What is assessment?
Assessment is something we all do. It's a process that helps learners to learn.
To make sense of this, think of something you taught your child to do. How did you teach them? Possibly you
- showed them how to do it by chunking it into smaller steps
- encouraged your child to have a go
- supported them to keep going
- corrected mistakes and told them how they could improve
- encouraged them to persist even when they did make mistakes
- recognised each little success as they worked toward their bigger goal
- celebrated with them when they achieved their goal and could do it without help
This approach reflects a view of learning in which assessment helps students learn better, rather than just achieve a better mark or grade. In fact, we know that students do better if they receive feedback they can use to improve performance, rather than a grade. Think about it. If you wanted to improve your golf swing would your prefer a grade/mark, or feedback from your coach explaining what you were doing right and what you need to do next?
Assessment is our single most powerful teaching tool and the great news is parents can help.
Supporting your child to learn helps them a lot!
We know from research that children do better when parents show an interest in their learning and support them to learn. Talk to your child's teacher about their learning goals. Talk to your child about their learning goals. Ask them how they are going, where are they now, where do they want to be and how can you help them get there.
Remember, you don't have to be an expert. Just be interested. Talking to your child about their learning and their learning goals tells them that you value learning.