Planning Formative Assessments for Pre-K Learning Objective.

Getting use to routines is one very important aspect of starting school.  Routines and Rules can be tough to get use to yet are essential to learning and success in life.  In this Blog I will be discussing three formative assessments that will help me plan and support my student’s outcome.  Formative Assessments will let me know where students are with understanding.  These assessments are age appropriate and encourage high order thinking for my pre-kindergarten students. 

Student will be able to understand and follow routines of the school with the use of center discovery and small and whole group activities.    I will dictate which formative assessment is most appropriate for my students based on the need of the student and the knowledge I want to interpret.  Observations and anecdotal notes will also be conducted during these assessments. 

Here is the standard:  SED.2.2.3  Understand and follow classroom routines and rules, and know what to do during transitions.

Center Time Assessments

Pre-Kindergarten students learn a lot through play and teaching them the culture of your classroom can be overwhelming.  Students like to explore and learn on their own and you want an environment that allows a good balance of discovery and teacher lead activities.  Students need rules and structure to keep them safe, in the classroom, and in the community. However taking on pretend roles and home-related routines are beneficially and help students make those real world connections. Both the Dramatic Play and Block area serves as that purpose.  Teacher and student will discuss good choices during centers.  These are areas in the classroom that will be able to assess my students without them noticing. 

Teachers will be surprised about how much you can find out about your student with the use of props and dramatization.  I will look for examples of students sharing, making connections between school and home, and following classroom rules.  I chose this formative assessment because this also allows me to bond and get to know my students.  It sets the tone of our relationship and it allows me to get better understanding of my student's interest.


Call and Response

I chose call and response because I  think its a great way for students to be able to reinforce looking and listening to teachers.  We will practice call and response for getting attention in whole and/or small group setting.  Students will be able to respond with "yes" when an adult calls the child by first name, within 2 seconds. With prompting, student will answer questions about classroom rules. With this Call and Response Chant " Teacher "1 2 3 all eyes on me" Student "1 2 eyes on you".  I will call a students name and then a task will be asked of  an individual student and or group to reinforce looking and listening to teachers. 

These call and response chants are great assessments for my group. I can focus on which students are able to stop what they are doing and transition to the next activity or room.  Timing is everything and transitions should take no more then 3 minutes.  I will also check for how long students take to clean and focus on me and to check for understanding by asking about the classroom rules.  Transitions can be tough so making them fun, catchy, and intentional is rewarding to both me and my students.  Call and Responses are also excellent for field trips and very large groups.  Its a great way to get your student attention quickly and smoothly.  


Good Choice/Bad Choice Chart

I decide on this activity because it supports the development of personal social-emotional skills. It helps introduce and act out situations arising in the classroom and outside of the classroom. Student will be asked a series of questions about things and have to decide whether it is a "good choice or bad choice."  Children will learn sorting skills and have a better understanding of rules and safety.  For differentiation, my high achievers will be able to do an individual sorting worksheet.  High Achievers can cut and paste the picture under either good or poor choice to check for understanding. 

"We-do" Large/Small Group

"You Do" for High Achievers

Following one/multi-step directions (Differentiation as needed)

I will be sure to have explicit directions for students.  I will explain to students that we are doing to practice following teacher directions.  I will call their name and ask them to do something.  I will ask what should you do when I call your name?  I will reply yes.  Say yes right away!  Let me show you. I will model with one child or another teacher.  Practice Throughout the day reinforces this compliance skill in different components such as snack and centers. 

I will be sure that during this lesson that I am clear with my request and it is a statement not a question. For example, I will say pick up the block.  Not, Can you pick up the block?  I will explain to the class that we are practicing following teacher directions.  While you are playing, I am doing to call your name and give you a direction.  I'll then ask "What should you do when I call your name?  I will record if children were able to complete my directives within 3 seconds.  We will continue to practice preferred behavior.

Sources:
https://s-media-cache- k0.pinimg.com/236x/85/43/14/854314b8c7a01395789ef55cf4c654c7.jpg
http://cdn.tristro.net/uploads/ideas/full/I-Can-Make-Good Choices-1.jpg
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Reflection on Understanding and Applying Standards

Learning standards can sometimes seem confusing.  State authorities' created common core standards to make sure all students prosper and receive necessary skills for each grade level and life. However, teachers must have tools in place to help students learn specific skills for your education and pursuit in life. Teachers whom have accurate lesson planning and strategies put in place will be able to teach these skills and guide student excellence.  This Unit help me have a better understanding of standards, why they were put in place, and ways to assist my students will positive outcomes.

Activity 1, Unpacking a Standard gave me a better perception of the standards.  The school I teach at is a Professional Learning Community so collaborating on lesson planning is common.  Learning from my colleagues, I assumed lesson planning derived from standards.  Unpacking the two Pre-Kindergarten standards helped me apprehend what is being said and how to break the standards down.  It is an effective tool from which we can use to support helpful understandings and actuality.

Example: SED.2.2 Children develop increasing capacity for self-control. 
The key word in this measurable standard is develop.  Students will consistently work on this skill . Until the level of self-control will increase.  I must ask what do students brains have to do in order to respond to this prompt?  How can I help increase my students level of self-control?  Breaking this standard down gave me better ideas and activities to use to assist my students with meeting this goal.  Self control is a skill that must be taught with lot of explicit direction, consistency and repetition from the teacher.

Activity 2, Standards and Backwards Mapping: I am aware that, Pre-K students need certain skills now for student success in Kindergarten, but I did not know how to explain to my students why these standards are worth accomplishing.  Student's social emotional capacity and attitude towards school effects their overall performance in school.  The Big Idea helps teachers assist students with making sense of a lot of confusing experiences and facts.  Students need support with breaking down and identifying skills needed to meet the standards.  Backward Design helps students achieve specific learning goals and objectives.  For my classroom, it seems designing backwards will be most effective when my students are understanding and then applying that information to prior knowledge.  Activity 2 taught me that students need several strategies ready for problem solving and other wise teachers should put understanding first. 

Activity 3, Objectives for Standards, gave me the necessary tools needed to focus on student outcome. What have you learned, is the question raised when creating SMART objectives. Monitoring and assessing student learning will help teachers' measure student progress.  Most schools are data driven and both formative and summative assessments are necessary.  I will monitor, observe, and record students understanding.  This Unit has showed me the importance of raising questions and generating learning in your lesson planning.  Successful lesson planning consists of building your unit around an idea of power.  An idea that helps learners sees useful connections and not just a piece of knowledge.  Allowing students to role play and reading literature that supports real world connections are ways to understand and apply standards.  Constant modeling and praise will support positive student outcome

I will keep all three units in mind while lesson planning and implementing standards.  I know that doing so gives me ideas, tools, and strategies that will support me in the classroom and support my students with achieving learning goals. 

Sources:
http://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/publication/attachments/OSSE_PreKindergarten_v4_0.pdf

Backwards mapping...

I currently teach Pre-Kindergarten at a DC Public Charter School.  I think it is important for students to be given an opportunity to become accustomed to the classroom rules and procedures, as well as investigate self-regulation and self-control.  Multiple opportunities to learn classroom culture and norms should be put in place for the school year, especially in the beginning. The DC Early Learning Standards for Pre-Kindergarten standard, SED.2.2., helps students develop increasing capacity for self-control.  Focal points in this standard are expressing and coping with strong emotions, understanding and following classroom routines, and respect for the environment.    Skills such as problem solving, following directions, and both independence and interdependence are essential to the success in managing school-related tasks.  These skills and attitudes towards school are needed and can be shaped at the Prekindergarten grade level.

Student Proficiencies

• Students will describe daily routines with prompting.
• Students will take on pretend roles and home-related routines.
• Students will follow classroom procedures for taking care of materials and interacting with peers.
• Students will sort pictures of children into good choices and bad choices.
• Students will apply knowledge  learned about rules in small group and read aloud to classroom behavior.
• Students will make connections between the classroom environment and the text Olivia with prompting.

Assessments

Assessments will be done informally in both small and large group settings to determine if students are meeting the goal of standard SED.2.2.  I plan to monitor children's behavior while they are practicing skills. I will record if students could correctly respond to each call for attention (group and individual name).

When students are engaged with a toy during free play, I will call the student's name to evaluate application of classroom rule.  I will remind students of rules and practice immediately if student does not implement appropriately, or provide specific praise if the student responds appropriately.  Center time will be used to reinforce the vocabulary and good choices.  A copy of the good choices materials will also be placed in centers for practice and guided discussion.  Pre-correcting and modeling will be used throughout the day; differentiating as needed.

Evaluation: Monitor child behaviors and reinforce friendly behaviors.

	Shares with Peer	Takes Turns	Ask Nicely
Student 1
Student 2
Student 3
Student 4
Student 5
Student 6

Activities

First Activity (Small or whole group):  Using chart paper, the words good and bad choices will be put on each side.  I will provide pictures to support student understanding of good and bad choices.  I will reinforce classroom rules and procedures/routines by discussing them with students using pictures.  students will place pictures of children under the choice they are making. 

Second Activity (Dramatic Play):  I will discuss with students home/school routines and other daily routines with prompting.  Encourage students to pretend they are getting ready for school.  Students can also clean up the house and go through their bedtime routines. I will make connections with students on school routines and discuss daily schedule.  Reinforcing the concept of routines. I will also remind students of center rules. 

Third Activity (Block Area):  Students will work in the block area to create models of the classroom.  I will guide students to walking around the classroom to see what is in the classroom.  I will model how to look at a picture and replicate it by discussing shapes from the block shelf. Pictures of school interior and exterior will be displayed to support student learning.  I will guide students through creating the classroom and discuss where things belong.

Bibliography:

Retrieved July 5, 2016, from OSSE, http://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/publication/attachments/OSSE_PreKindergarten_v4_0.pdf