Susan Jones Teaching: Quick Common Core Assessments for 1st Grade!

I love data. That's probably really nerdy, but it's true. I like to assess and re-assess my students. I like pre-tests, post-tests, formative assessments and summative assessments. I like making charts, keeping track, moving students from group to group and tier to tier. I like to SEE it all in front of me.

I don't like the act of actually giving my students these tests all the time. I absolutely don't want to feel like I am testing them all day every day because if I feel like that, can you only imagine what my poor 6 year olds feel like?!

While there are certain diagnostic and end-of-year tests I have to give, those tend to be quite lengthy. If I want to collect some data quickly, I don't want to give my student a longggggg test. Especially when I just want to see if a student has made progress on one skill.

I made each assessment a maximum of 3 questions because I wanted them to be QUICK! I don't want my students bogged down in lengthy tests. I always think of my students who are struggling when I think about the length of tests. Do I really need to see them struggle on a 20 question test to know that they need more help or can I see that right away?!

Same goes for my higher students, if they get it... they get it! I don't need to have them sit in their chairs for another 15 minutes doing something redundant when they can be learning something new!

I have created two different types of checklists that I like to use in my classroom. The first is just a mastery checklist. I use this one to mark when my class has mastered a certain skill. It allows me to quickly look at which standards my class might not have mastered yet. It also lets me group students quickly.

The other data tracker is a progress sheet. This one is for each individual student and allows me to track their pre and post data along with the dates I administered the quick check. These sheets have a place for me to take notes and a place for me to record a student's score if they needed to be re-assessed.

This unit includes all of the Common Core PHONICS standards (RF.1.2 and RF.1.3 with all the subsets under those) and all the Common Core MATH standards (OA, NBT, MD, and G).

**If the past two sentences look like another language to you than click on my product and you can see a more detailed description of each standard that is assessed.**

There are, of course, some Common Core standards that are not addressed in this unit such as all the writing standards and reading standards. I use my guided reading groups to assess all reading standards and writing rubrics to assess the writing standards. Basically, the phonics and math standards are the only ones that made sense for me to turn into "quick checks."

If you think these will work for your classroom, go ahead and click on the cover below to see more!