- 1-1 Student Communication and Conferences
- Teacher led “true or false” statement comprehension
The teacher says a statement and then the teacher will lead a vote on if it’s true or false. Keeping score of how many are correct can help us as the teachers see if the students are grasping the concept at hand.
- Concept Maps
This is a very valuable tool. The purpose of the activity is: the main idea goes in the middle and have the students fill out the details on the outside rings of the organizer. Seeing where the details lay can help the teacher understand where the students are at.
- Demonstration and Activity Stations
Is a great opportunity where students can directly show what they learned from the topic.
- Discussions of different varieties
Can be a great option especially as it is a dynamic that works well for a lot of students.
As explaining outloud can be easier than writing a response down.
- Journal: Writing or Drawing Entries
Throughout the topic there is a great way to see what the students are understanding from the topic. This is something that can be done throughout the entire duration of the topic mentioned.
- Examples/Not so Chart Brainstorm Whiteboard Activity
Have students brainstorm and example a not so example of the topic at hand. Doing so will make it clear what the students are understanding and comprehending from the topic.
- Exit cards
Are another quick way to see where students are struggling or doing well.
- Finger Five
This is a super easy strategy in other words. Ask students questions and have them rank how well they are understanding the topic out of 5. In other words they put up the finger they feel like represents how they are feeling. (1 being low-5 being high)
- Four Corners
Use four corners. Have a (strongly agree, agree, disagree and strongly disagree corner) Say a statement and have the students go to that corner if they believe it is true. It helps the teacher understand if the student is grasping the topic. You could also use true or false questions too.
- Matching Activities
Are a great option to help students in the younger kiddo classrooms, better understand the topic being discussed.
- Open Ended Questions
The use of open ended questions in journal prompts or class discussions can be a very helpful tool.
- The Use of Visuals
An amazing tool for better understanding where students are in their understanding. Plus the use of this strategy is quick and fast acting. (examples, emojis, thumbs up, checkmarks and four finger ratings, etc).