Quick Informal Math Assessment

This week, in first grade... our math was a LITTLE hard. 

Ok. This is one of the hard skills, I think. (speaking in my Junie B. Jones voice, there. haha)

We did balancing equations. I always bring out the teddy bear counters and balance for this skill.  They really get the visual...but then when it comes time to take away the visual and manipulatives, that's when they have a hard time with it. Same with "Making Ten to Add" 

- holy cow that one is hard!  

So, a few days after teaching the skill, I need to know who has it and who still needs help.  So, instead of giving them a "test," I pull them back 5-6 at a time to give them an informal assessment on the white boards. They don't know they're taking a "test" and I can really see what their thinking is when it's in small group. 

So, I have a card there with all their numbers written on it. I give them anywhere between 1 and 3 questions. As I "test" them, I cross off their numbers if they have the skill down. I circle it if they don't quite have it yet.  If they don't have it yet... or if they are a little iffy on it, then I might have them stay back for one more round of questions, to see how they do.

After I go through them all, I will focus my next few days on calling back those students to work more with them in small groups, or even if I have more time that day - but usually not.

That's when I bring out the math centers.

What do I do for Math centers??

**See how I organize my math centers {HERE}

I do a lot of activities from my {Monthly Math Centers}

and a lot of activities from my {Deck of Cards}...

(from when I taught 2nd grade....)

So I have my kids in small group with my focusing on those skills the need extra help with, and as I get them there, hopefully, then they get to go join the rest of the class for centers.

You can find my Math Center Sets {HERE}. This is this month's preview so you can see how they are set up. (This is 1st grade, but I also have 2nd grade sets!)

I also have a set for Grades 2-4