Pre-Assessment for Differentiation

By Zalino Bona

“Pre-assessment provides valuable information about what is already known about a topic and readiness to start new instruction.” – Carol Ann Tomlinson

 Classrooms today have a wide range of diversity in terms of experiences and abilities. If we want to ensure that we meet the needs of every student in our class, we need to know what they already know, so that we can create lessons that are engaging and at the right instructional level. “Knowing what students know and can do when they come into the classroom or before they begin a new topic of study, can help us craft instructional activities that build off of student strengths and acknowledge and address their weaknesses.” (Eberly Center, 2008)

A pre-assessment will help me to know what the students know about the topic, what they are able to do, and where I should begin with each student or group of students. For this Literacy unit on using ‘Asking Questions’ as a comprehension strategy, I will begin by giving them a pre-assessment on Kahoot.

Link to my Kahoot Quiz:

https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/fceba940-5857-4725-b433-e5a967daf05e

Based on the results, I will put the students into three groups:

1.      Group of 5 students who know how to use this strategy and answered the questions on thin and thick questions correctly: This group will work independently on the assignments which will include using sticky notes to write down questions before, during and after reading, gathering information in a graphic organizer, identifying thin and thick questions, identifying important questions, and working in twos/threes to discuss and refine their questions.

2.      Group of 12 students who have some knowledge about the 'asking questions' strategy, but needs to learn to use this strategy: I will review the strategy, teach them to use sticky notes and graphic organizers to write down their questions and gather information. This group will learn about thin and thick questions, before working in pairs to discuss and refine their questions.

3.      Group of 5 students who have limited knowledge about the ‘asking questions’ strategy: I will work with this group by- 

-          introducing the strategy and explaining that good readers ask questions

-          explaining that we use this strategy to gain information and to better understand what we are reading.

-          Modelling the strategy using the ‘I do it’ ‘We do it’ ‘You do it’ learning strategy

-          Showing how sticky notes and graphic organizers help us to keep track of our questions and to gather information

-          Introducing different types of questions: thin and thick questions, and identifying important questions

-          Having students work independently on reading and asking questions

-          Putting students in two groups to discuss and refine their questions

Here is a chart that shows how I will differentiate learning for my students:

References:

Assessing prior knowledge. (2008). Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence & Educational Innovation. Retrieved from: https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/teach/priorknowledge.html

Pendergrass, Emily. (2013, December/ 2014, January). Differentiation: It starts with Pre assessment. Retrieved from: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/dec13/vol71/num04/Differentiation@_It_Starts_with_Pre-Assessment.aspx

Pre-assessment ideas. (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://sites.google.com/site/lrtsas/differentiation/5-preassessment-ideas