KINDERGARTEN – YEAR 6 ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

The purpose of assessment is to gather valid, reliable and useful information about student learning in order to:

• monitor student achievement in relation to outcomes
• guide future teaching and learning opportunities
• provide ongoing feedback to students to improve learning.

The type of assessment activity and the way evidence of learning will be gathered will vary, depending on the:

• outcomes being assessed
• evidence to be gathered
• teaching and learning activity
• context
• students’ learning needs.

Early Stage One

Stage One

Stage Two

Stage Three

TEACHER OBSERVATIONS

Teacher observations can provide information about student achievement in relation to outcomes. Evidence may be gathered and recorded formally and informally, where:

• informal observation and feedback occur during teaching and learning activities
• formal observation involves planning for an opportunity to observe specific learning outcomes.

Assessment activities may include:

• listening, viewing and response tasks (eg responses to texts including digital stories, films, television programs, podcasts, vodcasts, documentaries and conferences)
• teacher/student discussions or conferences
• student participation in practical activities and demonstrations
• observation of students as they participate in and engage during learning activities, such as listening to students’ use of language and application of skills to new contexts and the integration of ICT
• strategic questioning to determine individual level of understanding
• student manipulation of materials to demonstrate conceptual understanding of key concepts.

When teacher observation is used for assessment purposes, evidence can be gathered about students’ ability to:

• explain ‘how or why’
• demonstrate their understanding of key concepts
• use appropriate language for discussing their learning experiences
• apply their understanding to new contexts and situations
• communicate effectively.

Peer assessment

Teachers should model the appropriate language and clarify expectations for activities that incorporate peer feedback. Feedback may be oral, written or digital, and may provide an opportunity for students to develop their social, collaborative and reflective skills. Students may provide feedback to their peers about:

• what has been completed
• strengths and/or what aspects have been completed well
• suggestions to improve their work with reference to the learning and assessment intention
• alternative strategies to complete the activity.

Self-assessment and self-evaluation


Student self-assessment can help students to identify what they know, where they need to be and how to get there in their learning. Gathering information about the way students think and reflect on their learning can provide teachers with information to inform future teaching and learning. Strengthening the skills of self-assessment may enhance the ways students interpret feedback.

Self-evaluation encourages the development of metacognitive thinking as students reflect on themselves as learners and identify their learning style and how they learn best. It also encourages students to set learning goals in relation to syllabus outcomes, identify what they have learnt and what they still need to learn, and act on feedback. Portfolios, work samples and journals, including online journals, can support the reflective process where students can set goals, reflect on their goals and monitor their learning.

COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITIES

Collaborative learning activities occur as a result of interaction between students engaged in the completion of a common task. Students work together, face-to-face and in or out of the classroom. They may use ICT to enable group discussion or complete collaborative tasks within their school, between schools, locally, nationally and internationally.

Sample K-6 Assessment for Learning