Study after study has proven that Guided Math is a powerful approach with big results in the elementary classroom. However, many teachers are hesitant to get started because they lack the necessary background knowledge to implement it effectively. I always get asked about how I track student progress in Guided Math, so I thought I’d share three things that make this tracking process simple!
This post is part of a Guided Math series. You may wish to visit the first two posts before continuing with this one.
Once you get your Guided Math program activities and groups organized, you’ll need to start thinking about how you’ll track student work and their progress with the content. Tracking student progress really isn’t difficult, even though you’re only working with one small group at a time. You’ll need to focus on two main things:
- tracking independent centers and keeping students accountable for this work
- assessing work during teacher-directed lessons using:
- student-written output or exit slips
- teacher observation forms
Tracking Independent Centers
As I explained in my last post, when I refer to centers as independent, I really mean that my students are working apart from my direct supervision. Since I am working with a small group in a directed lesson, my students must manage without my help. This also means that they must be accountable for completing the work just as I would expect them to if I were observing.
As I mentioned in the first blog post of this series, the first step is to make your expectations very clear so students are 100% sure about what you want from them.
Since I like to keep my centers very hands-on, there isn’t always written output for students to turn in at the end of their time.
My absolute FAVORITE time-saving resource in my classroom is the free Seesaw app.
At the end of each of our Guided Math sessions, my students document their creations or explain what they learned using this amazing platform. This works effectively with only one device in your classroom, although having more is certainly preferable.
Seesaw works on iOS and Android devices, Kindle Fire, Chromebooks, and computers with Chrome or Firefox.
What if you don’t have a device? While I would find it difficult to imagine that a classroom doesn’t have at least one of the above pieces of technology, it is possible, even in the 21st century! Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
- Ask your administrator to provide one.
- Appeal to student families or your own friends and family to donate any older, unused devices.
- Check on online buy-sell-trade sites.
- Check garage sales or second-hand stores.
- Consider setting up a GoFundMe or similar campaign if your district allows it.
You really won’t be sorry. Seesaw has made assessment and progress tracking so much easier in my classroom. If you’re interested in reading more about this platform, another blog post is linked at the bottom of this page!
I now have some resources that are specifically created to be used with Seesaw! Take a look at all of them here:
These digital math resources are also available as individual purchases!
Try Guided Math FREE today! Grab a Quick-Start Guide and set of Guided Math centers right here:
Assessing Teacher-Directed Lessons
Assessing your small-group lessons is much easier since all of the work is happening right before your eyes. The key is getting organized to collect multiple types of student performance data.
Your students are unique. I explained the importance of differentiation in the previous post in this series, and this differentiation applies to your assessments, too. When I am teaching Guided Math lessons, I am prepared to collect two main types of assessment data:
- student written work
- documentation of observations and one-on-one discussions
Assessment of Written Work
Collecting student work is straightforward and easy. If my students complete a paper-and-pencil activity, I can collect it (or have them document it using Seesaw) and assess it later.
Assessment Using Exit Slips
Another form of written student work I like using is the exit slip.
If my students have completed a largely hands-on, demonstration-type lesson activity, there isn’t necessarily any written output. An exit slip lets you capture a quick snapshot of student learning in a two-minute written task during the session. I love to use sticky notes for this!
I keep a page for each of my students in my Guided Math lesson binder and collect all of their exit slip stickies in one place.
Assessment Through Teacher Observation
Until well into my career as a teacher, we were required to have written output to document student progress. As the education system continues to change, teachers have been given more freedom to rely on professional judgment, and our observations of student performance in the classroom have become as important as the written work.
It is important to note with observation that you should have a system for documenting it, or reporting will be a challenge. During my Guided Math lessons, I use observation forms that I print on sticky notes. These forms are usually quick checklists related to the curriculum expectations or standards the lesson focused on and a small space for me to jot down necessary notes.
Again, I print these on sticky notes so that I can collect them all in one place in my lesson binder.
Ready-to-Go Resources
Preparing all of the differentiated assessment forms and activities you’ll need for Guided Math is a big job.
My Guided Math Centers will take the work out of planning independent work and provide you with many opportunities for collecting written student data.
My Differentiated Lessons contain all of the exit slips and observation forms you’ll need, plus an editable version so that you can create slips to meet the needs of your individual students.
Click on either of the images below to see ALL of my Guided Math centers and lessons!
The centres are also available in French, and lessons come in a partially-editable format for translating student-facing pages.
If you’re ready to get started with Guided Math, be sure to grab my FREE Guided Math Starter Kit right here!
If you are interested in learning more about how you can use Seesaw in your classroom, you can take a look at a popular post here:
Read the last post in this Guided Math series here:
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