The following informal assessment instruments and activities are some examples of
methods which teachers use in both the native language and in English to inform
instruction so that their students will successfully demonstrate the skills required in
the new standards and in the State formal testing program, which conforms to those
standards.
• Class records of reading/writing - these noncompetitive whole class charts,
showing a list of titles read and pieces written, are constructed in a cooperative
celebration of the students’ work. The charts direct students to others with a
common interest, and provide help in organizing conferences. They keep the
teacher informed about the quantity and variety of student work.
• Conference log on reading, writing, performance, and use of technology
- the teacher’s anecdotal record of observations of each child’s speaking,
listening, reading, and writing behavior. The record may be used for parent conferences
and shared with the student. It shows the student’s strengths and helps
the teacher develop appropriate strategies to further improve performance.
• Interest inventory - a checklist which indicates a student’s interests and attitudes
and assists teachers in making instructional decisions about appropriate
reading materials. The checklist is reviewed by the student several times during
the year to determine continuity of interest.
• Interviews - the teacher asks individual students to respond to questions about
skills, attitudes, and knowledge and then uses this information to set goals for
both teaching and learning.
• Journal - a student-written notebook containing unedited, self-selected topics
about personal experiences, thought processes, commentary on schoolwork, etc.
• Learning log - notes by students about what they learned, how they learned
it, and how well they did, to assist them in monitoring their growth and ability
to control their learning.
• Observation (“kid watching”) - the teacher observes students in natural
learning situations and gains information about physical, emotional, social, and
intellectual behaviors which impact upon instruction and achievement, and
makes instructional decisions accordingly.
• Oral reading - a diagnostic survey or running record to assess a student’s fluency,
phrasing, reading behavior and strategies for decoding and fixing errors.
• Peer evaluation - students provide feedback to each other by formulating
criteria for judgment and providing constructive commentary on their work
through conferences in groups or pairs.
• Portfolios - a collection, accumulated over a long period of time, of self-selected
student records and responses to reading selections, other reports, or
projects; writing samples in a variety of genres; and student evaluation of work.
Audiotapes and videotapes may be included. Portfolios are used to make
instructional decisions, and they yield developmental information. They show
organization of thoughts and student priorities.
• Reading folder - an individual student record of books read, notes on books,
and responses to reading. Its purpose is to encourage student self-evaluation,
record keeping, and responsibility for learning and growth. Folders are used by
the teacher to monitor individual growth and development, the amount and
level of reading, areas of interest, and response to literature.
• Rubric - a rubric is a scale that defines and differentiates levels of performance.
Rubrics may be either analytic or holistic, and can be used as instructional tools
as well as assessment tools. Both analytic and holistic rubrics can be taskspecific,
generic, or developmental in nature. Use of rubrics in informal assessments
conveys expectations for students’ work and achievement in ways that
students can understand and use. Rubrics also clarify what teachers want from
students, and help students monitor their own performance and accomplishments.
[See Appendix E for Samples of Informal Assessments in English and the
Native Language: Literacy Scales K-12.]
• Writing folder - a collection of individual student samples of written work at
various stages, lists of possible writing topics, notes on teacher/peer conferences,
and skills to be improved. It is another means of having students take
ownership of their own work and become aware of their progress. The teacher
assesses students’ demonstrated writing skills, progress over time, areas of interest,
specific needs for instruction and ability to organize thoughts and integrate
information into written work.
• Written tests and homework assignments - the teacher checks for students’
understanding of information and concepts by using open-ended questions
which require higher-order reasoning skills.
https://www.nysut.org/~/media/Files/NYSUT/Resources/1900/January/ESL_RG.pdf
