In today’s educational world, immediate, ongoing assessment has taken on increased importance. One way to assess students is to allow them to self-assess. We can do this in the classroom at any given moment in time. Once we know where students are in regards to their understanding of a lesson, we can group them based on their ability, or group them in mixed ability groups where peers can teach each other. How do we do this efficiently? One method is to simply use a show of hands:
After I’ve taught a concept and I’m ready to have students do small group or independent practice work on the concept, I ask them for a show of hands.
Ask: Show me with your fingers how well you understand the concept.
If you would like me to go over the concept again, put a fist up. Or phrase it another way, “If you would like me to re-teach the concept and break it into chunks before you move on, put a fist up” or “If you ‘don’t get it’, put a fist up.” Find a way to ask so that students don’t feel like they are admitting stupidity in front of the whole class.
If you get it, and you would benefit from more practice, put up three fingers. And lastly, if you are bored, you get it, and ready to move on, put up five fingers.
Once students put their fingers up, you have a way to group them. Put all the fists together and re-teach them the concept breaking it down into smaller chunks, using memory strategies, etc. Spend only a few minutes re-teaching and then have them work in pairs to practice what you just reviewed.
Check on the “three finger” group and make sure they are set. This will take a minute or two.
Then, present the ‘five finger” group with a challenge question, an investigation, advanced problems, etc. or work that challenges them and takes them to the next level. Spend about three to five minutes getting them going. Then go back to the “fist” group.
We so often lament that we have to teach to the middle. This strategy allows us to quickly, efficiently and on the spot assess students and teach to their level, providing interventions where needed and advanced instruction where warranted.
Another option is to put one “fist” one “three fingers” and one “five fingers” together in a triad and have them teach each other. Now, as teachers, we can move around the room and assess how students are doing, providing support where needed.
This sure beats running around the room trying to support a wide range of students individually in the classroom. There’s never enough time to do that. We simply end up frazzled and feeling like we didn’t meet everyone’s needs.
I was in Bow, NH yesterday presenting a session on differentiated instruction and shared this strategy with the group. One of the teachers in the group, Patti Lally, a teacher at Bow Elementary School, left me a variation of this activity in my “idea bag”. She credits the idea to her colleague, Karen Boyd. Here’s her variation:
When choices are necessary to answer a question, ask children to raise and show a colored card: A red card means, “I don’t get it”, a blue card means, “I need some help” and a green card means, “I got it”. She asks the question then says, “Three, two one, show me!” The students raise the colored cards. She has a quick way to find out where kids are at with their understanding and a way to put them in flexible practice groups. She suggests making the cards about the size of an index card in red, blue and green and laminating them. Then punch a whole in them and put them on a ring so that students have easy access to all three colored cards.
Organization tip: Put a sticky backed hook on the side of the desk and hang the cards there.
Have a wonderful day!
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