Primary School Education (Essay Sample)

Primary School Education
Institution
Name
Assessment is a way by which a teacher gathers and analysis information about the achievements of a pupil. It is also known as evaluation.
Importance of assessments
Helps educators in setting of standards: It is in most cases achieved through performance evaluation of a student. The performances demonstrate the level of understanding, mystery and knowledge of the pupil Evaluate progress: The assessment show how the pupil is doing in his/her studies. They also help. How he/she is progressing, how to do better and what he/she would like to learn. The teacher gets to understand what works best for the pupil, what to do in helping the students more and which direction to be followed next.
Helps in determining the progress of the student: It is attained through assessing what the student has learned, whether the pupil can about the knowledge taught recently and whether he/she can demonstrate new skills learned or use them in other projects.
Helps in providing a diagnostic feedback: This shows the knowledge and performance base of the student, what the teacher has to teach the pupils and the needs of the pupil.
Methods used to assess pupils
Performance Assessment: This is an assessment whereby the test is all standard that is, from the questions, the amount of time given for completion of the test, to the year the test has been done. In most cases, the performance of the pupil in such tests, determines whether the student is qualified to move to the next grade and the teachers compensation and administration. It deals with on the spot assessment of pupils on demonstration of how good they are in doing their tasks (Maki, 2004).
Authentic Assessment: The teacher usually designs it to test the understanding of student’s material. Examples of such assessments include oral presentations, portfolios of pupils work, open-ended queries, rubrics, self-evaluation, peer evaluation, performance task and written essays. These assessments give pupils feedback on their level of understanding of the information and information of what has to be done to improve in their academics.
Traditional assessment: It goes in line with all the reasons associated with evaluation of learning and reporting. It focuses on testing pupils as a way of determining how far or how much they have been learning. It mostly focuses on the content of learning rather than the learning process of pupils. Such tests are done usually, during the end of the year or end of a certain unit or course.
Dynamic assessment: It is done based on interactive assessment whereby, the teacher is supposed to give pre-planned hints, which are usually based on the level of current achievements of the pupil. Its purpose is to get the instruction effects on what the pupil or examinee can do, when he/she is or is not given assistance, given the chance to increase their complexity ( Haywood & Tzuriel, 2002). There are two forms of dynamic assessment. The sandwich format where a pupil receives a pre test with no assistance and is usually based on the responses of the examinee and there is provision of contingent instructions. Later on, another form of the pre test is given to measure differences after instructions. The other format (cake format) there is provision of individual assistance as soon as there is an encounter of examinee problem with presentation of the next item after resolving the issue (Trice A.D, 2000).
Tools used in assessment of pupils
Observing pupils: They are observed for reasons such as, monitoring behavior and checking the progress of the pupils. This may for instance happen in cases where a teacher decides to scan a classroom, look and listen to what the students are doing or saying as a way of reflecting the pupil’s level of understanding or development of skills.
Anecdotal records: these are the descriptions of pupil’s behavior at certain place and time and recorded soon after a particular behavior has taken place. Such records are useful in situations with children having behavioral, social and emotional issues. They are also useful to teachers in making records of learning events for every child and is helpful in drawing reports to parents and in development of overall evaluation judgments.
Checklist: Mostly used by teachers in collecting information on all behaviors that have been identified on the students. Such behaviors include; motor skills and literacy skills. They are simple tools used in recording observations of a number of pupils in a certain range of behaviors.
Student work: These work samples range from formal assignments to class work. They are assessed either individually or in a collection. The students work is useful as it gives teachers all the information about the progress in learning and usually provides further learning opportunities.
Portfolios: These are samples of a pupil’s work, which are used to evaluate their progress in learning over a certain period. This is done by comparing different results throughout a certain given range of time.
Graphic organizers: These tools represent thoughts, concepts, knowledge and ideas visually. They help in thoughts organization and in promotion of understanding. This section has some graphic organizers and a few examples of how schools used them successfully for various reasons.
Review and reflection: These helps students in reviewing and reflecting on their progress, knowledge and everything they have been learning and achieving during a certain topic or subject.
Importance of reports for primary school ...