Difference Between Formative And Summative Assessments

Assessment is an important aspect of instruction and should be performed frequently. Not all children are the same, and we need to evaluate them in order to help them and teach them. The term of Assessment, different from the term of evaluation means to gather information. Formative assessments and summative assessments will create a documented history of a child’s performance. Assessing academic, physical, and social behaviors of each child will provide the teacher with knowledge regarding the child’s level of development and individual skill levels.
The specific information a teacher learns from assessments will be dependent on the methods used to compile the data. Pre and post testing of a student provides the teacher with benchmarks to gauge a child’s progress. Assessment tools of observation, journaling, anecdotal notes, event sampling, questioning, and checklists provide a more holistic picture of a student’s achievements. Research has shown that “when a teacher’s professional judgment regarding the quality of student work is based on knowledge arising from the conscientious development and application of consistent …show more content…
Young children have not mastered language and the ability to adequately vocalize their feelings. They emote more through actions than words. Therefore, by observing those actions, I can better understand their personality, strengths, and weaknesses. This knowledge will help me create lesson plans that are appropriate for the different levels of ability, experience, and needs present in the classroom. Learning styles, language proficiency, and other factors can vary greatly in the classroom. Lesson plans that guide the students to meet lesson objectives and Common Core State Standards (CCSSI) will result in data that can be interpreted to analysis the child’s growth in academic, social, and emotional