Formative assessment is ongoing feedback that informs teaching. Unlike summative assessment (end-of-unit tests), formative assessment happens daily: exit tickets, observations, questioning, work samples, peer feedback.
The goal is not to grade, but to understand where students are and adjust instruction accordingly. "Ah, five students don't understand decomposition yet. Tomorrow I'll use rekenrek before moving to symbolic notation."
Open questions: "Tell me what you notice about these fractions." "How did you solve that problem?" Allow thinking time (3-5 seconds) before expecting an answer.
Probing questions: "Why do you think that? Can you explain your reasoning? Does that work in every case?" These push deeper thinking and reveal misconceptions.
Listen to answers. When a student says, "7 + 8 = 15 because I counted," you've learned they don't yet use strategies like 'make 10'. Plan intervention accordingly.
At the end of a lesson, ask one focused question: "What's one thing you learned today? Write it down." or "Solve this problem and show your working." Collect these as you dismiss the class.
Spend 5 minutes that evening reviewing. This tells you exactly who's ready to move forward and who needs reteaching. No detailed marking—just check for understanding.
Teach students to give specific, kind feedback: "I liked how you explained your thinking. I wondered why you chose that strategy."
Self-assessment builds metacognition: "What was hard about this task? What strategies helped? What will you try next time?"
After a formative check, act on the data. If 60% of the class misses a concept, reteach before moving on. If 3 students struggle while others move ahead, provide targeted intervention. This is the heart of responsive teaching.
Communicate progress to students and families: "This week we focused on place value. Most students are confident now. Here's how to support at home."
