Preparing for Language Assessments

We are going to start off today’s blog with your reflection question. What are some ways you are planning for language assessments in your classroom? Take a moment to reflect on this question. Think about this question and answer to yourself honestly where you stand. 

For many of us assessment season is right around the corner. This means that a lot of educators can feel a sense of panic when it comes to preparing their students for language assessments. This can lead to cramming before the assessment, feeling unprepared, and overwhelmed by everything that comes along with a language assessment. 

The thought of the upcoming language assessment season was stressing me out. I was constantly trying to figure out what in the world I needed to do to prepare. I was seeing the educator around me doing testing blitzs, spending whole class periods preparing, reviewing data during meetings, and the list just goes on. 

I did not want to feel rushed throughout the process. My feelings of being rushed would leave the students to feel rushed and frustrated as well. 

As I was sharing with a mentor my frustrations, she provided some amazing advice. She simply suggested that if your planning is done thoughtfully and with the needs of the students in mind that you will be preparing your students for the language assessment throughout the year. 

This really stuck with me because with this mindset I could be preparing all year long without the need to cram at the last minute. The first step I took was reviewing the students’ data from the year before. I did a deep dive of the

student’s data and discovered what are some areas of focus for growth and what are their areas of strength. 

For example, I knew that students this upcoming school year needed extra reading support. So when I was planning my lessons I was very intentional about planning around key reading skills they will need to be successful on the assessment. 

Another important thing to remember when preparing for upcoming language assessments is exposure. I started to expose my students to the testing format at the beginning of the school year. This will help relieve so much stress. I started exposing the students through bell-ringers and quizzes. 

You can also prepare your students for upcoming language assessments by having language assessments throughout the school year. This can look like a weekly speaking assessment or a writing assessment. As I mentioned earlier, if you decide to go with this, have your questions in the same format as the formal language assessment. 

Your next steps are simple. I always want to encourage you to start off small. Pick one of the strategies I shared and implement them in your classroom. I know that if you are consistent that you will see growth. 

How do you plan on preparing for your upcoming language assessments?

You can download the transcript here.