Above: What authentic assessment is NOT!
authentic Assessment
Summative Assessments
In the Montessori Program, work is accomplished in a manner that is as hands-on as possible. For the students' summative assessment, I will often take pictures of their work.
Math
Pictured below is an assessment of a student's knowledge of patterns. The students were given a pattern rule and had to build it. I gave the students the choice to draw their pattern; all chose to use the manipulatives.
In the Montessori Program, work is accomplished in a manner that is as hands-on as possible. For the students' summative assessment, I will often take pictures of their work.
Math
Pictured below is an assessment of a student's knowledge of patterns. The students were given a pattern rule and had to build it. I gave the students the choice to draw their pattern; all chose to use the manipulatives.
These pattern sorting cards were on the Math Shelf. They provided a good formative assessment to see if students were ready for the summative assessment. Not every student was ready at the same time; those who were not ready were given more time to practice (both with the cards as well as the materials to build their own patterns/build a pattern following a given rule, etc.)
Number Sense
Three ways that students worked with and showed their knowledge of teen numbers were by using the wooden Teen Board, building the numbers on ten-frames, and showing the numbers using the Teen Bead Bar Hanger.
Three ways that students worked with and showed their knowledge of teen numbers were by using the wooden Teen Board, building the numbers on ten-frames, and showing the numbers using the Teen Bead Bar Hanger.
Formative Assessments
Anecdotal Notes play an important role in formative assessment. The example below include Math anecdotal notes that I took in September/October. The high/middle/low grouping on the side was just to give me a quick reference for flexible small groupings (they were by no means an absolute placement). This document was typed after the students had a few whole-group formative assessments on number sense as well as after I watched them work with various materials. It helped me to pull students together who all needed support in the same area (for example, teen numbers).
To protect the privacy of my class, I have renamed the students using letters of the alphabet.
Anecdotal Notes play an important role in formative assessment. The example below include Math anecdotal notes that I took in September/October. The high/middle/low grouping on the side was just to give me a quick reference for flexible small groupings (they were by no means an absolute placement). This document was typed after the students had a few whole-group formative assessments on number sense as well as after I watched them work with various materials. It helped me to pull students together who all needed support in the same area (for example, teen numbers).
To protect the privacy of my class, I have renamed the students using letters of the alphabet.
math_anecdotals_oct.docx | |
File Size: | 16 kb |
File Type: | docx |
These general anecdotal notes were taken in September and tell me specific areas of strength/weakness as well as interests. (I used some of their interests to order books for our classroom.)
sept_anecdotals.docx | |
File Size: | 16 kb |
File Type: | docx |
I also keep detailed Guided Reading anecdotal notes and reading goals. This example is from April (after Spring Break).
april_gr_goals.docx | |
File Size: | 14 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Self Assessments
The Montessori materials have "Control of Error" built into them, so students are able to self-correct their own work when they have finished working. I have used a self-assessment for PE as well.
The Montessori materials have "Control of Error" built into them, so students are able to self-correct their own work when they have finished working. I have used a self-assessment for PE as well.