Using math stations can be a great way to generate student feedback, provide scaffolding, and tailor your instruction accordingly. Using both formal and informal assessment tools provides documentation opportunities to assess student progress toward learning objectives. It is essential to encourage young students to verbalize their thought processes as they engage in the center activities. Cultivate dialogue in your classroom so that children can talk about the relationship between creating patterns and other patterns in their everyday world.
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
The I Can lists will be laminated for each station, but there will be paper copies for students to use as recording sheets. Students must write their names on the bottom of the recording sheets. These sheets will be collected daily to assess student understanding and determine what part of the pattern lesson needs to be re-taught or clarified.
These assessment tools were retrieved from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM): Illuminations: Resources for Teaching Math website:
Many Ways to Do It: This helpful chart can be placed on a clipboard to help you evaluate student work as you circulate through the math stations. The last column on this form, "Connects Patterns with Numbers," could be adapted to "connects patterns with letters" (the AB, AAB, ABB, ABC patterns) or you can simply use this column for the next round of math stations on patterns. I would make two copies - one as a formative assessment tool [perhaps for the first week the stations are used] and one as a summative assessment tool [for the following week(s) the stations are used].
Class Notes: I would include this page on my clipboard, to make note of students' strengths and weaknesses in conceptual understanding. I would also be sure to use this when working with children at the teacher station (station #11) to tailor explicit instruction more appropriately.
Assessing Prior Knowledge: This would be a great pre-assessment tool to use before beginning the pattern lesson and the pattern math stations.
Grid Paper for students to record their patterns. I would suggest that students only use one row per pattern, and number or letter them on the left hand side. You could even print these out and write numbers/letters on the left hand side for children who do not yet know how to write their numbers or letters.
Complete the Pattern: Have multiple copies of these available to students as well - so that they can begin to build core pattern of three, extend the pattern, and record their data.
I also like the Recognizing Patterns recording sheets on pages 48 and 49 in Connect to NCTM Standards 2000: Making the Standards Work at Kindergarten by Drs. Francis Fennell, Honi Bamberger, Thomas Rowan,and Kay Simmons and Anna Suarez. (2000). Creative Publications, Inc. [available in the CMC Library at UR; CMC 510 Con]. Using these sheets, students use two colors to show a pattern on color cubes and then show what comes next. They are then asked to create their own pattern using two different shapes and then show what comes next.
FINAL ASSESSMENT:
Louisiana State University: Kindergarten Assessment Module: Understanding Patterns (Assessing Standards-Based Learning in K-5 Mathematics; professional development workshop at LSU, July 2002 - June 2003):
This is a great way to assess student understanding via hopscotch, something most kindergartners love to play. Before giving this assessment, chalk up a hopscotch game on the ground and encourage students to play, making sure to point out the patterns involved, and ask children to think of each hop as a letter in the pattern (A, B, A, B...). I would play the game multiple times and ask students to call out their patterns each time they play. You could even call out different patterns - apple, grape, apple, grape - let them use their imaginations and create their own verbal patterns and they use this kinesthetic reinforcer.
Then, for the final assessment for patterns, I would use this very artful idea created in a professional development workshop at LSU. They have included samples of student work that show proficiency in pattern building as well as those works that show clear need for additional assistance and instruction.
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
- Walk around and listen to students’ comments and observe interactions during math stations:
- Did they understand how to build, extend, compare, and translate patterns?
- Were they talking about how to build, extend, compare, and translate different patterns?
- Were the students on-task?
- Did they effectively use math vocabulary and pattern concepts in their building, drawing, coloring, and writing?
- Were materials used properly?
- Collect I Can lists/recording sheets to review progress at stations
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
- Collect and review grid sheets, complete the pattern sheets, and student drawings to assess understanding
- Use oral assessments to see if students were able to successfully complete their pattern design and building work and appropriately use pattern concepts (AB, AAB, ABB, and ABC patterns written underneath their designs)
- Record notes in your anecdotal records and follow up with students who need more support/instruction [Many Ways to Do It/ Class Notes - see below]
- Various pattern homework assignments linked to the larger unit lesson plan
- Final assessment piece to gauge student understanding (see link below)
The I Can lists will be laminated for each station, but there will be paper copies for students to use as recording sheets. Students must write their names on the bottom of the recording sheets. These sheets will be collected daily to assess student understanding and determine what part of the pattern lesson needs to be re-taught or clarified.
These assessment tools were retrieved from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM): Illuminations: Resources for Teaching Math website:
Many Ways to Do It: This helpful chart can be placed on a clipboard to help you evaluate student work as you circulate through the math stations. The last column on this form, "Connects Patterns with Numbers," could be adapted to "connects patterns with letters" (the AB, AAB, ABB, ABC patterns) or you can simply use this column for the next round of math stations on patterns. I would make two copies - one as a formative assessment tool [perhaps for the first week the stations are used] and one as a summative assessment tool [for the following week(s) the stations are used].
Class Notes: I would include this page on my clipboard, to make note of students' strengths and weaknesses in conceptual understanding. I would also be sure to use this when working with children at the teacher station (station #11) to tailor explicit instruction more appropriately.
Assessing Prior Knowledge: This would be a great pre-assessment tool to use before beginning the pattern lesson and the pattern math stations.
Grid Paper for students to record their patterns. I would suggest that students only use one row per pattern, and number or letter them on the left hand side. You could even print these out and write numbers/letters on the left hand side for children who do not yet know how to write their numbers or letters.
Complete the Pattern: Have multiple copies of these available to students as well - so that they can begin to build core pattern of three, extend the pattern, and record their data.
I also like the Recognizing Patterns recording sheets on pages 48 and 49 in Connect to NCTM Standards 2000: Making the Standards Work at Kindergarten by Drs. Francis Fennell, Honi Bamberger, Thomas Rowan,and Kay Simmons and Anna Suarez. (2000). Creative Publications, Inc. [available in the CMC Library at UR; CMC 510 Con]. Using these sheets, students use two colors to show a pattern on color cubes and then show what comes next. They are then asked to create their own pattern using two different shapes and then show what comes next.
FINAL ASSESSMENT:
Louisiana State University: Kindergarten Assessment Module: Understanding Patterns (Assessing Standards-Based Learning in K-5 Mathematics; professional development workshop at LSU, July 2002 - June 2003):
This is a great way to assess student understanding via hopscotch, something most kindergartners love to play. Before giving this assessment, chalk up a hopscotch game on the ground and encourage students to play, making sure to point out the patterns involved, and ask children to think of each hop as a letter in the pattern (A, B, A, B...). I would play the game multiple times and ask students to call out their patterns each time they play. You could even call out different patterns - apple, grape, apple, grape - let them use their imaginations and create their own verbal patterns and they use this kinesthetic reinforcer.
Then, for the final assessment for patterns, I would use this very artful idea created in a professional development workshop at LSU. They have included samples of student work that show proficiency in pattern building as well as those works that show clear need for additional assistance and instruction.