Want or Need?

Assessing students is a very important aspect in the teaching career.  Assessment allows teachers to view which children are getting the information and which are not.  It also can tell the teacher if they effectively teaching the material in a way that the students understand.  Both sides can be viewed by evaluation of the students in different types of assessments such as formal or informal. Formal assessments are those in which are planned and take time to complete and grade.  Informal assessments are spontaneous and not planned.  These could be little games or questions to get out the door to quiz or help with learning.  Assessment and busy work, such as worksheets are important to help get information across, but Richard A. Allington article, The Schools we Have. The Schools we Need. describes the importance of reading and the time allotted.  The article touches on how even though students are reading and writing 10% more than 10 years ago, they are not getting enough time during the school day to read and write.  Reading and writing are incorporated to every subject and should be given a large amount of time in which to increase capability.  Devoting more time to reading an writing should help students to succeed in many areas of study.  Assessments are important to help the teacher and the students, as well as worksheets and fill in the blank material, but teachers need to make more time for reading and writing activities.