Assessments are a staple in all of the educational institutions in the world. There are two main kinds of assessments, summative and formative, and they can be done in many different ways. Summative assessments often come in the form of final exams and papers. Formative assessments, also known as assessments for learning, appear as the usual coursework done by students within a given school year.
Some parents may have the belief that assessing their child’s progress in school is only the responsibility of the teacher, but parents also have a role to play in assessing their own children’s learning. Since parents would want to ensure their child’s success in school, it would be immensely helpful if parents knew that she is not only learning for quizzes but also retaining information for the long-term.
Continue reading to know more about the benefits of doing your own assessments for learning at home and how you can do that.
Assessments can show the student’s problem areas
As this is one of their main purposes, assessments for learning can show areas where a given student can improve on. Teachers are the biggest beneficiaries of this, but as a parent, it would also be useful to know if there are any lessons that your child may have failed to grasp entirely. By making your own assessments, you will be able to oversee the progress of your child better.
With knowledge of your child’s problem areas in school, you can try to do your own supplementary measures at home to improve your child’s understanding or coordinate with her teacher so that he or she can conduct the necessary corrective measures. This can also help fix confidence issues in your child as students may experience many forms of anxiety in school regarding tests, recitation, and the like.
Verbally review with your child
One way of doing a simple assessment at home is by talking to your child. When she comes home from school, ask her how her day went and what she learned in her respective classes. If she can briefly and confidently explain some of the lessons, then that is a positive sign. Asking your children to talk about what they learned not only improves their communication skills but also helps reinforce the knowledge they have gained.
Create your own review quizzes
If you want to take it further and employ a more hands-on approach, try to make your own short review quizzes regarding some of the major lessons in school. It would be optimal to focus on some subjects where she is having a hard time. Openly communicating with her teacher is useful in this regard because her teacher can give you specific lessons that need supplementary work.
Make sure to keep it short and not to make it too stressful. Remember to reward her with a commendation or a prize if she answers well.
Key Takeaway
Conducting your own simple assessments at home is an effective way to reinforce your child’s learning and supplement her teachers’ efforts in educating your child. Don’t forget that parents and teachers must work together to make sure that your child is learning in the best possible way.
By doing so, you are doing your part in giving her a great chance at being successful in school.
