Ways to Quickly Check for Understanding
Edutopia, an online source that highlights best practices for educators, recently polled
teachers and asked them how they do quick checks for understanding. The attached file contains numerous ways that teachers have used in their classroom.
Do you have anything that you can add to the list? Have you tried any of these quick checks with your students?
I just had a graduate student share in one of my courses how their school media specialist shares new texts with middle school students during the morning announcements! She shared that this has greatly contributed to increased reading interest etc. How do you promote reading in your school?
Do you use math word walls in your classrooms? I like them because students can refer to them when they are learning new vocabulary. My students have asked me to write words to help them with spelling when they are explaining how they got their answers.
.jpg)
How do you have your students to self assess themselves. I have pictures with the numbers of 1, 2, 3 and 4. 1 means that they still don't understand, 2 means that they are starting to understand. 3 means they can do it by themselves, and 4 means they can do it by themselves and teach others. I am attaching some examples I have used for 3 and 4.
How do you help new classroom teachers mainstream exceptional students? Many new teachers struggle to make sure they are meeting the needs of all students. Any tips would be appreciated!
What are some of your best math test prep from third through fifth grade ideas? I’m trying to compile some ideas for my teachers!
Why is Phonemic Awareness so Important?
Phonemic awareness refers to the ability to identify, manipulate, and work with individual phonemes—the smallest units of sound in a language.
Participating in phonemic awareness activities, students can decode words, spell, and comprehend text.
How do you incorporate phonemic awareness into your daily activities?
This weekend I presented a couple of different sessions at the MiAEYC conference and someone was inquiring about the following: tunes to help students learn the correct spelling of their names - does anyone have any resources for this?
I have a couple of student teaching candidates that I am supervising right now and one of them is really struggling with grading 1st grade student work accurately. Do you have a grading checklist or other tool you use (or share/advise new teachers etc) that would be helpful for this teacher?
How do you use a graphic organizer for reading comprehension?
1. Determine what information (sequencing, supporting details, story structure, etc.) you want your students to pull from the text.
2. Model your expectations for exactly how the graphic organizer should be filled out.
3. Instruct your students to fill out the graphic organizer as they are reading or after as a summarizing technique.
You can find many examples and free downloads of graphic organizers. What type of graphic organizers have you used?
We are beginning an economics unit this week. The students are learning about needs and wants. They earn play money for coming to school which is their job. I tell them that this would be their paycheck in the real world. They take the money that they earn and use it to rent their desks and chairs. They are fined for not raising their hands or not doing their homework. This has been a great way to teach my students about the real world. What activities do you teach in your classrooms that relate to teaching students about economics?
My students are learning about money in 2nd grade. I teach them a strategy called hairy money to help them to learn about the value of coins. Does anyone use a different strategy to help students learn how to count money?
How do you celebrate and talk about Earth Day with your students? What are some books and resources you use?
I have a good friend whose nephew is heading into first grade and needs some online reading resources to help with practice. Besides the obvious in reading books, what are some great sites I could offer?
Is your school offering summer school? If so - what programs or resources do you utilize for this? For reading? math?
What are your favorite participatory books? Eric Litwin and I share a list of my favorite books as part of the professional development book we wrote. Check out this list of my favorite:
https://www.ginapepin.com/_files/ugd/5fe563_cb4ad2b743cf48929bab9cc05385720d.pdf
So many of the students in intervention right now are not able to separate their head from their eyes... and this causes a lot of reading issues. So we have partnered with our OT and students do quick EYE COLUMN JUMPS during intervention. How do you monitor functional vision during learning?
I have this downloadable for free on my website: https://www.ginapepin.com/_files/ugd/5fe563_bac012bed9a14a4b9800eebbae03d4df.pdf
or https://www.ginapepin.com/blank-10-1-1-1-1-1-1
How does your whole school share upcoming important dates with one another? We utilize Google Calendar for this - i.e. field trips, end of year concerts, testing dates etc. What do you use - and what would be your ideal scenario?
