These strategies are designed to let you quickly evaluate your students' level of understanding so you know if you need to reteach or continue teaching.
Strategy One: Fact or Fib
Fact or fib encourages students to create true and false statements about the content. As students share their statements with other students (who evaluate it as true or false) the teacher can gauge the students' understandings and misunderstandings of the subject matter.
To play fact or fib:
To play fact or fib:
- The students will each create three statements about the current topic, mixing true and false statements.
- Students will receive two sticky notes, one in which they write "fact" and the other in which they write "fib".
- Each student will share their statements with the group.
- After each statement is shared, the rest of the students in the group will have a "showdown" in which they use their sticky notes to decide if it is a fact or fib, and discuss.
- The teacher will monitor for comprehension and address misunderstandings.
Additional Resources
For more information, go to lead4ward.com/ or download the lead4ward app.
For more information, go to lead4ward.com/ or download the lead4ward app.
Strategy Two: Four Corners
Four corners (which can also be adapted to three corners when necessary) is a great tool for teachers to quickly assess student understanding of material. Students use their understanding of different categories to play this game and enjoy getting to move around the room and discuss their decisions with their peers.
To play four corners:
To play four corners:
- This activity works well for a unit of study that has different categories (such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division). Assign each corner of the room a different category.
- Give the class a characteristic of one of the categories (or, in the example, read a one-step word problem).
- The students will use their knowledge of the categories to select the correct one from the teacher’s statement and move to that corner of the room.
- The students can then work together to create an explanation for their choice, and the teacher can visually see which students have misunderstandings about the topic.
Additional Resources
Use the following links to see articles for other ways to use the four corners strategies:
www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/teaching-strategies/four-corners
www.theteachertoolkit.com/index.php/tool/four-corners
www.gottoteach.com/2014/08/four-corners-cooperative-learning.html
Use the following links to see articles for other ways to use the four corners strategies:
www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/teaching-strategies/four-corners
www.theteachertoolkit.com/index.php/tool/four-corners
www.gottoteach.com/2014/08/four-corners-cooperative-learning.html
Strategy Three: Graffiti
Graffiti posters is a quick review of student knowledge and understanding that teachers can then use to make instructional decisions. Students have a short time to recall what they've learned and share with their peers.
To make graffiti posters:
To make graffiti posters:
- Assign each group of students a different colored writing utensil.
- Write a different question or topic related to the content on each piece of paper (at least one per group).
- Give students 1-2 minutes to write everything they know about that topic or question. Students may work individually or together.
- Then, have students rotate to the next poster and repeat, until students have answered all questions.
- When students return to their original poster, have students read and evaluate what was written together. Each group may share the most commonly written statement or idea, as the teacher monitors and listens.
Additional Resources
You can also read the book Why Didn't I Learn This in College? by Paula Rutherford to learn more about this and other strategies.
Rutherford, P. (2002). Why didn't I learn this in college. Alexandria, VA: Just ASK Publications & Professional Development.
You can also read the book Why Didn't I Learn This in College? by Paula Rutherford to learn more about this and other strategies.
Rutherford, P. (2002). Why didn't I learn this in college. Alexandria, VA: Just ASK Publications & Professional Development.
Strategy Four: 3-2-1 Test Review
The 3-2-1 test review strategy allows students to self-assess which questions on a test they struggled with or shined on. Knowing this helps them to create goals for themselves to improve on certain questions in the future. This review strategy can be done many different ways. Below is one variation.
To participate in the 3-2-1 test review:
To participate in the 3-2-1 test review:
- Students will look through their graded tests and find 3 questions that were difficult but they answered correctly. Students may explain why they answered them correctly.
- Students will then select 2 questions that they thought they answered correctly, but did not. They may correct this question with a friend.
- Students will then select 1 complex question they want the teacher to review with the class.
- Students may also select a goal for the next assessment based off of the questions they did not answer correctly.
- The teacher will look through the test review and identify the most difficult concepts and questions for students.