Informal Assessments

1.) Discussion Boards:

Every unit contains an essential question or an area of focus. In order to be sure

that my ELD students understand this area of focus, I have them do a discussion
board. This is a short 5+ sentence paragraph answering a question about the
essential question. ELD students are often intelligent students who are well
versed in their native language, but struggle in English. By providing them with
time to think and write out their thoughts, they are often able to come up with
awesome responses that show how they interpret the question, letting the teacher
know if they are on the right track or not.
2.) Sharing Aloud:

Speaking in front of a group is one of the hardest things for an English Learner to
do. Once a safe environment has been established, this is a great way to
informally assess students for comprehension. When we are going over content in
class I will often ask a question aloud. I will tell students to write their answer
down. After a minute or 2 I will call on students to share their answers aloud. In
this manner, ELD students are happy to share their answers because they have the
wait time needed to clarify their thoughts and they have a written response to refer
to. This allows the teacher to check for understanding, and it provides the
students with verbal practice.
3.) Graphic Organizers:

These are wonderful. These are a quick and easy way to check if students are
comprehending material. They come in many forms: bubble maps, T-charts,
Lists They allow students time to think through their responses and organize
what they have learned. I use graphic organizers throughout every unit I teach.