To assess students’ homework skills more formally, teachers are encouraged to select a random homework sheet out of the 20 available and have students complete the work in test conditions.
Why teachers will love using formal assessments…
- They act as an excellent motivator for students to put effort into their homework
- They allow you to more carefully monitor students’ progress and identify students who need additional support
Why students will appreciate using formal Assessments…
- They know exactly what the assessment will look like before the day reducing test anxiety
- There is no need to “cram” before the test as they have been revising for it every week through the homework program
- They can see the progress they have made over the testing period
FAQ
Q. How often should students be assessed formally?
A. We find that completing a Pretest at the start of the year (corrected using the solutions page) followed by an Official Progress Test at the end of each term works well.
Q. What level of assessment should students complete?
A. Students should complete assessments at the level which matches their homework.
Q. Do you have any suggested approaches to revision?
A. Print out a random sheet (and its solutions) for each student and write their name on it. Using the data you have obtained from the most recent assessment at this level (past progress test or a pretest) cross out any question that the student got 100% correct. Give students their named sheet and ask them to complete questions that have not been crossed off, correcting their work as they go using the solutions. It is hoped that the student can do more than they could previously (and fortunately this is often the case!). Once students have done as much as they can on their own they can work with their peers and with the support of you their teacher. This is a good way to boost students’ confidence going into an assessment and also help them see which skills they could try to learn to guide their revision before the official test.