informal assessment essays

15 Informal Assessment Examples

Dave Cornell (PhD)

Dr. Cornell has worked in education for more than 20 years. His work has involved designing teacher certification for Trinity College in London and in-service training for state governments in the United States. He has trained kindergarten teachers in 8 countries and helped businessmen and women open baby centers and kindergartens in 3 countries.

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Chris Drew (PhD)

This article was peer-reviewed and edited by Chris Drew (PhD). The review process on Helpful Professor involves having a PhD level expert fact check, edit, and contribute to articles. Reviewers ensure all content reflects expert academic consensus and is backed up with reference to academic studies. Dr. Drew has published over 20 academic articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and holds a PhD in Education from ACU.

Informal assessment is when a teacher evaluates student learning in ways that do not involve standard grading procedures and generally don’t contribute to a final grade.

Teachers often use informal assessment to gauge how well students are learning the material during the learning process rather than at the end (we call this formative assessment ).

It is such a common part of teaching that most teachers practice informal assessment naturally. It just becomes an automatic part of their teaching to gather mid-lesson feedback.

Unlike formal assessments , this type of assessment doesn’t become part of the students’ grades, but allows the teacher to monitor the class’s progress during instruction.

If students seem to be understanding the material, then the teacher knows they can continue to the next step in the lesson. However, if students seem confused, this gives the teacher an opportunity to go over that step in the lesson again or offer other examples.

Definition of Formal Assessment

Informal assessment is usually defined in comparison to formal assessment. A formal evaluation is usually well planned-out, leads to a grade, and often used to compare students. By contrast, informal assessment is a low-stakes diagnostics tool that helps improve learning and teaching.

For example, Barker (2004, p. 9) defines formal and informal assessment like this:

“In a formal assessment some kind of structure is emphasized. Usually, this has been planned and studied carefully, usually through research.” “In an informal assessment the information is colleceted by less structured, perhaps even haphazard, methods.”

Informal Assessment Examples

• Spot quiz: During a lecture on the attachment theory, the professor asks questions about key concepts to make sure students are listening.
• Exit slips: At the end of a unit on the impact of the industrial revolution, the teacher distributes exit slips so students can write down their thoughts on the unit or identify 3 three things they learned.
• Scanning the classroom: While third-grade students are writing a short argumentative essay, the teacher walks around the classroom and glances at the students’ work, occasionally pointing out spelling or grammatical errors.  
• Quick questionnaires: Students are given a questionnaire that assesses their self-confidence so the teacher can understand a component of her students’ social-emotional characteristics. 
• Gathering oral feedback: A debate teacher has his students participate in an oral discussion of various topics to gauge how well they can present an argument and support their point of view.
• Online feedback: Google classroom is used by a teacher to periodically ask students questions about a lesson or gather their opinions on various issues.
• Whole group feedback: Periodically during a lecture, the teacher asks the class a question with 3 possible answers. Then she asks for a show of hands of those that think option A, B, or C is correct.  
• Prior knowledge assessment : On the first day of class, a math teacher administers a quiz to get a handle on what the students know and don’t know about geometry. The quiz is not used in the calculation of grades, but still manages to induce anxiety in a majority of the class.
• In-class questioning: During a group project about the butterfly life cycle, the teacher sits with the children and asks them questions about the subject in a type of ongoing informal assessment .
• One minute check-ins: The teacher makes an effort to check-in with all 24 of her students for one minute each throughout the day to gather some information about how they are going.

Some Detailed Scenarios

1. student portfolios.

Portfolios are a collection of a student’s work throughout the term. It can consist of sample papers, artwork, tests, photos of their work in group projects or project-based learning assignments.

Basically, any learning activity the student has participated in can be included in a portfolio. It’s a great way for a teacher, a student, or parents to see what has been accomplished over the academic term.

Portfolios are often not graded. They are simply used to demonstrate the student’s progress. A lot of teachers allow their students to choose what goes into their portfolio, which gives them a sense of ownership.

Parents of kindergarten students love to see portfolios. It gives them a chance to see what their child has been doing at school and what progress has been made over time.

2. Self-Assessment Worksheets

Self-assessment is when students take a few moments to think about a learning unit by themselves. Sometimes a worksheet will be provided as a guide so that students will center their thinking around key concepts.

A self-assessment activity can serve multiple purposes. For students, it can help them solidify their understanding or identify areas they don’t completely grasp.

For teachers, it serves the purpose of creating a spot-check of student comprehension, without creating the stress of formal assessment. By examining the worksheets, a teacher can ascertain what the students are understanding and what they are not.

This will give the teacher an opportunity to go over some concepts again or clarify some common misunderstandings.

3. The Idea Wave

The idea wave creates an opportunity for each student to share their ideas regarding a subject in class. It also gives the teacher an opportunity to assess how the students are comprehending the lesson’s material.

The teacher gives the class a few minutes to write down 2-3 of their thoughts about a given subject covered in the unit. Then, the teacher selects the student seated in the center of the classroom. That student shares one of their ideas with the rest of the class.

The “wave” then spreads outward from the first student to others sitting next to them. Each student takes a turn until the wave has reached the students sitting at the edges.

Students that are seated in the corners can go at the end or the teacher can assign them to come to the front of the class and write common ideas on the board.

4. Video Documentation of Skills Progression

Parents want to know if their child is making progress at school. Final grade reports at the end of each term can inform parents regarding their child’s overall progress, but that only comes once a term.

This is where informal assessments can be a valuable resource for teachers. Taking short videos of each student reading or working on a project is a great way for parents to see their child learning on a more frequent basis.

It also allows them to see progress over a period of time. For example, a child that starts the term with reading difficulties, may show progress over the subsequent months. If the teacher can take a short video during that time period, the parents can actually witness their child’s development from time 1 to time 12.

Of course, that does require a lot of work for a teacher. If the school provides a teaching assistant, then a lot of that effort can be shared and free-up the teacher’s time for other responsibilities.

5. Sight Word Checklist

A checklist is a form that contains short descriptors of learning outcomes. When a child has accomplished a specific outcome, the teacher simply places a check next to that descriptor.

The checklist is not factored in a student’s grade. However, it does give the teacher a clear picture regarding each student’s progress.

When used in a reading class, a checklist of sight words can inform the teacher which students have learned to read specific words and which words they need more practice on.

It can be difficult for a teacher to remember which words each student can and cannot read for a class of 20 to 30 students. A checklist can be read at a glance and immediately tells the teacher which words each students needs help with.

Informal assessment is a procedure that teachers apply so that they can determine if the students are understanding the material in class. The students’ responses during the informal assessment will not be graded or figured into their final scores.

There are many different ways teachers conduct informal assessment. For example, students can create their own portfolios to show samples of the work they have accomplished throughout the term.

Some teachers like to ask questions to the class periodically during a lesson to see if the students understand key concepts. Other techniques allow each student to share their thoughts regarding a subject of provide an opportunity to determine if students are following along appropriately.

At the end of the learning process, teachers might move to formal assessment for the final exam, which we often also call the summative assessment task .

Cornelius, K. E. (2013). Formative assessment made easy: Templates for collecting daily data in inclusive classrooms. Teaching Exceptional Children, 45 (5), 14–21.

Dixon, D. D., & Worrell, F. C. (2016). Formative and summative assessment in the classroom. Theory into Practice , 55 , 153-159. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2016.1148989

Dwyer, C., & Wiliam, D. (n.d.). Using classroom data to give systematic feedback to students to improve learning. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/education/k12/classroom-data.aspx . 

Jobes, N., & Hawthorne, L. (1977). Informal assessment for the classroom. Focus on Exceptional Children, 9 (2). https://doi.org/10.17161/fec.v9i2.7128

Huba, M. E., & Freed, J. E (2000). Learner-centered assessment on college campuses: Shifting the focus from teaching to learning. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

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• Formal vs. Informal Assessment: 15 Key Differences & Similarities

When should teachers choose formal assessments over informal evaluation and vice-versa? It all comes down to understanding the critical differences between these two forms of educational assessment . When you nail these, then you can make the right decision. 

Distinguishing formal evaluation from informal assessment can be challenging. For one, both methods use similar tools like quizzes and surveys . But how they apply these tools to specific questions separates one from the other. 

In this article, we will consider 15 key similarities and differences between formal and informal assessments. 

What is a Formal Assessment? 

Formal assessments include multiple data-driven methods that teachers depend on for student evaluation . These types of evaluation often use a standard grading system that allows teachers to score every student objectively. 

Depending on the context, formal assessments can be norm-referenced or criterion-referenced. For example, if you want to know how a learner’s score compares to the average class score, then a norm-referenced is your best bet. 

What is Informal Assessment?

Informal assessment is an intuitive evaluation method, where the teacher assesses students without measuring their performance against some rubric or metric. The structure of informal evaluation methods allows teachers to observe the student’s progress at different points in the learning period. 

Informal assessments take different forms in the classroom. For example, a teacher can ask students to fill out an exit survey with closed-ended questions at the end of a lesson. In this survey, the students can highlight any difficulties they experienced in the class and the most important things they learned. 

The instructor can also ask students to take part in group quizzes or brief presentations about a particular subject. Informal assessments allow instructors to provide immediate feedback to students and address any learning gaps in time. 

Read: Motivation Assessment: Definitions, Types, Tools + [Questionnaire Examples]

Differences Between Formal and Informal Assessments

Definitions  .

A formal assessment is an evaluation method that uses a grading system to score a student’s level of knowledge. Typically, students respond to the same questions under the same conditions, and the instructor grades them based on the extent to which they satisfied pre-defined requirements. 

An informal assessment measures students’ progress and performance with no standard grading criteria. The instructor uses different methods that allow students to show their knowledge while providing feedback on learning gaps. 

Common types of informal assessment include quizzes, writing samples, and project-based assignments. In informal assessment, quizzes are used to improve class engagement and participation. So, you’d find the instructor splitting the class into groups while every student has a go at the questions. 

Project-based assignments and writing samples are intertwined. For example, the teacher can ask students to create a science project and write a summary of their ideas for the project. 

There are two major types of formal assessment, namely norm-referenced assessments, significantly, and criterion-referenced tests. In norm-referenced evaluation, the teacher measures a student’s performance based on the average performance in their class. Criterion-referenced tests are the opposite—the student’s performance is judged individually, using a rubric or some other standards. 

Common examples of formal assessment include tests, quizzes, surveys, and questionnaires. Exit surveys, observation, and oral presentations are examples of informal assessment. 

In some sense, formal and informal assessments can use the same methods. What matters is how the instructor applies these methods to achieve specific objectives. For example, the structure of a quiz for formal assessment significantly differs from a quiz for informal evaluation. 

When to Use

Teachers use formal assessments when they want to determine students’ knowledge based on specific standards and criteria. Instructors use traditional assessment methods when they need factual data that qualifies a student for the best learning phase, for example, moving from high school to college. 

Use informal assessment methods to gather immediate feedback on what a student has learned so far. Informal assessments help the instructor identify learning gaps and guide instruction. You can think of it as a preparation for formal evaluation. 

Advantages of Formal Assessment Over Informal Assessment

Since formal assessments have standard evaluation criteria, there’s little or no opportunity for examiner bias. This differs significantly from informal evaluations, where the instructor’s subjectivity determines how they rate the student and the type of feedback given. 

Another advantage of formal assessment over informal evaluation is it spurs students to pay keener attention during classes. Since a formal assessment is high stakes, it motivates students to perform better to get higher grades. 

Also, formal evaluation determines whether a student moves to the next phase in the learning process. An individual who wants to gain admission into college needs to ace the required promotional examination. 

Advantages of Informal Assessment Over Formal Assessments

To some extent, formal assessments are a game of luck—a student can ace an exam because of the question selection. With informal evaluation, the instructor has a better picture of a learner’s abilities. The teacher can observe a student’s performance at different points in the learning process. 

Also, informal assessment gives room for improvement, unlike one-off tests. Since there’s little or nothing at stake, students can make mistakes and improve their knowledge without undue pressure. Informal evaluation methods allow students to explore different angles of a particular subject. 

Use of a Grading System

The significant difference between both forms of assessment is while formal evaluation uses a rubric or standard assessment criteria, the other doesn’t. A rubric is an assessment tool used for judging a particular type of work. More than stating different grade levels, a rubric provides details on the requirements for each grade. 

During informal assessments, the instructor doesn’t use a set of predetermined criteria for grading. Instead, they compare a student’s performance with their past presentations to know if they’ve made any progress.  

Purpose of Assessment 

The formal evaluation aims to assess a student’s overall knowledge, usually at the end of a learning experience. Sometimes, formal assessments allow the instructor to compare a student’s performance with others in the same age group or class. 

Informal assessment is used to track learners’ progress and identify any challenges they might face with the subject. 

Formal assessments provide a broad view of a student’s knowledge, while informal assessments provide detailed information. In formal evaluation, the instructor measures a student’s performance at the surface level. The aim is to have enough evidence for assigning a specific score and grade to the learner. 

Informal assessments are different. It allows the instructor to do a thorough analysis of the specific experiences of individual students. The teacher can make adjustments to instructional methods based on the specialized needs of each learner. 

Flexibility  

The instructor can adjust informal assessments based on context and the specific needs or set of students. For example, if a student cannot communicate their thoughts via summary writing, the teacher might ask them to give an oral presentation. 

A formal assessment uses well-defined criteria for performance evaluation. So, the instructor cannot deviate from the grading system, even if this system doesn’t work for some students. 

Score Comparison 

Depending on the type of formal assessment, the instructor might compare students’ performances in the same class or age group. However, for informal evaluation, the instructor assesses students individually. While the instructor might compare a student’s present performance with their past ones, there’s no room for student-to-student comparison. 

For formal assessments, an essential tool is a rubric or some other well-defined grading system. Formal assessments also use online quiz platforms, surveys, questionnaires, or presentation tools like Google Slides and PowerPoint. Teachers use straw polls, exit surveys, and observation methods for informal assessment on the flip side. 

Read Also – Assessment Tools: Types, Examples & Importance

Similarities Between Informal and Formal Assessment  

Both formal and informal assessments provide an opportunity for instructors to give feedback on a student’s performance. However, while informal evaluation methods include feedback, summative assessment can happen without feedback. 

Another thing to note here is feedback is always personalized in informal assessment, while formal assessment can provide generic feedback to students at different grades. For example, the instructor can send a general feedback email to everyone who scored a “B” in a test. 

Educational Assessment

Formal and informal assessments are part of educational evaluation. An educational assessment encompasses different methods of discovering how much a student knows , their skills, strengths, and weaknesses. Educational assessment methods use data to validate various aspects of the learning process. 

Instructional Needs

Teachers use formal and informal assessments to improve their instructional methods. Based on results and feedback from both forms of educational assessment, educational stakeholders can change the subject curriculum, grading system, and instructional design for the classes. 

How to Use Formplus as an Online Assessment Tool  

Formplus allows you to create quizzes , polls, surveys, and questionnaires for formal and informal evaluation as an online assessment tool. Here is a simple step-by-step guide on how to do this. 

Step 1: Log into your Formplus account. 

Step 2: On the dashboard, choose the “create new form” button. This takes you to the form builder. 

Step 3: On the left side of the builder, you’d find different form field options like rating scales, text fields, and other advanced fields like signature and payment fields. 

Step 4: Click any field you’d want to add to your form. Alternatively, you can drag-and-drop fields into the work area from the builder’s inputs section. 

Step 5: After adding the fields, click on the edit icon beside each to access the editing tab. Here, you can add the specific questions to each field and make other changes like setting fields as “compulsory” or “read-only.” 

Step 6: Click on the “save” icon, so you don’t lose all the changes you’ve made. This also takes you to the builder’s customization section automatically. 

Step 7: Use the different options in the customization section to change the appearance of your form. Since you’re using this for assessments, it’s a great idea to add your school’s logo to the survey or questionnaire. You can also create a custom theme from scratch for your form. 

Step 8: Go to the “share” section and choose your preferred form sharing option. You can copy the form link or share it via email invitations. 

Conclusion  

When it’s time to choose one form of educational assessment over the other, the most important thing teachers should consider is context. Ask questions like, “what do I want to achieve with this?” and “how does this fit into the existing learning system?”

In many cases, teachers combine formal and informal assessment methods for evaluation. During the learning process, informal evaluation methods like concept mapping and straw polls help the instructor track each student’s progress. At the end of the learning period, the instructor uses formal evaluations like end-of-term examinations to assess each student’s knowledge and make high-stakes decisions. 

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Using informal assessments for english language learners, on this page, performance-based assessments, portfolio assessments, assessing content knowledge, related video.

Informal assessments (also called authentic or alternative) allow teachers to track the ongoing progress of their students regularly and often. While standardized tests measure students at a particular point in the year, ongoing assessments provide continual snapshots of where students are throughout the school year. By using informal assessments, teachers can target students' specific problem areas, adapt instruction, and intervene earlier rather than later.

Ongoing assessments are particularly important for English language learners (ELLs). Standardized tests in English do not usually reflect ELLs' true content knowledge or abilities. Yet informal assessments can provide a more well-rounded picture of their skills, abilities, and ongoing progress. Having this data will make it easier when questions of program placement, special services, and grading arise.

There are two commonly used informal methods: performance-based assessment and portfolio assessment. Both methods utilize typical classroom activities to measure progress toward curricular goals and objectives. These activities can be monitored and recorded by teacher observation and student self-assessment.

Classroom tools

These tools from SupportEd can help support your brainstorming:

• Formative Assessment Choice Board (SupportEd)
• EL Formative Assessment Checklist (SupportEd)

Performance-based assessments are based on classroom instruction and everyday tasks. You can use performance-based assessments to assess ELLs' language proficiency and academic achievement through methods such as:

• oral reports
• presentations
• demonstrations
• written assignments
• portfolios.

These assessments can include both processes (e.g., several drafts of a writing sample) and products (e.g., team projects). You can use scoring rubrics and observation checklists to evaluate and grade your students. These assessment tools can help document your ELLs' growth over a period of time. If there is an ESL or resource teacher at school assisting your ELLs, you can share this assessment of the ELL's progress during the past month.

When using performance-based assessments, it is important to establish clear and fair criteria from the beginning. It might be helpful to develop these criteria in conjunction with other teachers or specialists at your school. Performance-based assessments promote a wide range of responses and do not typically produce one single, correct answer. Therefore, evaluation of student performances and products must be based on teacher judgment, using the criteria specified for each task.

You can also develop assessment (and instructional) activities that are geared to your ELLs' current level of English proficiency. Performance-based assessment activities can concentrate on oral communication and/or reading. Here are examples of commonly-used activity types designed for assessing speaking or reading:

• Reading with partners
• Retelling stories
• Role playing
• Giving descriptions or instructions using visual or written prompts
• Oral reporting to the whole class
• Telling a story by using a sequence of three or more pictures
• Completing dialogue or conversation through written prompts
• Debating, either one-on-one or taking turns in small groups
• Brainstorming
• Completing incomplete stories
• Playing games

When using performance-based assessments with beginner and intermediate English proficiency level ELLs, it is best to assess no more than three items at a time. For example, in one role play activity, you might assess ELLs' abilities to:

• Respond to "what" and "where" questions
• Ask for or respond to clarification
• Read addresses or telephone numbers

Portfolios are practical ways of assessing student work throughout the entire year. With this method, you can systematically collect descriptive records of a variety of student work over time that reflects growth toward the achievement of specific curricular objectives. Portfolios include information, sample work, and evaluations that serve as indicators for student performance. By documenting student performance over time, portfolios are a better way to crosscheck student progress than just one measure alone. Portfolios can include:

• Samples of written student work, such as stories, completed forms, exercise sheets, and descriptions
• Drawings representing student content knowledge and proficiencies
• Tapes of oral work, such as role-playing, presentations, or an oral account of a trip
• Teacher descriptions of student accomplishments, such as performance on oral tasks
• Formal test data, checklists, and rating sheets

Checklists or summary sheets of tasks and performances in the student's portfolio can help you make instructional decisions and report consistently and reliably. Checklists can also help you collect the same kind of data for each student. In this way you can assess both the progress of one student and of the class as a whole.

In addition, here are a few ways that your ELLs can have an active role in the portfolio process:

• Students can select samples of their work and reflect on their own growth over time.
• You can meet with ELLs to develop their goals and standards.
• Together with students, you can set tangible, realistic improvement goals for future projects.
• Students – as a class, in groups, or individually – can create their own rubrics.

ELLs need to learn grade level academic content even though they are still in the process of learning English. Even if ELLs are at the beginning or intermediate stages of English language development, you can still use their thinking ability and challenge them with content knowledge activities. ELLs need your help to exercise their critical thinking skills – such as knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation – in order to succeed in school during all stages of English language development.

It is possible to assess ELLs' understanding of math, science, social studies, and other content areas somewhat independently of their level of English proficiency. The following assessment techniques can help you adapt assessments to reduce English language difficulties while you assess ELLs' actual content knowledge. These techniques can be used separately or simultaneously as needed.

• Scaffolding assessments allow ELLs to demonstrate their content knowledge through exhibits or projects, drawings, and graphic organizers. Consider giving ELLs extra time to complete these tasks, or to give short responses.
• Differentiated scoring scores content knowledge separately from language proficiency. To score content knowledge, look at how well ELLs understand key concepts, how accurate their responses are, and how well they demonstrate the processes they use to come up with responses.

You can use a content area progress form with the above techniques to rate your ELLs' overall content achievement in class. You will need separate forms for math, science, and social studies performance.

It is important to note that if students are being instructed in content in one language (e.g., English), they should not be assessed on that content in another language, even if it is their native language.

For more information on assessing ELLs in general, visit the Northeast and Islands Regional Educational Laboratory (LAB) website.

Video: Assessment for ELLs

In this video, Ms. Samantha Kirch demonstrates the ways she uses informal assessment to gauge student understanding, as well as the kinds of support offered to ELLs who need some extra practice with the concept of drawing conclusions.

Video: Having enough data to look at progress over time

Adapted from: Eastern Stream Center on Resources and Training (ESCORT). (2003). Help! They don't speak English. Starter Kit for Primary Teachers . Oneonta, NY: State University College.

And from: Stefanakis, E. (1998). Whose judgment counts? Assessing bilingual children, K-3. Portsmouth, NH: Heinamann.

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• Assessment of English Language Learners
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• How assessments vary among subject areas

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Cassie Namnoum replied on Fri, 2012-04-20 19:39 Permalink

I'm just finishing the process of taking TED 5800, and in this process, it has opened my eyes to the endless possibilities of teaching ELLs. I look forward to someday in my classroom having ELLs, and will now since taking this class have a good perspective on how to teach to their needs. I would strongly recommend taking this class or a class like it to help in your future as an educator.

Davidtrank replied on Sun, 2019-07-28 15:59 Permalink

Thank You! Very informative

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Informal Assessments A to Z: A list of Ideas

• Assessment , Differentiation , Freebies

We all need to use assessments in our classroom to determine how our students are doing with the content, but if you are like me, you get a little bored with the same old thing every time. I mean, just how many times can you do the ticket out the door? And if you are getting bored, you know your kiddos are, too! So, that’s why I thought I’d put together this collection of informal assessment ideas for you (and me)!

To be a bit creative, they are in alphabetical order. Some you may have heard of, while others may be new to you. I am claiming none of these ideas to be mine!   These are all ideas I have collected and compiled for you. The overall goal is to build your toolkit and to help you come up with some new ideas the next time you need an informal assessment. In the end, I have all these ideas in a PDF form for you to download and to reference later.

Informal Assessments: A to Z Ideas

So, let’s get started! For some of these, there are pictures to make it easier for you to see. For others, there is just a description.

A – Anticipatory Guides

Before the start of a unit, you would provide students with a few statements related to the unit. Students check if they agree with the statement or not. This helps you get an idea of their prior knowledge. Then, after you have taught the unit, you can go back and reassess to see if their thinking has changed any.

B – Bump in the Road

In this informal assessment, students write down something from the lesson that they found confusing or difficult. Then, the teacher can either collect the responses and review with the students, or students can form groups and have students share their “bumps in the road” to seek clarification.

C – The Crumpled Question Toss

I love this one, but I have always enjoyed a good snowball fight! Each student writes a question about something that was discussed during the unit. Then, students will crumple up their paper and GENTLY toss it – you know, not attack blast toss – to another student. Then, students will open the crumpled paper and answer the question. If desired, you can then re-crumple and toss it again. Have the next student who opens it add any additional information. You can continue one more time and have students add anything, make changes, or even present the class with a new question or answer.

C (Again) – Chain Link

In this activity, you would present the class with a question and have them write a response on a strip of paper. Then, students begin passing around a stapler and add their link to a chain that begins forming. At the end you can either review the entire chain’s answers with the class or after class is over. Just make sure you have the students’ names on each link.

D – Dry Erase Back-to-Back Boards

Have students pair up and both have mini-whiteboards. They will stand back-to-back. The teacher will ask a question while they both respond on their whiteboards. After a few minutes, the students both turn around and show their answers. A discussion then occurs.

E – Entrance/Exit Cards

Students write a response to a question posed by a teacher on either a sticky note or a slip of paper provided by the teacher. This can be provided when students enter the classroom, related to something prior to the learning, or after students have learned the content, it can be given to them on the way out. Some teachers have done both. This has been used as a method to help teachers assess whether they need to review or reteach. There are many ways to assess using exit tickets. Check out my post on 24 Exit Ticket Ideas !

F – Four Corners

In this assessment, the teacher places terms, answers to questions, or concepts in each of the corners of the room. Then, students begin in a corner and discuss or complete work related to the corner’s concepts and eventually move to the next corner until all four corners have been completed. An alternative is to place a multiple choice question on a doc cam and have students move to the labeled corner that they think is the answer. Watch for students who “follow the crowd.”

G – Graphic Organizers

I imagine you are thinking right now, “Come on, Tammy, all teachers know about graphic organizers! Were you just desperate for the letter ‘G?'”  No. Well, I mean, I needed a ‘G’ to make this alphabet thing work, but I think there is some real value to graphic organizers, and I think there are waaaaaaaaaayyy more than just the overused ones. We all know about the Venn diagrams, the cause and effect charts, the KWL  charts(have I mentioned I don’t like them?), and the T-charts, but there are others out there that are really great. Like this one:

What I’m saying is, don’t be afraid to swim upstream and find something better!

H – Human Graphs

Creating a human graph in your classroom is definitely engaging with your students, and it’s not just for math. It’s a great way to assess your students’ understanding. Ask your students a question such as, “Which animal do you think is most likely endangered?” and place labels on the ground. Then, students will form lines behind the labels. They don’t necessarily need to lay down. An alternative to the human graph is using sticky notes…because we are teachers, and we use them for everything…and kids LOVE them.

I – Idea Spinner

In this informal assessment, the teacher creates a spinner with about five quadrants that are labeled like the picture below. After a lesson, the teacher spins the spinner and asks students a question based on the location of where the spinner landed. Another idea is to have students partner up and have them ask their partners a question based on where it landed and then discuss!

J – Journal Entries

I think we have all done this a time or two in our classrooms, but its value cannot be underestimated. Anytime you can get your students to reflect, you are definitely creating learning. Journaling can be done in nearly all subjects and encourages the exploration of ideas.

K – Key Conc epts

For reviewing a topic, have students try out this methodology. Have them explain a key concept by giving the definition (in their own words), drawing a picture, giving an example, and explaining the big idea that goes along with the key concept. It’s close to the Frayer Model if you are familiar with it.

L – Letter

I would have my students write a letter to their mom or dad, but not as an assessment. It was often an early finisher activity. However, it does make a perfect assessment for you. Have students express what they have learned in a short letter. An alternative is to explain using kid-friendly terms to a first grader what they learned.

M – Most Valuable Point

Ticket out the door informal assessments is not bad. It’s just sometimes they can get boring if you are always doing them. That’s why it’s nice when there is something different – when you can mix it up a little. In this alternative, Most Valuable Point, students list three new ideas they have learned, two connections they have made, one question they have, and a one-sentence summary related to the lesson they have learned. Since MVP is also a basketball term, why not create a cute little basketball slip, right?

N – Note Taking Experts

Have students take notes throughout the lesson. Then, at the end have them pair up and switch notes. They will then look at their partner’s notes and add important notations, such as underlining, creating pictures, and other keywords to help their partner become an expert at the material.

O – Onion Circle

Have students form two circles – inside and outside circles facing one another. Students should line up and face one another as partners. They will then quiz each other using questions they have created themselves ahead of time. Then, after a designated amount of time, have one of the circles (outside, for example) move to create a new pair and repeat the action.

Provide pairs or groups with a die and have them roll it. On the doc cam, provide them with a table that has a question that corresponds to the number rolled. For instance, if students rolled a 1, then they have to explain what a sedimentary rock is.

P –  P-M-Is

These letters stand for Plus/Positives about the topic, Minuses/Negatives about the topic, Intriguing/interesting things about the topic, and Suggestions for further study on the topic. These could all be used as a ticket out the door activity.

Q – Quick Write/Quick Draw

In this activity students quickly write everything that comes to their head related to the concepts on one side and then draw on the other side. This example can be found in the book 25 Quick Formative Assessments for a Differentiated Classroom.

R – Rock, Paper, Scissors

In this activity, the teacher asks a question and then students discuss it with a group or a partner. After a few minutes, the teacher will call, “Rock, Paper, Scissors.” The winner stands, and the teacher then chooses a few winners to answer the questions.

S – Synetics (Forced Analogies)

I have talked about synectics before, except I called them forced analogies. I wrote an entire post expressing my love for these critical thinking activities. They can also be used for assessment because they can help you discover what your students know.

T- Tear & Share

In this activity, you have a group of four in a team. Assign each student in the team a number, 1-4. The teacher provides students with a four square sheet with four questions on it. All four students respond to the questions on their sheet. After a few minutes, each student tears their sheet into the four pieces (so each question is now its own mini-sheet). One student collects all the ones, another collects all the twos, and so on. Then, with their stack of responses, each student reads the responses, looks for a common theme, and prepares a summary. Then, students provide an oral summary to the class.

Twitter Summaries

Another fun but a challenging activity that could be used as a ticket out the door is to have students summarize what they learned “Twitter-style,” meaning using no more than 140 characters. There are many variations to this, such as the 20-word summary, and so on. This helps students learn that they have to get right down to the most important information.

U – Use Signaling

I imagine every teacher uses these to some degree in their classroom. “Give me a thumbs up if you totally understand and are ready to move on.” I frequently used the thumbs up, thumbs down activity, but again, it’s still nice to have some new ideas. I have also used the windshield signals, where students place their right arm on top of their left and move it up creating angles to indicate if things are clear to them. Below are a few more ideas.

V – Venn Diagram

Alright, so technically this falls under the letter “G” with graphic organizers. I struggled a bit coming up with a “V.” I suppose I could have said “Video.” Have students create a video. Either way, the Venn diagram is a higher-order thinking skill by comparing and contrasting – especially if it’s a triple Venn!

W – Whiteboard Relays

I’m a huge fan of relays – yes, even in the classroom. They just have to be monitored and done carefully. The students love them. While there are many variations to the Whiteboard Relays (I’ll save that for another post!), in this one students run to the board together and create symbols or words to represent their topic. At the end each group presents.

X – X Marks the Spot

Provide students with checklists or other sheets to help students track their progress. They can mark them off with an X (see what I did there?) as they go. You can assess their independence along with how they are meeting their goals.

Y – Yes/No Cards

Provide students with an index card and have them label one side “Yes” and the other side “No.” When you ask a review question, students show you the side to answer it. Again, there are many variations to these type of response cards.

Z – Zap Game

The Zap game is similar to the game Password. On the doc cam, place a vocabulary word. Have teams divided, some looking at the screen, some not. One student gives clues while the other guesses. As soon as someone gets the word, the team raises their hands. The other team will quietly say, “Zap.”

That is it! I hope that there is something here that you can enjoy and use! As promised, I have all of this in a PDF format for you for FREE!  Just click here.

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Assessment Methods: A Look at Formal and Informal Techniques

How we assess what students have learned is one of the most hotly debated topics in education today. High-stakes testing determines whether students get into the college of their choice and helps school districts judge the effectiveness of their teaching staff.

But all this focus on testing raises concerns that the urge to test is overwhelming what really matters: whether children are actually getting the education they need to thrive in an increasingly sophisticated, knowledge-driven economy.

We asked Joseph McDonald , professor of teaching and learning at NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, about the best ways to assess the success of teaching. McDonald notes that the best teachers are always assessing – that is, doing things deliberately to figure out whether they are getting through to their students – even when they are not handing out weekly quizzes and final exams.

In this Q&A, McDonald talks about:

• The most effective assessment methods
• The advantages of doing summative and formative assessments
• Scheduling tests to avoid over- or undertesting
• Analyzing the data teachers gather from assessments
• Adapting teaching to diverse classrooms

Let’s go to Professor McDonald’s answers:

What are the most effective ways to assess a child’s learning?

When people think of assessment today, they often think first of standardized tests – that is, ones developed by testing companies and used by states, schools, and districts in standardized ways to measure what students have learned with respect to some criteria. These tests are an important part of U.S. education, and are likely to remain important for the foreseeable future. But these tests are also likely to change in format and prevalence.

For example, they are likely to be increasingly administered online, and to be adaptive – that is, adapt the level of prompts to an estimated level of a particular test taker’s understanding or skill level. This change will save time in both testing itself and in test prep. But the time saved won’t be enough by itself to deal with widespread concerns today about overtesting.

As the standardized testing opt-out movement has proved powerful in states such as New York and Illinois, some policymakers are ready to cut back on testing demands. Meanwhile, there are signs too that a new kind of standardized testing system may emerge – at least for teenagers and young adults. This system would be one to support – and provide legitimacy and validity for – a growing interest in digital badging, which use digital credentials to convey core academic knowledge and other competencies that can’t be measured by traditional assessments.

The individualized pursuit of badging is likely to emerge as an important design element in initiatives to reimagine 21st-century high schooling – so long as it can be undergirded with an authentic and valid system of assessment.

For now, however, the most adventurous area of assessment is assessment in teaching. This interest in assessing teaching is encouraged by research on learning that reveals that learning is never simply additive. Learning nearly always involves un learning too – or subtracting some previous understanding.

So even as they teach toward the goal of new understanding, good teachers probe continuously for current understanding and emerging understanding. Many do such probing through questioning, but this use of questioning is still rarer than it should be.

One culprit here is that many teachers – even those who are well versed in the content they teach – are untutored in the typical patterns of misunderstanding that are characteristic of their content area. As most of us know from our own experiences as students, content expertise by itself is not enough to make a good teacher.

But there are other ways besides questioning to assess knowledge while teaching. A simple technique is to pause in the middle of a lesson, and to ask everyone to write down or tweet or otherwise share briefly their understanding of [such and such] at this instant.

A similar and favorite device of new teachers, because it’s relatively easy to use, is called entry and exit tickets . Students have to “pay” their way into class by quickly writing down – or otherwise sharing – accounts of their current understanding of something on the day’s learning agenda. This is the entry ticket, which has the advantage of previewing the learning agenda.

At the end of the class, the students pay their way out by accounting for changes in their understanding: “Take no more than one minute to write down your current understanding of [such and such], and don’t sign your name.” This is the exit ticket, which has the advantage of introducing metacognition into the learning process – something that research on learning suggests plays a big role in learning. After class, the teacher can quickly read and compare entry and exit tickets to estimate the range of cognitive change, and the relative need to reteach, review, or move on in the curriculum.

How do you define, interpret, and strike the right balance between formal and informal means of assessment?

Instead of formal and informal, I prefer summative assessment – at the end of some unit of instruction, or some “gate” like the end of fourth grade, or the completion of the unit on gasses in the chemistry course – and formative assessment.

The summative ones should be much less frequent in a student’s education than the formative ones. Students should always feel that a summative assessment is an appropriate capstone of some kind, and have time to prepare for it – and summon up metacognition for the purpose.

The best summative assessments ask students to construct a response or a set of responses – rather than select right answers from a list as in multiple-choice exams. The best summative assessments are also ones that seem authentic – that is, true in some fashion to how the assessed knowledge is actually used in the world. It’s much better, for example, to ask students to write a movie review than to ask them to list the major requirements of a movie review.

Formative assessments are really a kind of teaching. What students understand is not, after all, confined to how they cognitively enter and exit a particular instructional period. It evolves during the period, too, and nearly every one of a teacher’s moves can help it evolve in the right direction.

This learning progression only happens, however, if the teacher teaches in ways that continually inquire about the evolution – not just en masse as in exit tickets (What do my students understand now?) but also in individualized ways (What does Jose understand at this moment? How about Mirabelle?). Good teachers are alert to signs of learning – Mirabelle’s look, Jose’s posture – and, of course, they literally ask individual students to explain their understanding.

These are the kind of teachers, however, who do not ask questions to fish for right answers, and who do not discount wrong answers. They explore whatever answers they get in order to unearth misunderstandings – so that these can be cleared away, and so that scaffolds can be communally erected to reach higher levels of understanding across the class.

And they teach students to ask questions, too, as a good way to put them in touch with each other’s emerging understandings. Sadly, however, too few teachers know how to do all of these methods well. The gap may be in part an ironic artifact of the fixation of much assessment on right answers.

How often should assessments occur? Can you easily over- or undertest and/or assess, whether it’s formal or informal?

How often? Summative assessments should be infrequent, while formative ones should be highly frequent. Undertest? Yes. A college professor who lectures incessantly and assigns only one long paper is guilty of this.

Overtesting is much more prevalent, however – at least P-12. Overtesting with standardized tests, including test prep, is particularly dangerous. Standardized tests use a relatively small sample of items drawn from a large domain.

Overtesting can invalidate the sample by displacing attention to the larger domain. Educators may think, “This test doesn’t ask questions about Asian history so we’re not going to cover it.” Overtesting can also displace its practice in it, by encouraging fourth-graders to spend so much time reading short passages and answering multiple-choice questions about them – in preparation for a reading test – that they don’t read any actual books.

What should teachers do with the data they get back from these assessments to modify their teaching approach to enhance student performance?

I’m studying data use in schools right now, and one of the things my team and I are learning is the phrasing of your question is misguided when it comes to the heart of the process of using data in teaching.

What I mean is that only a small proportion of the data that’s useful in teaching is data that teachers “get back.” This is standardized test data – whether from annual testing, or so-called benchmark testing (periodic tests that claim to predict outcomes on annual tests). But good teachers understand that the data they derive from teaching itself – from pressing for understanding, unearthing misunderstanding, and so on – is much richer. And so is data that they gather themselves in formative assessments of various kinds and in collecting other purposeful samples of student work – and that in the best schools, they examine together with their teaching colleagues.

Indeed, what we’re learning from our study is that opportunities to look together at student work with colleagues, and regularly talk together about teaching and learning – is one of four key things that teachers need in order to use data to benefit their students’ learning. The other three things are:

•   An inquiry-guided teaching habit
•   A good data management system, including tech-savvy colleagues, at the school level
•   A smart policy environment that doesn’t oversell the power of standardized testing or downplay the measurement error inherent in it

In a diverse, inclusive classroom, how do you adapt and/or tailor assessment methods to address differing needs and ways of learning?

Lots of formative assessment helps, because it makes diverse levels of understanding and skill development discernible and thus more addressable. It helps a lot, too, to build a classroom culture that acknowledges diversity as a learning asset for the whole group, and that encourages and creates opportunities for all students to work on “hard stuff” with the understanding that one person’s hard is nearly always another person’s easy – but any group of humans is always “smarter” as a whole than any of its parts.

And it helps to create summative assessments that to the furthest extent possible permit a range of ways to express one’s understanding of what they cover.

Finally, it helps to incorporate a range of technology supports into teaching, and formative and summative assessment, too – for example, smartphones and apps that can turn text into sound and vice versa, post questions that others can read and respond to, and respond in an instant to teacher inquiries about what students know – even graph the results. And all students should have access to such tools – not just students whose Individualized Education Plans say they should. Most classrooms are far more diverse and inclusive than most people imagine.

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'Formal Assessment' vs 'Informal Assessment': What's the Difference?

‘Formal Assessment’ vs ‘Informal Assessment’: What’s the difference? This article will not only be a lesson in adjectives and vocabulary but will show us how we can combine individual parts to make a more specific whole. 

In a rush? Let’s take a sneak peek at what’s to come: 

• ‘Assessment’ is a word that means an evaluation or test of something
• ‘Formal’ is a word that means officially sanctioned or professional
• ‘Informal’ is a word that means unofficial or casual

What’s the Difference Between ‘Formal Assessment’ vs ‘Informal Assessment’?

When we have terms that involve descriptors, it’s best to make sure we understand the root of the term before defining any additives. The root of our new terms is the word ‘Assessment.’

• ‘Assessment’ is a noun that means the evaluation or estimation of the nature, quality, or ability of someone or something. This can come in the form of a test or judgment . 

By adding an adjective in front of the word ‘Assessment,’ we can make assumptions about the quality or kind of ‘Assessment.’

• Remember that an adjective is a word or phrase naming an attribute, added to, or grammatically related to a noun to modify or describe it. 

In our case, the adjectives in question are ‘Formal’ and ‘Informal,’ which tell us how official something is or isn’t. Formality can tell us about the status of a person or event, and give us context about the level of seriousness of an event. 

Having trouble finding which word means ‘not official’? We can use prefixes to help us. Remember that prefixes are letters added to the beginning of a word that change their meaning, and we’re going to focus on the prefix “in-,” which means “not.”

• So the word ‘Informal’ means “not formal,” which we can see in other words with the same prefix. For example, how ‘invisible’ means “not visible” or how the word ‘incomplete’ means “not complete.”

Since we now have a better grasp on which adjective mean formal and not formal, we can take a closer look at how those words modify and describe the word ‘Assessment’. Let’s dive in. 

Definition of ‘Formal’: What Does it Mean? 

According to Oxford Languages, ‘Formal’ is an adjective that means:

• “A formal dinner party.”
• “He was formal in his clothing and manner .”
• Of or denoting a style of writing or public speaking characterized by more elaborate grammatical structures and more conservative and technical vocabulary
• “A formal complaint.”
• “He had little formal education.”
• “I don’t know enough about art to appreciate the formal qualities.”

Synonyms of ‘Formal’

• Established

Antonyms of ‘Formal

Phrases with ‘formal’.

• Formal event
• Formal wear
• Formal procedure

Definition of ‘Formal Assessment’: What Does it Mean?

According to the Dictionary, ‘Formal Assessment’ is a term that refers to:

• “He would be formally assessed by the manager.”
• “Students took formal assessments after every unit.”

‘Formal Assessments’ often appear in an educational or classroom setting, but can also be conducted in the workplace.

Here is a list of types of ‘Formal Assessments’:

• SAT testing or ACT testing
• Salary raise assessments
• Criterion-referenced assessment (CRA)
• Final exams
• Pop quizzes 
• Academic writing or essays 

In essence, a ‘Formal Assessment’ is one where there is clear intent to test a participant’s knowledge on a certain subject. The main thing that connects all of these is that the participants know they are being tested. While it’s not a required feature of a ‘Formal Assessment,’ it is more common. 

Definition of ‘Informal’: What Does it Mean?

According to Oxford Languages, ‘Informal’ is an adjective which means:

• “An informal atmosphere.”
• Of or denoting a style of writing or conversational speech characterized by simple grammatical structures, familiar vocabulary, and use of idioms, e.g., tu in French
• “She put on an informal frock to go shopping.”
• “They had an informal meeting.”

Synonyms of ‘Informal’

• Spontaneous
• Straightforward

Antonyms of ‘Informal’

• Buttoned-up
• Ceremonious

Phrases with ‘Informal’

• Informal gathering
• Informal attire

Definition of ‘Informal Assessment’: What Does it Mean?

According to the Dictionary, ‘Informal Assessment’ is a term that refers to:

• An intuitive evaluation method where a subject is assessed without measuring their performance against some rubric or metric
• “The students received an informal assessment at the end of the week.”

‘Informal Assessments’ are often performance-based and should be used to guide instruction. They are also not bound to a specific style or schedule.

Here are some examples of types of ‘Informal Assessments’:

• Giving a presentation
• Job performance reviews
• Rough draft edits
• Closed-ended surveys 
• Demonstration stations/ show and tell
• Student-created quizzes 
• Creative writing

‘Informal Assessments’ are more geared towards growth within the participant, and are more casual due to their general lack of penalty — such as, for example, a bad grade. 

Pronunciations: How to Pronounce ‘Formal Assessment’ vs ‘Informal Assessment’

Since many types of evaluations are done orally, it is important to be able to say these new terms aloud along with being able to read them. The guides below will help you comfortably pronounce ‘Formal Assessment’ vs ‘Informal Assessment correctly.

Use this phonetic spelling of ‘Formal Assessment’ as a guide:

• ‘For-muhl Uh-seh-ss-mint’ (the ‘a’ in both words is swallowed, sounding more like the vowel in “fun” or “under”)

Use this phonetic spelling of ‘Informal Assessment’ as a guide: 

• ‘In-for-muhl Uh-seh-ss-mint’ (note the pronunciations are the same, just add the prefix “in-”)

How to Use ‘Formal Assessment’ vs ‘Informal Assessment’ in a Sentence

The final step to mastering any new terms is feeling confident using them in your own scenarios. Look at the sample sentences below for reference on the variety of contexts in which these words can appear. Then, informally assess your knowledge by writing sentences of your own.

‘Formal Assessment’ Example Sentences

• Many colleges are no longer requiring students to put any formal assessment scores on their applications to make things more holistic. 
• The formal assessment for the end of their music class was a combination of being graded on technique drills and the performance of a short piece. 
• He hoped the final exam didn’t include multiple choice because those always made him nervous on formal assessments . 

‘Informal Assessment’ Example Sentences

• After writing their first paper, the students check in with their teacher for a self-graded informal assessment of their work. 
• The director of the dance company informally assessed the students as she stopped in to check on the progress of the class. 
• Informal assessments allow teachers to keep track of their classes’ progress while not adding stress to their students’ lives. 

‘Formal Assessment’ vs ‘Informal Assessment’ Example Sentences

• Turning in an essay to be graded is a formal assessment  while turning in creative writing for first-draft feedback is a type of informal assessment . 
• Many believe that informal assessments are a better way to connect with participants and hear their own thoughts instead of a stricter one-time formal assessment . 

Final Advice on ‘Formal Assessment’ vs ‘Informal Assessment’

Learning words from different parts of speech allows us to piece terms together to make our writing as clear as possible. When we know a root word, we can modify it in many ways to expand our vocabulary and better understand categories of words. 

Need a recap? Here’s a quick review of what we covered:

• ‘Formal Assessment’ is a term that refers to the systematic and data-driven evaluation of someone or something.
• Meanwhile, ‘Informal Assessment’ refers to an intuitive evaluation method that does not require a metric or rubric. 

Want to keep learning how to clarify your writing? Check out other confusing word articles that show you how to use adjectives to make your work more descriptive and more precise. And remember that a self-assessment of your own work is just as important as a “good grade.”

Learn More:

• How to Write a Formal Email
• ‘Buck Naked' or 'Butt Naked': Which Is It? Is There a Difference?
• 'Affective' vs ‘Effective’: What's the Difference?
• ‘Empathetic' vs 'Empathic': What's the Difference?
• ‘Sometime' vs 'Some Time' vs 'Sometimes': What's the Difference?
• 'Suite' or 'Sweet' or 'Sweat': What's the Difference?
• ‘Right’ vs ‘Write’ vs ‘Rite’ vs ‘Wright’: What’s the Difference?
• 'To' vs 'Too' vs 'Two': What's the Difference?
• 'Bald-Faced' or 'Bold-Faced' or 'Barefaced Lie': Which is Correct?
• ‘Unkempt’ or ‘Unkept’: Which is Correct?
• Apportion vs. Portion vs. Proportion: What's the Difference?
• 'Complicated' or 'Complex': What is the Difference?
• ‘In Regard To' or 'In regards To': What's the Difference Between the Two?
• ‘Setup' or 'Set Up': What's the Difference Between the Two?
• 'Noone' or 'No One': What's the Difference Between the Two?

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Mastering Assessments: A Guide to Formal vs. Informal

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Assessment is referred to as assessing someone or something. Teachers use assessments on students regarding their test performances, behaviors, and overall performance. 

Well, teachers can choose formal assessment or informal assessment depending on the situational demand. Though, to make better use of both of these, one needs to understand the difference and similarities between both formal and informal assessments. 

In this blog, we will dive into formal vs. informal assessment. Let’s start with a comparison chart before we dig deep.

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Formal Vs. Informal Assessment: Key Differences

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Formal vs. informal assessment: definition.

The best way to differentiate between any two things is to look at their definition. So, we will start by defining formal assessment and informal assessment to form the solid ground. 

What Is formal assessment?

A formal assessment is a strategy that is utilized to check the information level of an understudy by giving them a score in an objective type test. It is the method for figuring out what the understudy has realized during their talk or guidance period. 

Tests and quizzes are the most widely recognized example of formal assessment.

Educators use this type of assessment when they need to know the information measures of their understudies. Formal strategies for evaluating tests assist the instructors with being familiar with the exhibition of their understudies. This helps understudies focus closer during their talk and go to it cautiously.

It assists the understudies with getting better grades by performing great in the class. It gives an outline of an understudy’s information. 

A few different reasons for formal assessments are as per the following:

• It assists the educator with  understanding the learning holes  among understudies and lets them in on which subject should make sense of something else.
• The proper assessment additionally  assists the educator with perceiving the qualities and shortcomings of understudies  contrasted with different understudies.
• It likewise assists them with being  familiar with how much information that understudies gain from the point.

What Is Informal Assessment?

The informal assessment method is an intuitive assessment method where teachers do not evaluate student performances on some grade or metrics. Rather they focus on observing students’ performances and progress at different stages of their learning time frame. 

It is conducted using various forms of evaluation. An example of informal assessment could be a teacher asking her students to summarize their learnings at the end of the day. She can then understand how much the students have understood the topics. 

Another way for teachers to evaluate the student performance is that the teacher can ask students to fill out an exit survey, with close-ended questions where students can express their understanding and doubts regarding their learnings. 

Informal assessment is dependent on how a teacher wants to conduct it and provides immediate feedback from students.

Now that we established some base, let’s look at the similarities so that we can differentiate formal vs. informal assessment better.

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Similarities Between Formal Assessment And Informal Assessment

Learning about how formal and informal assessments are similar can help highlight the differences better. 

The three characteristics both assessments share are – 

• Instructor feedback. 
• Educational assessment. 
• Instructional needs. 

Let’s find out more about these shared characteristics. 

• Instructor feedback –  both of the assessment methods allow the instructor to give their feedback on the student’s performance. In the case of formal assessment, the feedback is general (grade, score, marks) and is sent to students without any personal notes or suggestions. 

In the case of informal assessment, as it is an individual assessment, instructors can give personal feedback to the students and advise them in person.

• Educational assessment –  educational systems use both these types of assessment to measure students’ performance in their academics, and then decide how to mold the learning process for them.
• Instructional needs –  depending on the results from formal and informal assessments, educational stakeholders can further decide to make changes regarding the learning process, grading system, assessment criteria, academic curriculum, etc.

To learn about the differences between the two we thought of exploring the benefit of one over the other. So, let’s see how the two differ in the benefits they offer.

Formal Vs. Informal Assessment: Advantages

In this section, we will see how each assessment type overpowers the other in terms of the benefit it offers. 

Let’s first start with the benefits of formal assessment. 

Advantages of formal assessment over informal assessment

Since formal assessments have standard assessment models, there’s almost no chance of analyst bias. This varies fundamentally from informal assessments, where the teacher’s subjectivity decides how they rate the understudy and the sort of input given.

One more benefit of formal assessment over informal assessment is that it encourages students to pay more attention during classes. Since a proper evaluation is high stakes, it motivates students to perform better and get higher grades.

Likewise, formal assessment decides if an understudy moves to the next stage in the educational experience. A person who needs to acquire entrance into school must ace the expected special assessment.

Advantages of informal assessment over formal assessments

Somewhat, formal assessments are a shot in the dark — an understudy can ace a test due to the inquiry choice. With informal assessment, the teacher has a superior image of a student’s capacities. The instructor can notice an understudy’s performance at various places in the educational experience.

Likewise, informal assessment allows for improvement, in contrast to one-off tests. Since there’s barely anything in question, understudies can commit errors and work on their insight without excessive tension. Informal assessment strategies permit understudies to investigate various points of a specific subject.

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This sums up our take on formal vs. informal assessment. Both assessments are fundamental pieces of the learning stage. They can be utilized to further develop learning and education. 

The two assessments are utilized for the intellectual and useful presentation of the understudies. The two of them have their advantages, yet when they consolidate, they give a great deal of understudy data that assists the instructors with finding out about them. The formal and informal assessment likewise builds the inspiration level of understudies to improve.

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Formal Assessment Vs. Informal Assessment: What’s The Difference?

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Every student and former student is familiar with the idea of assessments. For most of us, it brings up dreaded memories of tests and essays and that feeling of being judged on what we could memorize in time.

While that is a type of assessment, it isn’t the only way that teachers assess whether or not their students are learning. There are two major types of assessment, which are informal assessment and formal assessment.

A formal assessment is what’s described in the first paragraph. It’s a test, quiz, or essay that gets you a grade. An informal assessment is a way to check that students are learning what’s less structured. This can involve classroom activities, such as asking questions of the students, a brief written note on a subject, or a classroom presentation.

Key Takeaways:

What Is a Formal Assessment?

A formal assessment is a primary way that most teachers and school systems determine whether or not their pupils are learning. They should be as valid and relatable as possible, which is part of the reason why they’re so often multiple-choice tests. Such tests are very consistent, making them reliable.

There are other key aspects of formal assessments, which include:

Formal assessments are graded. Often, the majority of a student’s grade is based on formal assessments, such as tests, quizzes, short answer questions, and essays. These are favored because, with the possible exception of essays, there isn’t bias in judging the answers. There’s a correct answer and an incorrect answer.

Some school systems will have standardized tests that are outside their students’ direct grades but instead reflect on the school district itself.

However, these tests are still graded, just not in a way that reflects the student’s grade in a particular class. This method was prevalent in Illinois schools a decade or so ago, but there has been a backlash against it in the state recently.

Some of these assessments are put together by someone other than the teacher. While many teachers will write their own tests, they are sometimes agreed on by the department.

Often there are certain metrics that the school district, superintendent , principal, or head of the department decide are necessary for the students to know and will therefore end up on the tests.

Of course, in the case of general standardized tests that were used in the No Child Left Behind policy, none of the tests were written by the teachers. They were all created by a coalition to make sure that the students were hitting the national metrics.

As they’re more reliable and valid statistically, this type of assessment is used by third parties to gauge student learning. This is how education groups, the state, and leadership in the school will look into student achievement and understanding. As it’s data-driven, it can be applied evenly to different school districts.

There is controversy surrounding this method, as the way to measure learning isn’t well understood. However, the mathematical nature of grading and testing makes it easy to understand, measure, and compare, making it unlikely it’ll be changed at any time in the near future.

What Is an Informal Assessment?

Informal assessments are ways, besides tests, quizzes, or other formal metrics, for teachers to gauge how well their students are learning. There are myriad different ways that a teacher can assess their students, but the results can vary depending on the method, student, and subject.

Informal assessments have several uses and important attributes.

Informal assessments can gauge student understanding. In many subjects, teachers will try to make sure that their students actually learned something from the lesson. There are several ways to go about this.

One is asking questions from the class. Another is having members of the class ask questions – the type of questions asked can help the teacher determine what was understood and what needs more emphasis.

Some teachers will also ask students to write what they understand about a subject before the lesson, then do it again after the lesson’s over – called entry and exit questions.

This helps determine how much a student’s understanding of the subject has changed after the lesson, which is a way to gauge learning. Also, it can help to see if they learned what the teacher intended them to from the lesson.

This method is much more flexible, allowing teachers to be creative. There is no set way to conduct an informal assessment. Some teachers will ask questions, ask students to write journal entries, or do other classroom activities. This can include trivia, games, or class discussions.

As they aren’t graded, they aren’t as stressful for learners. Most people have had a moment where they know the answer, but as soon as they’re put on the spot, the information disappears. Informal assessments don’t put as much pressure on students, which can help paint a complete picture of the knowledge that they’ve gained.

Due to the informal nature and flexibility, informal assessments can be subject to bias. How a question is worded or presented can change how a person answers it. In the case of informal assessments, sometimes the way the information is presented or requested can alter the response of the students.

Teachers also have their own biases. As there isn’t a set way to grade or interpret formal assessments, teachers may misread or misinterpret the information they’re given.

Also, in a situation like a class discussion, some students are going to be quiet. The teacher may interpret that as them being disinterested or not understanding the content when it may merely be shyness.

Formal Assessment vs. Informal Assessment FAQ

Can you overtest or over-assess students?

Yes, it’s possible to overtest or over-assess students. When the main metric is testing, then both students and teachers tend to cater all of their learning toward what will be on the test. This was a major issue with regular standardized testing, as teachers began to teach solely to the test, both for job security and to meet goals .

How much becomes too much? That line isn’t well-defined. However, while it’s important to have several formal assessments or tests per year in order to gauge learning over time, such formal assessments are stressful for learners. Both aspects of it have to be weighed.

Is it possible to undertest or under-assess students?

Yes, it’s possible to undertest or underassess students. For instance, having one formal assessment per semester isn’t going to give you much information. For one thing, students won’t realize that they didn’t understand the material until it’s too late. And the teacher will also be unaware of how their students are doing during the class.

There has to be a balance with assessments. Too many, and that’s the entire focus; too few, and the information you get from it is inconsistent and unhelpful.

Are informal assessments or formal assessments better for learners?

Informal assessments are less stressful for learners, but formal assessments are generally a better measure of how much has been learned. Neither one is truly better. A good instructor will make use of both informal assessments and formal assessments to judge their pupils’ learning and progress.

It should be noted that there is a movement to get rid of tests and other forms of formal assessment entirely. At this point, it’s unknown whether or not it’ll succeed.

The notion is based on the belief that tests are a poor metric for measuring learning and how well someone understands a subject. At this point, not enough is known about learning to say one way or the other.

Are there other types of assessment strategies?

There are many types of assessment strategies. Most will fall under informal assessment or formal assessment, though how they overlap with one another varies. The common assessment strategies include:

Diagnostic assessment

Formative assessment

Summative assessment

Ipsative assessment

Norm-referenced assessment

Criterion-referenced assessment

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13 Creative Examples of Informal Assessments for the Classroom

Simple and Stress-Free Observation-Based Assessments

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There are a variety of ways to assess a student’s progress and understanding. Two of the primary methods are formal and informal assessments. Formal assessments include tests, quizzes, and projects. Students can study and prepare for these assessments in advance, and they provide a systematic tool for teachers to measure a student’s knowledge and evaluate learning progress .

Informal assessments are more casual, observation-based tools. With little advance preparation and no need to grade the results, these assessments allow teachers to get a feel for student progress and identify areas in which they might need more instruction. Informal assessments can help teachers pinpoint students’ strengths and weaknesses and guide planning for upcoming lessons. 

In the classroom, informal assessments are important because they can help identify potential problem areas and allow for course correction before students are required to demonstrate understanding at a formal evaluation.

Many homeschooling families prefer to rely almost entirely on informal assessments because they are often a more accurate indicator of understanding, particularly for students who don’t test well.

Informal assessments can also provide vital student feedback without the stress of tests and quizzes.

Following are just a few examples of creative informal assessments for your classroom or homeschool .

Observation

Observation is the heart of any informal assessment, but it is also a key stand-alone method. Simply watch your student throughout the day. Look for signs of excitement, frustration, boredom, and engagement. Make notes about the tasks and activities that elicit these emotions.

Keep samples of student work in chronological order so that you can identify progress and areas of weakness. Sometimes you don’t realize how much a student has progressed until you compare their current work to previous samples.

Author Joyce Herzog has a simple but effective method of observing progress. Ask your student to do simple tasks such as writing an example of each math operation he understands, writing the most complicated word he knows he can spell correctly, or writing a sentence (or short paragraph). Do the same process once a quarter or once a semester to gauge progress.

Oral Presentations

We often think of oral presentations as a type of formal assessment, but they can be a fantastic informal assessment tool, as well. Set a timer for one or two minutes and ask your student to tell you what he’s learned about a particular topic.

For example, if you are learning about parts of speech, you could ask your students to name as many prepositions as they can in 30 seconds while you write them on the whiteboard.

A broader approach is to present students with a sentence starter and let them take turns finishing it. Examples include:

• “My favorite thing about this topic was…”
• “The most interesting or surprising thing I learned about this was…”
• “This historical figure was…”

Give your students one to three minutes at the end of each day to journal about what they learned. Vary the daily journaling experience by asking students to:

• list 5-10 facts they’ve learned about a topic
• write about the most exciting thing they learned that day
• list one or two things they’d like to know more about
• note something that they’re having trouble understanding
• list ways that you could help them understand a topic better.

Let your students write questions for each other on a piece of paper. Instruct students to crumple their paper, and let them have an epic paper wad toss. Then, have all the students pick up one of the paper balls, read the question aloud, and answer it.

This activity wouldn’t work well in most homeschool settings, but it’s an excellent way for students in a classroom or homeschool co-op to get the wiggles out and check their knowledge on a topic they’ve been studying.

Four Corners

Four Corners is another fantastic activity for getting kids up and moving while also assessing their knowledge. Label each corner of the room with a different option such as strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree, or A, B, C, and D. Read a question or statement and have students go to the corner of the room that represents their answer.

After students reach their corner, allow them a minute or two to discuss their choice in their group. Then, choose a representative from each group to explain or defend that group’s answer.

Matching/Concentration

Let your students play matching (also known as concentration) in groups or pairs. Write questions on one set of cards and answers on the other. Shuffle the cards and lay them, one by one, face down on a table. Students take turns turning over two cards trying to match a question card with the correct answer card. If a student makes a match, he gets another turn. If he does not, it’s the next players turn. The student with the most matches wins.

Concentration is an extremely versatile game. You can use math facts and their answers, vocabulary words and their definitions, or historical figures or events with their dates or details.

At the end of each day or week, have your students complete an exit slip before leaving the classroom. Index cards work well for this activity. You can have the questions printed on the cards, written on the whiteboard, or you can read them aloud.

Ask your students to fill out the card with answers to statements such as:

• Three things I learned
• Two questions I have
• One thing I didn’t understand
• What I found most interesting

This is an excellent activity for gauging what students have retained about the topic they are studying and to determine areas which may need more explanation.

Demonstration

Supply the tools and let students show you what they know, explaining the process as they go. If they’re learning about measurements, provide rulers or a tape measure and items to measure. If they’re studying plants, offer a variety of plants and let students point out the different parts of the plant and explain what each does.

If students are learning about biomes, provide the settings for each (drawings, photos, or dioramas, for example) and model plants, animals, or insects that one might find in the biomes represented. Let students place the figures in their correct settings and explain why they belong there or what they know about each.

Drawing is an excellent way for creative, artistic, or kinesthetic learners to express what they’ve learned. They can draw the steps of a process or create a comic strip to depict a historical event. They can draw and label plants, cells, or the parts of a knight’s armor .

Crossword puzzles

Crossword puzzles make a fun, stress-free informal assessment tool. Create puzzles with a crossword puzzle maker , using definitions or descriptions as the clues. Accurate answers result in a correctly-completed puzzle. You can use crossword puzzles to evaluate understanding of a variety of history, science, or literature topics such as states, presidents , animals , or even sports .

Narration is a method of student evaluation widely used in homeschooling circles and inspired by Charlotte Mason, a British educator, at the turn of the 20th century. The practice involves having a student tell you, in his own words, what he has heard after a read-aloud or learned after studying a topic.

Explaining something in one’s own words requires comprehension of the subject. Using narration is a useful tool for discovering what a student has learned and identifying areas that you may need to cover more thoroughly.

Invite students to act out scenes or create puppet shows from topics they’ve been studying. This is especially effective for historical events or biographical studies.

Drama can be an exceptionally valuable and easy-to-implement tool for homeschooling families. It’s common for young children to incorporate what they’re learning into their pretend play. Listen and observe as your children play to evaluate what they’re learning and what you may need to clarify.

Student Self-evaluation

Use self-evaluation to help students reflect on and assess their own progress. There are many options for a simple self-assessment. One is to ask students to raise their hands to indicate which statement applies to them: “I fully understand the topic,” “I mostly understand the topic,” “I’m a little confused,” or “I need help.”

Another option is to ask students to give a thumbs up, a sideways thumb, or a thumbs down to indicate fully understand, mostly understand, or need help. Or use a five-finger scale and have students hold up the number of fingers that corresponds to their level of understanding.

You may also want to create a self-evaluation form for students to complete. The form can list statements about the assignment and boxes for students to check if they strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree that the statement applies to their assignment. This type of self-evaluation would also be useful for students to rate their behavior or participation in class.

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Informal Assessment, Case Study Example

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Background Information: The client, Shana, is a 31-year-old woman, a working mother of three. Her son Jason is 15, her daughter Maria is 13, and her son Adam is 11. The father is unnamed, but she mentioned he has custody. The father has remarried, and his second wife has a 7-year-old from a previous relationship; the two have recently had a baby together. Shana and the children live with Shana’s mother, a retiree and veteran. As presented, the case is about financial responsibility: Shana needs her ex-husband to contribute financially so that the three children can stay with her and her mother. However, there also appear to be behavioral and/or emotional concerns: Adam is receiving medication for ADD, and all three children are on Prozac. The family will need initial screening before therapy strategies can be identified and agreed upon.

Case History: Shana appears to be under severe strain due to her current financial predicament: she is working, but she is not receiving financial assistance from the children’s father. According to Shana, the father has custody because of her own past drinking problem. However, in Shana’s words, the father and his new wife “don’t think they can handle teens any more.” The eldest, Jason, has expressed the desire to quit school in order to work and support the family, indicating both the severity of the situation and the young man’s own considerable maturity. Shana has also mentioned a number of behavioral and/or emotional concerns: she has put all three of the children on Prozac to help them deal with the stress of their circumstances, and to combat the depression evinced by the youngest, Adam. Adam is often absent, possibly at the mall, and Shana fears he may be using marijuana. Maria spends most of her free time with her boyfriend, an indication of the adolescent desire for increasing independence, and possibly a sign of her desire to escape a stressful situation. Although all three of the children will need therapy, Shana has correctly identified the need to involve their father as well.

Problem Areas: The first problem area concerns the father: he has custody, but he is apparently unwilling to either take care of the children himself, or financially assist Shana in doing so. This is a severe dysfunction, so it will be essential to involve the father in order to get his side of the story, both with regard to the divorce and the custody situation, and the current situation. Jason’s willingness to drop out of school to work and support the family attests to admirable strength of character, but it is also a concern: he would be jeopardizing his own future by dropping out. Shana’s mother is another concern: by Shana’s own admission, she drinks, and may be using marijuana. Maria’s absences may simply be normal adolescent desires for independence and time with her boyfriend, but they may also indicate a desire to escape a dysfunctional and stressful environment. Perhaps most worrisome is the youngest, Adam: he has depression and ADD, is on two medications, is often absent and may be using marijuana.

Ethical Concerns: The first ethical concern is privacy: legally and ethically, clients have a right “to choose who has access to information about them” (Sori & Hecker, 2006, p. 160). Since all of Shana’s children are minors, the responsibility for making these decisions falls to her and their father (p. 160). This responsibility includes the right to sign forms giving consent to treatment, forms pertaining to releases of information, and forms pertaining to the children’s records (p. 160). However, this raises a very important, related point: who should sign, Shana or the children’s father, who has custody? Under the law and ethically speaking, the father should sign the consent forms to allow treatment for the children (pp. 169-170). Because he has custody, his consent is an essential prerequisite for treatment (pp. 169-170). Moreover, state laws vary with regard to the rights of the non-custodial parent, Shana in this case (pp. 169-170). It would be essential for me to have access to the final divorce decree, in order to ensure that I accurately understood the situation with regard to custody of the children (p. 170). Since tensions and emotions often run high in post-divorce families, the involvement of the custodial parent is all the more essential (p. 170).

Confidentiality is another important ethical issue, one that applies to all minor clients: as with adult clients, minor clients’ information must be protected and not shared with unauthorized parties (Welfel, 2013, pp. 141-142). In fact, the seminal distinction between the privacy rights of adult clients and minor clients is that the latter’s information may be shared with a parent or guardian (p. 142). Ethically, then, in this situation I could not keep any of the children’s information from their father or from Shana (p. 142). However, there is something of a gray area here, in that a number of ethics scholars have argued that older, more mature minors can be granted a greater measure of confidentiality (Welfel, 2013, p. 143). Jason, for example, could probably be granted a larger measure of confidentiality, certainly more than Maria and especially Adam. As Welfel explained, between the ages of 11 and 14 children differ greatly in their ability to understand counseling, because of their particular cognitive development: minors who can engage in formal operations thinking will be able to participate effectively in counseling (p. 143). In this situation, therefore, it would be very important for me to assess the level of cognitive maturation of each of the three children (p. 143). And in this vein, client privilege is another important issue, a legal right with ethical ramifications: privilege protects the information of clients from being used in any judicial proceedings (Sori & Hecker, 2006, p. 160). State laws vary: minors as young as 16 can claim privilege for certain issues (p. 160). As none of the children are sixteen yet, privilege falls to their father and, depending on state laws, to Shana as well (p. 160).

The fact that Shana has all three children on Prozac is another ethical concern, as well as a medical one. The drug is FDA-approved for use with children from eight years of age and older, in order to treat major depression (Preston, O’Neal, & Talaga, 2010, p. 21). However, Turkington and Kaplan (2001) cautioned that there is insufficient evidence about the effects of Prozac and other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on children (p. 79). According to these authors, studies of the use of Luvox to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in children found that younger children experienced side effects that were not observed in adults: “abnormal thinking, muscle twitching, or bloody or stuffy nose” (p. 79).

Breggin (2001) also argued that Prozac has not been found to be useful in children, and researchers are beginning to have second thoughts about the ethics of using antidepressants on children (p. 276). There are also concerns about the potential of antidepressants to cause or exacerbate suicidal ideation and even attempts at suicide (Kottler & Shepard, 2011, p. 372). However, it is difficult to ascertain whether a depressed individual, including a child or teen, committed suicide because of their medication: in any given case, it may have ‘simply’ been the effects of the depression (p. 372). Nonetheless, the ethical issue here is not difficult to discern: if the medication is actually dangerous to children, or at the very least may be, then any helping professional should carefully and critically examine any case in which it has been prescribed to a minor client.

Assessment and Discussion: In this case, I would contact the doctor as per Shana’s request, though of course I would need her to sign the information releases. If at all possible, I would try to arrange to see the doctor in person, in order to speak with him face-to-face about the Prozac prescription for all three children, and of course the anti-anxiety medication for Adam. I would raise my concerns, and ask specific questions about the reasons for the prescriptions, and any observed differences in the children’s behavior before and after the medications. I would discuss with the doctor the prudence and wisdom of continuing the prescription. Afterwards, I would speak with both of the parents and with the children, in order to ascertain the best course of action for all concerned.

Testing and assessment is an important part of the counselor’s work. However, informal assessment is important as well. A good example is observation: counselors can use observation to gather information about clients’ personality and behaviors (Whiston, 2009, p. 242). In this scenario, I would want to use observation to gain a better understanding of Shana, all three children, and the father. Interviewing is another good informal assessment technique, wherein counselors ask clients questions in order to elicit information about their personalities (p. 243). Again, I would want to do this with all three children, as well as Shana and the children’s father: it would be essential to get the father’s story and understand his actions and motivations. Rating scales are another important way of gathering information about clients (Whiston, 2009, p. 247). Likert scales, for example, can be used to assess individuals’ preferences, opinions, and beliefs (p. 25). I would also use behavior checklists and feeling word checklists, such as the Child Behavior Checklist/6-18 (CBCL/6-18), which is filled out by the parents; the Teacher Report Form/6-18 for the teachers, and the Youth Self-Report/11-18 (YSR) for the children themselves (p. 129). I would also talk to the children’s teachers, their grandmother, their father and their step-mother in order to get an idea of their home and school environments.

Having done all of that, I would then move on to the more formal assessments. A key distinction here is between objective tests, wherein clients’ responses yield quantitative data, and projective tests, wherein clients’ responses yield qualitative and far more subjective information about their own personalities (Altmaier & Hansen, 2012, p. 225). The substance abuse subtle screening instrument (SASSI) is an example of an objective instrument that I would definitely want to use for Shana, specifically the adult version, SASSI-3. According to the SASSI Institute (n.d.) the instrument has an overall accuracy of 94% in distinguishing between individuals who abuse substances or are dependent on them from those without (p. 1). Moreover, the accuracy of the instrument is not affected significantly by demographic characteristics, including gender (p. 1). As a questionnaire, it is relatively easy to administer and score; ergo, I would administer it to Shana myself. The adolescent version of the test, the SASSI-A2, is for minors from the ages of 12-18 (SASSI Institute, 2001, p. 1). It is just as accurate for adolescents as the SASSI-3 is for adults (p. 1). And as with the SASSI-3, because the SASSI-A2 is a questionnaire, it would be quite easy for me to administer to the children, both Jason and Maria, and score myself. Unfortunately, Adam is too young for this instrument.

I would also assess Maria and Jason with the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), which is applicable to minors from the age of thirteen to seniors of the age of 80 (Goldfinger & Pomerantz, 2010, p. 69). The BDI-II consists of a mere 21 items, and should take no more than about 5 minutes for either of the children to complete (p. 69). For each item, the respondent chooses “one of four statements that best describes his or her experience of a particular symptom” (p. 69). Although it is brief, it is very potent, and yields good data about respondents’ state of mind (p. 69). In fact, it is very sensitive to treatment change, and there is a quite large empirical database to provide comparison with any results (Hersen, 2004, p. 57). I would also assess Adam’s ADD with a specific instrument, the Vanderbilt ADHD Parent Rating Scale (VADPRS) (Shen, Hales, & Shahrokh, 2010, p. 136). This scale is free online, as is the teacher-report version (p. 137). I would also assess all of the children’s self-esteem by means of the Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI), which is a self-report test (Braaten & Felopulos, 2004, p. 228). Along with the BDI-II, the SEI is an important instrument for the analysis, precisely because it would give me information from the point of view of each of the three children, and help me to understand their respective states of mind.

So much for the objective testing. Projective testing would be important as well, in order to better ascertain the character of each child’s personality, and identify any possible disorders or other problematic thought patterns. The Rorschach test is a good example of a projective test, one which would be helpful to the analysis (Braaten & Felopulos, 2004, p. 228). The Children’s Apperception Test (CAT) is another example of a projective test with high value for such cases (p. 228). What both tests offer the therapist is a singular opportunity to understand more of the child’s mind, and these insights can help the therapist to understand the source of any depression or other psychological problems (p. 228).

Recommendations and Conclusion: All three of the children need counseling. It is essential to understand how this situation is affecting them, and what their wishes are. Jason is clearly attempting to be ‘the man of the house’, indicating a maturity beyond his years. However, for him to leave school would be to jeopardize his own future career prospects. Maria is frequently absent: it is important to understand why, and to identify ways in which the home could be made a more welcoming environment. Adam seems to have the most psychological problems, with his ADD and depression; there are also the concerns of his absences and possible marijuana use. For him, therapy should focus on addressing the roots of these problems.

The home environment and the father’s lack of support are major systemic concerns. The father and Shana should undertake family therapy in order to reconcile their differences. The father must take an active role in supporting their children, and if he is unable or unwilling to do so in his own home, then he must assist Shana financially. These relationship issues, if resolved, could make the home a more welcoming and secure place for all of the children.

Altmaier, E. M., & Hansen, J.-I. (Eds.). (2012). The Oxford handbook of counseling psychology. New York: Oxford University Press.

Braaten, E., & Felopulos, G. (2004). Straight talk about psychological testing for kids. New York: The Guilford Press.

Breggin, P. R. (2001). Talking back to Ritalin: What doctors aren’t telling you about stimulants and ADHD. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Books Group.

Goldfinger, K., & Pomerantz, A. (2010). Psychological assessment and report writing. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Hersen, M. (Ed.). (2004). Comprehensive handbook of psychological assessment: Vol. 2—personality assessment (Vols. 1-2). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Kottler, J. A., & Shepard, D. S. (2011). Introduction to counseling: Voices from the field (3 rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Preston, J., O’Neal, J. H., & Talaga, M. C. (2010). Child and adolescent clinical psychopharmacology made simple (2 nd ed.). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

SASSI Institute. (n.d.). Estimates of the reliability and criterion validity of the adult SASSI-3. SASSI Institute, pp. 1-4. Retrieved from http://www.sassi.com/

—. (2001). Estimates of the reliability and criterion validity of the adolescent SASSI-A2. SASSI Institute, pp. 1-8. Retrieved from http://www.sassi.com/

Shen, H., Hales, R. E., & Shahrokh, N. C. (2010). Study guide to child and adolescent psychiatry: A companion to Dulcan’s textbook of child and adolescent psychiatry. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.

Sori, C. F., & Hecker, L. L. (2006). Ethical and legal considerations when counseling children and families. In C. F. Sori (Ed.), Engaging children in family therapy: Creative approaches to integrating theory and research in clinical practice (pp. 159-176). New York: Routledge.

Turkington, C., & Kaplan, E. F. (2001). Making the antidepressant decision: How to choose the right treatment option for you or your loved one. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Welfel, E. R. (2013). Ethics in counseling & psychotherapy (5 th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Whiston, S. C. (2009). Principles and applications of assessment in counseling (3 rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

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What Is An Informal Assessment? Benefits & Examples

The assessment of student learning is a fundamental practice that guides instruction and measures academic progress. While formal assessments such as standardized tests and exams are well-known tools for evaluating student performance, there exists a powerful yet often underutilized approach known as informal assessment. Informal assessments provide educators with valuable insights into students’ understanding and abilities through flexible, everyday methods that go beyond traditional testing. In this article, VTJ will discuss the significance and practical applications of informal assessment in education.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What Is An Informal Assessment?

An informal assessment is an evaluation method used in education to gather information about a student’s progress, skills, knowledge, or abilities in a less structured and more flexible manner compared to formal assessments. These assessments are typically ungraded and are not part of a student’s official academic record. Instead, they serve as tools for teachers to make ongoing instructional decisions and understand individual student needs better.

Differences Between Formal And Informal Assessment

Informal Assessment Examples

Quizzes are a popular type of informal assessment

Quizzes are a popular type of informal assessment. They typically consist of a set of questions or tasks designed to evaluate a student’s knowledge on a specific topic. Quizzes can be administered in various formats, including paper-based tests, online quizzes, or oral assessments. Here are some examples of quiz questions suitable for informal assessments:

Examples Of Quiz Questions For Informal Assessments

What is the capital of France?

Which of the following is a mammal?

True or False: Water boils at 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

True or False: The Earth orbits the Moon.

Advantages Of Using Quizzes For Informal Assessments

• Quick Assessment: Quizzes are efficient and can be administered relatively quickly, making them suitable for assessing student understanding during or after a lesson. From there, teachers can provide instant feedback, allowing students to learn from their mistakes and make corrections immediately.
• Customization: Quiz questions can be tailored to specific learning objectives or topics, ensuring alignment with instructional goals.
• Engagement: Well-designed quizzes can engage students and encourage them to review and consolidate their knowledge.

Disadvantages Of Using Quizzes For Informal Assessments

• Limited Depth: Quizzes may not assess higher-order thinking skills, such as critical thinking or problem-solving, as effectively as other assessment methods.
• Overemphasis on Memorization: They can sometimes encourage rote memorization rather than a deep understanding of concepts.
• Narrow Focus: Quizzes are typically focused on a specific topic or content area, which may not provide a comprehensive view of a student’s overall abilities.

School project are a valuable form of informal assessment

School projects represent a valuable form of informal assessment, offering students opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills in practical and often creative ways. The structure of the project can vary, with teachers either assigning group tasks or requiring each student to undertake the project independently. For instance, within a drama class, students might collaborate with their peers to create a miniature play. School projects serve as a means for students to cultivate profound subject knowledge and essential skills such as critical thinking, teamwork, ingenuity, and effective communication.

Examples Of School Projects For Informal Assessments

• Students craft visual timelines illustrating significant historical events and their relevance.
• Students investigate a particular subject, gather information from various sources, and craft a research paper that showcases their discoveries and insights.
• Assignments involving the creation of artwork, spanning paintings, sculptures, or digital designs, linked to specific topics or themes.
• Students select a book of their choice and produce a report or presentation summarizing key aspects such as plot, characters, themes, and personal reflections.

Advantages Of School Projects For Informal Assessments

• Application of Knowledge: Projects allow students to apply what they’ve learned in a practical context, promoting deeper understanding and retention of information.
• Creativity and Engagement: Students often find projects engaging and enjoyable, as they provide opportunities for creativity and self-expression.
• Problem-Solving Skills: Many projects involve complex problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision-making, skills that are essential for real-world applications.
• Peer Collaboration: Group projects foster teamwork, communication, and collaboration skills, which are important in many professions.

Disadvantages Of School Projects For Informal Assessments

• Time-Consuming: Planning, executing, and assessing projects can be time-consuming for both students and teachers
• Subjectivity: Grading projects can be subjective, as it may be challenging to establish clear criteria for evaluation.
• Lack of resources: Some students might encounter challenges in obtaining the necessary resources for the project

Portfolios are a valuable tool for informal assessment in education

Portfolios are a valuable tool for informal assessment in education. They involve the collection and organization of a student’s work and achievements over a specific period. Portfolios provide a comprehensive view of a student’s progress, growth, and learning journey. As students craft and refine their portfolios over time, they cultivate vital skills like self-awareness, goal setting, and decision-making, equipping them with the tools to make informed choices.

Examples Of Student Portfolios For Informal Assessments

• A collection of essays, stories, poems, or other written assignments that demonstrate a student’s writing skills and development over time.
• These include drawings, paintings, sculptures, and other artistic creations, showcasing a student’s artistic growth and creativity.

Advantages Of Using Portfolios For Informal Assessment

• Holistic Assessment: Portfolios offer a holistic view of a student’s abilities, growth, and progress over time, providing a richer assessment compared to single-point assessments.
• Self-Reflection: They encourage self-reflection and metacognition as students review and analyze their work, setting goals for improvement.
• Effective Feedback: Portfolios enable teachers to provide targeted and constructive feedback based on a comprehensive view of a student’s work.
• Showcasing Skills: Portfolios can be valuable tools for showcasing accomplishments to potential employers or colleges.

Disadvantages Of Using Portfolios For Informal Assessment

• Time-Consuming: Creating and maintaining portfolios can be time-intensive for both students and teachers. The process of collecting, selecting, and organizing artifacts can be demanding, potentially taking away from instructional time.
• Subjectivity in Evaluation: Portfolio assessment can be subjective, as it relies on the judgment of teachers or assessors. Differences in interpretation and evaluation criteria can lead to inconsistent grading.
• Resource Constraints: Students with limited access to technology or art supplies may face challenges in creating certain types of portfolios, potentially resulting in disparities in assessment.

Observation

Observation stands as one of the most prevalent approaches to informal assessment

Observation stands as one of the most prevalent approaches to informal assessment. It involves educators or assessors closely watching and documenting students’ behavior, interactions, and performance in various learning situations. Central to the observation process is the maintenance of records tracking changes over time. This practice empowers instructors to compare a student’s performance across the learning journey, gauging the extent of their progress.

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Advantages Of Observation For Informal Assessments

• Customization: Educators can tailor observations to specific learning objectives, focusing on the skills or behaviors they want to assess.
• Assessment of Non-Cognitive Skills: Besides academic skills, observation can assess non-cognitive skills like communication, problem-solving, collaboration, and adaptability.
• Authentic Assessment: It aligns with real-world situations, making it a genuine and authentic way to gauge students’ abilities and readiness for practical scenarios.

Disadvantages Of Observation For Informal Assessments

• Subjectivity: Observation is inherently subjective, as it relies on the observer’s judgment. Different assessors may interpret the same behavior differently.
• Bias: Observers may unintentionally introduce bias based on their own beliefs, expectations, or preferences.
• Lack of Privacy: Students may feel uncomfortable being constantly observed, which can impact their willingness to participate openly in class.

Oral Presentation

Oral Presentation: An Informal Assessment Example

Oral presentations allow students to demonstrate their communication skills, knowledge of a topic, and ability to engage an audience. Oral presentations vary in format. They can be impromptu, where the teacher assigns a specific topic on the spot, or planned in advance with students given time to prepare.

Advantages Of Oral Presentations For Informal Assessments

• Communication Skills: Students develop effective communication skills, including public speaking, articulation, and clarity in conveying ideas.
• Content Mastery: Presenting information orally requires a deep understanding of the subject matter, promoting content mastery.
• Critical Thinking: Preparing and delivering a presentation encourages critical thinking and organization of ideas.
• Real-World Skills: Oral presentations simulate real-world scenarios where effective communication is crucial.

Disadvantages Of Oral Presentations For Informal Assessments

• Assessment Challenges: Evaluating oral presentations can be subjective and may require clear criteria to ensure fairness.
• Time-Consuming: Conducting multiple presentations in a large class can be time-consuming.

Benefits/Importance Of Informal Assessment

There are several advantages to assessing students using informal methods. Here are some common benefits:

Holistic Assessment

Formal examinations and evaluations can sometimes induce nervousness or performance anxiety in students, leading to underperformance. Informal assessments provide teachers with a more accurate understanding of a student’s abilities. By observing a student’s progress through various stages, teachers can create a holistic picture of their knowledge, which may be missed in a formal test or examination. Informal formative assessments offer educators various tools to assess a student’s true capabilities.

Reduced Test Anxiety

Informal assessments typically take place in a student’s natural learning environment, free from the pressure and tension often associated with formal exams. This relaxed setting allows students to engage more freely with tasks and activities, enabling teachers to gain a more realistic representation of their abilities. In contrast, formal examinations can induce anxiety, nervousness, or fear, potentially skewing results.

Minimum resources 

Informal evaluations differ from formal assessments, typically requiring fewer resources and minimal planning. The evaluation process can be impromptu and may involve only teacher-student interactions, eliminating the need for significant financial resources. Informal formative assessments offer a precise representation of a student’s abilities with minimal resource consumption.

Timely Feedback

Because informal formative assessments do not involve formal grading, teachers can provide immediate and consistent feedback to students. This feedback fosters creative thinking and empowers students to enhance their knowledge. Immediate and consistent feedback makes it more manageable for students to work on and implement changes identified by the teacher.

Provides Valuable Data For Teachers

Informal evaluations allow teachers to gather meaningful data that informs their decisions and adjustments. Teachers can identify areas of their teaching methods that require modification and pinpoint specific challenges students face. With this information, educators can develop effective strategies to address these challenges.

Informal assessments play a pivotal role in education, offering a flexible and insightful approach to understanding students’ progress and abilities. With their ability to provide immediate feedback, encourage active participation, and create a comfortable learning environment, informal assessments empower educators to guide their students effectively. Hopefully, through this article, educators can harness these tools to enhance the learning experience and unlock the full potential of every student, making education a more personalized and enriching journey.

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Informal Narrative Writing Assessment

• Understand the purpose of informal assessment of narrative writing
• Learn the components of written narratives
• Understand how to assess your student's use of grammar, story cohesion, story grammar and sentence structure, vocabulary, voice, and writing mechanics
• Understand the importance of assessment of editing skills

Beyond Standardized Measures of Written Narratives

Unfortunately, there are limited, good standardized measures to assess written expression. The good news is you can effectively and informatively assess your student's writing skills using informal techniques. The following information is designed to give you a template to informally assess written narratives. A thorough evaluation of your student’s writing abilities is critical for providing effective intervention. Writing is multi-faceted and demands many cognitive abilities including grammar, organization, planning, spelling, vocabulary, and voice, just to name some. The student’s age and the type of writing will determine your approach to assessment. Informal assessment of narratives is described here (with expository writing and formal assessment on separate pages).

The first question to answer is what type of narrative writing does the curriculum expect the student to perform? Elementary grades focus primarily on the narrative form of writing, in other words, writing stories; although middle and high school students may struggle in this area as well. These are usually personal or fictional stories. Regardless, these narratives require a specific story grammar, which may be evaluated through informal assessment of your student's written samples. A brief description of areas to assess follows. See our Expository Writing: Dynamic Assessment page.

Informal Narrative Assessment

You will learn a great deal about the student’s writing process by observing her plan, compose, and edit a story. Does she take time to think and make notes about what she is going to write or does she just begin writing? Many classroom curricula utilize visual organizers to help plan key words, plot, and characters. It is helpful to see what a student was able to come up with on her own in her visual organizer. If you are in a clinical setting, you may wish to give your student a visual organizer to complete prior to writing. 

A visually stimulating picture filled with activity is a good prompt. Ask the student to write a creative story about the picture and to make it as interesting as possible. Assign a time limit—20-30 minutes depending on the age. Tell the student that you will want to be able to read the story when she is finished.

Observe your student as she begins to compose the story. Does she write fluently or is it laborious? How does her handwriting look? Many students with dyslexia simply are not able to get the ideas from their heads onto the paper. You will obtain important information by comparing an oral narrative with a written narrative. Many times students with dyslexia simplify their vocabulary, grammar, and story structure in writing, yet can verbally narrate without any difficulty. If this is the case for your student, you will want to focus your attention on writing fluency.

You may also wish to do some dynamic assessment to find out if your student would benefit from typing her story (this eliminates the graphomotor component of writing), using word prediction (reducing the struggle with spelling and handwriting), or voice dictation (speech-to-test) software. In the dynamic assessment, you want to determine what the student is able to do independently and what an appropriate instructional level is for intervention.

As you evaluate your student’s written narrative, you will look at both content (grammar, sentence structure, story cohesion, story grammar, vocabulary, and voice) and mechanics (spelling, capitalization, and punctuation). Each area is described  below.

Grammar & Sentence Structure

• Story Cohesion

Story Grammar

Writing mechanics.

Grammar, which follows a developmental order,   incorporates both morphology (word endings such as plural -s, possessive marker, and verb tense; and prefixes, suffixes, and roots) and syntax (word order and length, structure, and complexity of the sentence). Written syntax should be somewhat comparable to a child's oral language skills at any particular age. In elementary school, students should be able to write word endings for the present progressive (+ing) and past verb tense. They should be able to write compound sentences (using and , but , and or ) and, as they get older, begin to evidence complex sentences (using conjunctions because , if , and then ) and modifying clauses (The girl, who sat next to me , was nice.). 

Morphological skills continue to develop in late elementary and early middle school to incorporate multisyllabic words (using Greek and Latin prefixes and suffixes). By middle school, students should use a variety of sentence types and have good control of syntax for clear and fluent writing.

You may wish to tally the number of complex sentences and the number of words with three or more syllables in a student’s writing. Note whether the student is able to use introductory and modifying clauses in her writing or resorts to short, simple sentences.

Story Cohesion 

Story cohesion   refers to the “flow” of the story. Cohesive ties also follow a developmental sequence. In preschool, sequence words and conjunctions (e.g., but, and, so, because, if, then) emerge. In elementary school, pronouns and clear referents are established in narratives. In addition, conjunctions for complex sentences are emerging, as well as modifying clauses (e.g., The bear, which was the largest in the zoo...). In the complex and interactive episodes written by adolescents, students should use conjunctions and introductory phrases (e.g., therefore, however, also, in the meantime) for complex sentences that reveal the character’s motives, feelings, and goals and that tie with previous events and descriptions.

Without cohesive ties such as conjunctions, sequence words, and pronouns, a story often feels stilted, redundant, or hard to follow.  Does the story move easily from one event to another? Is there an explicit order to the story? Are pronouns utilized to eliminate redundancy (with identifiable referents)?  

Story grammar refers to the use of characters, setting, and plot within a story. Does the student provide rich descriptions of the characters and their relation to each other? Is the setting vivid and clear to the reader? Can you draw a picture in your mind of the setting? Is the plot interesting? Does it compel you to read further?

 The structure of the plot follows a developmental sequence.

• In the preschool years, stories range from descriptive sequences to reactive sequences (with action and cause and effect). 
• By early elementary school, students often use a chain of events with either an implied or explicit goal. The character’s emotions are often included. Late elementary school students’ story grammar evolves to include the character’s plans to rectify the problem and a primitive resolution to the story. 
• An adolescent is capable of composing a developed resolution to the story, and embedding subplots to the story (e.g., two characters may have conflicting plans and goals). These later narratives incorporate critical thinking (including a problem, response or action, and a plan) in every episode of the story. 

Vocabulary is a critical component of good writing. If the student is writing to a picture prompt, does the vocabulary include elements from the picture? Does she use a rich variety of words commensurate with her speaking skills? You may wish to tally the number of “content words” related to the prompt. In addition, ask yourself these questions: Are the verbs active (leaps, charged, poured) versus passive (was, did, had)? Was the word choice descriptive rather than vague? Does the student use adjectives and adverbs to describe nouns and actions? Were examples of metaphor and figurative language incorporated?

Many dyslexics demonstrate very limited vocabulary use in their writing. This may be due to a number of reasons. Many times, these bright individuals will only write words that they know they can spell. I have had students tell me this very thing. For example, rather than writing "olfactory," a student will choose to write "smell," thereby underrepresenting her knowledge and capabilities in her writing. It is important to assess oral vocabulary as a comparison point. The Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test -2 (EOWPVT-2) is a good measure for this.

Another reason for limited vocabulary use is word finding difficulties. Therefore, it is important to obtain a measure of oral word naming to compare with written fluency. Again, the EOWPVT-2 is a good test to use.

Finally, by nature of their reading disability and reduced access to text, many dyslexics, particularly as they get older, evidence a poorer vocabularly when compared to their typically-developing peers. For this reason, it is important to get a benchmark of vocabulary early in order to determine any degradation of vocabulary skills as the student ages. In addition to the EOWPVT-2, an assessment of receptive vocabulary (such as determined by the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-4) is beneficial.

You can assess your student's diversity of words rather easily. Choose a writing sample, count the number of unique or different words written and divide that by the total number of words to yield a type-token ratio. You will have the percentage of different words used. For the older student, it is also sometimes helpful to also assess the number of multisyllabic words written.

Voice refers to the student’s unique point of view. This should be evident in the narrative through sharing an insight, humor, or emotional state. Some narratives are written in first-person form and help the reader to experience an event from the writer's perspective. There may be a moral to the story or a persuasive element to the narrative as well.

If the writing is in some way novel and engaging with an interesting “hook”, then the student has successfully used her voice. If, however, the narrative is run-of-the-mill with poor flow, vague vocabulary, and no real message or plot, then the student’s voice has been lost in her struggle to write.

Writing Mechanics refers to a student’s spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and handwriting skills. Many students with dyslexia struggle in one or more of these areas. 

• Capitalization refers to a student's ability to use capital letters at the beginning of a sentence, in a quotation, and in proper nouns. Simply tally the types and number of capitals used correctly and incorrectly.
• Handwriting may be an additional struggle for students with dyslexia. Handwriting that is strikingly large or illegible, has irregular spacing, or “floats off of the line” may be the result of underlying graphomotor issues that warrant a referral to an occupational therapist. N ote whether the process of forming the letters appears laborious. Note the pencil grip that the student uses. Beyond preschoolers, it should be a tripod/pincer grip rather than a fist. If you are working with a student with keyboarding skills, compare the writing process and final product of a hand-written versus a typed narrative. Any of these areas of concern may also require a follow-up referral to an occupational therapist.
• Punctuation gives you insight into the student’s grammar and meta-cognitive skills. Some students do not use appropriate punctuation because they do not understand the grammatical constructs of a sentence or a clause . Meta-cognitive skills give the student awareness that someone else (i.e., the reader) will need to understand what she wrote so using punctuation and proofreading are essential elements of writing. A simple tally of the types and number of punctuation marks correctly and incorrectly used will give you solid baseline data and information as to where to begin intervention.
• Spelling  is a complex area of language, which requires five types of knowledge: phonemic awareness, mental orthographic images, phonics knowledge, morphology, and semantic knowledge.  As you read your student’s narrative, highlight and categorize each of the student’s spelling errors to formulate a hypothesis about where the breakdown exists. Are the errors phonetically plausible (i.e., can you decipher the word)? Are the correct number of syllables represented? If there are copious spelling errors, particularly in late elementary school and beyond, further spelling testing should be pursued. Prescriptive tests such as the  Spelling and Phonological Evaluation of Language and Literacy (SPELL)  or the Soo Battery of Phonics Skills can be helpful in determining specific goals and recommendations for the student. Standardized instruments, such as the  Test of Written Spelling-5 (TWS-5)   may be useful for determining whether the student requires specific intervention.

Finally, you will need to assess your student's editing skills. Her writing needs to demonstrate that she understands the importance of painting a clear picture for the reader.  This is an important meta-cognitive skill to have.  Unlike oral narratives, the listener (i.e., reader) is not present and, therefore, cannot ask for clarification. The student needs to be able to analyze her writing by taking the perspective of her reader and assess whether the story flows, the amount of information is appropriate, references in the story line are clear, and the story is of interest. At a more basic level, the student needs to have skills to edit for mechanics, which may require accessing spellcheck or utilizing an editor.

In summary, a comprehensive informal assessment of your student's writing will yield both strengths and weaknesses. Given that you have aligned your assessment developmentally with the demands expected of her in school, you will be ready to begin intervention and the assessment can serve as your baseline data. Additionally, the dynamic nature of informal assessment allows you to begin having a dialogue with your student about the process of writing and its components. Many poor writers think that good writers just write well, and they do it in one fell swoop. Nothing is further from the truth. By making the process of writing salient to your student, you begin to develop her meta-cognitive skills for and about writing. This is an important, and necessary, first step to creating a successful writer! Success starts here!

in this section

• Learn about Dyslexia
• Students' Strengths and Interests
• AD/HD and Dyslexia
• Structured Literacy
• Interprofessional Practice
• How Dyslexia Affects the Curriculum
• Accommodations
• Strategies for Teachers
• Teaching Meta-Cognition Skills
• Teaching Self-Advocacy
• Universal Design
• Goal Setting Tips
• Morphological Awareness
• Phonological Awareness
• Reading Comprehension
• Reading Fluency
• Word Retrieval and Rapid Automatic Naming (RAN)
• Working Memory
• More on Writing
• Informal Writing: Case Example
• Expository Writing and Dynamic Assessment
• Writing Intervention
• Writing Resources
• Foreign Language
• Mathematics
• Foreign Language Study Tips
• Tips, Tools and Apps for Helping Dyslexic Students
• Apps for Dyslexia and Learning Disabilities
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explain how to use informal assessment to effectively prepare for an examination​

Self-questionnaire or checklist.

Writing sample.

Tests and quizzes made by the teacher.

Portfolios.

Grading assignments.

Student created quizzes.

Related Questions

10. Roy experiences two emotions when he learns about Dana's arrest. What are they and how can he feel such opposite emotions?

Roy feels both guilty and glad. He feels guilty because Dana isn't the vandal, but glad because Dana is a bully.

Explanation:

add the insta isabelpierce.main

Which stage of the writing process follows brainstorming

This is basically the planning stage of an essay.

What transition would be the most appropriate to use at the beginning of sentence 6?

D. For this reason among others

Read the excerpt from the Newsela article "Opinion: It’s Important for Kids to See Diverse TV, Movie Characters." passeage____________________________________________________________ There's a relationship between low self-esteem and negative portrayals of racial groups. There's also an association between poor self-esteem and the lack of portrayals of a particular group. Others have found that media misrepresentations of ethnic groups can cause confusion about aspects of their identity among children of these groups. question__________________________________________________________ How do the ideas in the excerpt differ from how the author's daughter perceives her bicultural identity in the Newsela article "Opinion: From Embarrassed About Bicultural Identity, to Celebrating It"? In "Opinion: From Embarrassed About Bicultural Identity, to Celebrating It," the author's daughter is proud of who she is and comfortable with sharing her culture. In "Opinion: From Embarrassed About Bicultural Identity, to Celebrating It," the author's daughter is indifferent when it comes to her cultural identity. In "Opinion: From Embarrassed About Bicultural Identity, to Celebrating It," the author's daughter is working to accept her cultural background. In "Opinion: From Embarrassed About Bicultural Identity, to Celebrating It," the author's daughter shares her mother's mixed feelings about being bicultural.

the answer is A

The ideas in the excerpt are different from how the author's daughter perceives her bicultural identity in the Newsela article "Opinion: From Embarrassed About Bicultural Identity, to Celebrating It." Therefore, the correct option is A .

An article is a written piece of content that provides information on a particular topic or subject. Articles can be found in various formats , such as newspapers, magazines, journals , and websites, and can be written by journalists, researchers , experts, or individuals who want to share their opinions or ideas.

In the given article about the author's daughter, she is proud of who she is and comfortable sharing her culture, which is different from the negative impact on self-esteem that can occur with the misrepresentation or lack of portrayal of ethnic groups in the media as mentioned in the excerpt.Therefore, the correct option is A .

Learn more about an article , here:

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HELP NOW I GIVE YOU BRAINLIEST How does the experience of reading this scene from Act II of Twelfth Night differ from viewing the recording of the live version of the scene? In the text, Sir Toby confronts Malvolio; in the live version, he remains hidden. The live version is more humorous because the characters hide behind statues and talk to each other. Maria remains in the scene in the live version, but she leaves the scene in the text. The text version is more confusing because readers cannot tell who the characters are addressing.

it would be b : The live version is more humorous because the characters hide behind statues and talk to each other.

I read and watched the book and show thingy and took the test brainliest pls

the answer is b

Directions: Read the following sentences, and rate them on a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 is really informal and 5 is exceptionally formal. 1. I don’t know why they put up with that. 2. It’s unclear why the organizers tolerated the problem for so long. 3. Well, we could go tomorrow. 4. It’s possible that the weather will permit us to travel tomorrow. 5. You know, the homework is a lot harder than it looks. ​

5, 1, 3, 4, and 2 is an exceptionally formal number that is presented in chronological order .

What is formal?

In comparison to the casual language, academic language is less personal. When speaking for business or scholarly goals, such as graduate program assignments, it is employed . Slang words, contractions, and first-person pronouns like "I" and "We" are not used in formal language. Spontaneous speech is more relaxed and unplanned.

The most formal sentence is with respect to formal and informal :

You know, the homework is a lot harder than it looks.

I don’t know why they put up with that.

Well, we could go tomorrow.

It’s possible that the weather will permit us to travel tomorrow.

It’s unclear why the organizers tolerated the problem for so long.

Learn more about formal , Here:

https://brainly.com/question/11381578

Critical essays should be written in blank/which point of view

first - person or second person

hope it help you

Where does Tommy get his ideas about alien invaders? a.from the adults in the neighborhood b.from his mother c.from the other kids in the neighborhood d.from comic books​

d. from comic books

hope this helps have a nice day!!!

PLZ WILL GIVE BRAINLY!!!

1.a tall tower

2.made of square stones

3. The pointed roof

4.a single window

Sorry I could only 4 and I doubt if it is correct

Which is NOT a tenet of the romanticism?

the French anthem.

I hope this helps!

Answer: social realism

Help please.!!! guys

I know! I took that test

who do you look up and what qualities do you love about that person?​

Qualities I Admire In Others

Compassion.

Authenticity.

Simplicity.

kindness funny cuteness sweetvoice careness

can someone please answer this? the book is the catcher in the rye, and please write more than 3 sentences, please do not just go for a minimum of 3, thanks.

Holden just asks Sally and can tell that she hates every detail of it. Sally would prefer for him to stay in school and become rich like their fathers, which is the opposite of what Holden wants because he knows his father is a phony. I consider this as a j,erk situation since his behavior during his date with Sally is the surest sign yet that he is heading toward emotional collapse and when Sally asks Holden to stop yelling, and he claims not to have been yelling, indicating that he is unaware of his own extreme agitation.

Identify the type of claim in the following statement. Rising carbon dioxide emissions have contributed to climate change. Claim of facts Claim about solutions Claim about value

claim of facts

Claim Of Facts...

i HaD tHiS On MY TeSt :P

It WaS CoRrEcT :)

YoUr wELcOMe >:-)

Prompt: Student council elections are approaching. Write a speech for an audience of fellow students about why you feel you would make the best student council president. Associated Passage: Fellow students: I am responsible. I am intelligent. This is clear because I do well in all my classes. Many of you are my friends. A. It is strong because it provides evidence for its claim. B. It is strong because it suggests its position rather than stating it directly. C. It is weak because it does not make a claim. D. It is weak because it does not provide evidence for its argument.

The answer to the question is D

english question ASAP​

D. To grow only one plant at a time

Using the prefix "mono" meaning one or single, we can the take context clues from the reading to come up with the conclusion that monoculture means to grow only one plant at a time.

I hope this helps! :)

What must every sentence have? Choose all that apply A. Complete predicate B. Question Mark C. Complete Subject D. Capital Letter E. End Punctuation F. Exclamation Point

D, E, C, and A

A. Complete predicate

C. Complete Subject

D. Capital Letter

E. End Punctuation

From the story Duplo and Karagatan What happen in duplo?In Karagatan?What do they deal with?​ I really need help:(

sorry I have no idea in the story

Read the following passage from Senator Smith's "Declaration of Conscience": Surely the United States Senate is big enough to take self-criticism and self-appraisal. Surely we should be able to take the same kind of character attacks that we "dish out" to outsiders What tone does the repetition of "surely" create? A. Forgiveness B. Apathy C. Exasperation D. Insincerity

C. exasperation

C. Exasperation!

Just took the test !

The question below refers to the selection “Kubla Khan” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The overall mood of the poem could not be described as — a. mystical c. apathetic b. ecstatic d. fantastic

What is the best anime

Answer:Dragon ball Z

My hero academia

Dragon Ball Z

demon slayer

Attack on titan

One Punch Man

plz, help 25 points whoever answers gets brainiest Read the sentence. She admired the intricacy of the dress and the diaphanous top layer of pale pink that seemed to float above the rest of the fabric. What does the word diaphanous mean in the sentence? A.invisible B. unpleasant C. molded D. transparent

Answer: the answer is B

most of Ethiopians ______ uncooked meet. ( eat, eats, is eaten, are eaten?​

Need help please ASAP...it's due today....Write a short story about a squirrel trying to find a nut. Use examples of personification in your story. Your story should be 4-5 sentences long.

It was a beautiful autumn day. The trees whispered in a crisp, cool breeze, their gold and red leaves on display. The river babbled nonstop, gushing by at a somewhat alarming rate. The still scent of early snow hung threateningly in the air. In the midst of it all, one of the smallest mammals found herself panicking in a rush to find food before a heavy layer of snow blanketed the ground tonight. The fluffy-tailed, brown-coated squirrel frantically clawed up clumps of dirt, rooting through the thick undergrowth. She had searched nearly half the area around her home, when suddenly...a snowflake landed on her nose. She cried out in dismay, sobbing as she desperately tore up the ground. Seconds passed. Minutes. Hours. The moon had awoken from its deep slumber, winking at the world as clouds passed over it. Her paws had grown numb and she could barely see past her own nose, the snow falling quicker and quicker around her. It showed the promise of a blizzard. A starving wolf howled in the distance, wondering where all the deer went. The squirrel paid him no mind, attempting to retrace her tracks back to her home. She didn't hear the pounding paws rushing toward her, muffled by the flurrying snow. She didn't notice the shadow suddenly blanketing her. She didn't notice the icy breath freezing in the air around her.

And it was too late.

Prompt Given: Write a short story about a squirrel trying to find a nut. Use examples of personification in your story. Your story should be 4-5 sentences long.

We followed the prompt by:

We also exceeded the writing standard, resulting in extra credit.

Definitions:

Personification: The attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form.

Total Sentences Written: 20

Total Words Written: 235

If you found this answer helpful, Brainliest is appreciated! I hope you have a wonderful day ^-^

What vowel sound does the ei make in this word? perceive a. long a b. short i c. short e d. long i e. long e

I hope it helps choose me the brainest

when pronounce it's pr·seev

Helppp me please about this question: Hundreds of thousands of teens are speaking out because they are tired of waiting for the government to pass laws to protect students faced with college tuition hikes. Despite being unable to vote, teens are leading the charge and refusing to stay quiet about the government’s refusal to pass public-education funding. Voters can support these teens who cannot vote by signing this petition to change public-education funding. As your congresswoman, I will personally deliver this to Capitol Hill. Analyze how each of the three types of appeals helps the speaker persuade the audience to support education funding.

1., teens are leading the charge and refusing to stay quiet about the government’s refusal to pass public-education funding.2Hundreds of thousands of teens are speaking out.3 Voters can support these teens who cannot vote by signing this petition to change public-education funding. Explanation: hope this is correct

Teenagers are leading the way and speaking out against the government' s opposition to passing funds for public education . Teenagers in the hundreds of thousands are speaking out. By approving this reform in public education financing, voters can show their support for these young people who are unable to vote .

Article 10 of the Human Rights Act of 1998 states that " freedom of expression " is a right that everyone in the UK "has." This freedom "may be subject to formalities, limitations , limits, or penalties as are allowed by law and are necessary in a democratic society," however, the law states .

Examples of speech categories for which the First Amendment offers less protection or no protection at all include obscenity, fraud, child , speech essential to illegal activity, speech that incites impending lawless action, speech that violates intellectual property law, true threats, and commercial speech.

Thus, Teenagers are leading the way and speaking out against the government.

For more information about speaking out against the government, click here

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Differe(it parts ofxpeech have different jobs. What do verbs like run" and "learn" do?

Can ni help me, i well write (discussion essay about being single)?

can you give a bit more specific details on what you are trying to write ? about being single? i can help just be specific on the directions so i an do it right : ) c

Renee loves going to Sprinkle McToffee's ice cream shop, because they always have ____ favorite caramel topping. them my our her

For a full understanding, lets quote. "Renee loves going to Sprinkle McToffee's ice cream shop, because they always have ____ favorite caramel topping." We can see there is a narrator because there is no "I". And they give us the pro nouns in the start.

5. What concerns did people have after the scientific revolution?

Answer: The Scientific Revolution influenced the development of the Enlightenment values of individualism because it demonstrated the power of the human mind. ... The power of human beings to discern truth through reasoning influenced the development of the Enlightenment value of rationalism.

hope this helps