lessons they have learned. You can repeat this two more times to make new pairings. Move around the room as students speak to each other and listen to their conversations.
Kindergarten Assessment Ideas For Online Learning
Use these online tools to evaluate student learning and make video calls for assessment.
10. Black Out
This assessment idea for video calling is simple and not complicated. Students simply mark multiple-choice questions with their fingers by covering their computer’s camera. In grid view, it’s easy for students to see the percentage who understand the concept.
11. Kahoot
Assessments that feel more like games can be a great way to find out more about your students. Kahoot can also be used to assess students. Students can create a 10 question game that they can work on independently. Kahoot is a great tool for creating a game show-style event as a class. Students can either respond through the chat window in their videoconference platform or by writing down their answer and holding it in front.
12. Go up and down like a teeter-totter.
Online learning platforms allow students to easily collect data through engaging activities. Seesaw is a platform for kindergartners that includes thousands of activities and subject matter.
