The Importance of Assessment!

Being an ESL/ELL educator, I know that it is not always easy to find language assessments that are appropriate for multilingual learners. I know in my State we have a language proficiency Screener but it's only done once a year and that’s just a small snap shot. If we really want to make sure our students are growing in language we need to understand that language learning is a continuous process. Students develop their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills gradually throughout the year. If teachers rely only on a yearly test, they may not see the smaller changes and improvements that happen during daily classroom learning. More frequent language assessments help teachers understand what students can do now and what support they still need.

Regular language assessments can also guide instruction. When teachers check vocabulary knowledge, speaking ability, or comprehension throughout the year, they can adjust lessons to better meet students’ needs. These assessments may include vocabulary checks, speaking activities, reading responses, or short writing tasks. This ongoing information helps teachers provide targeted instruction instead of waiting until the end of the year to see results.

Overtime, I have created a very simple newcomer vocabulary assessment that allows teachers to see what basic vocabulary your students may know, not only in English, but in Spanish also. This can be given to newcomer students at any age or grade level to gauge what they may already know. Just show your students the pictures and score whether they know it in English or Spanish. There is also a separate document to keep records of their growth overtime with the vocabulary. I had many students that I thought just didn't know the vocabulary in their Second language but also struggled with the vocabulary in their first. Some ESL students may not know certain basic vocabulary even in their first language. This can happen for several reasons and does not mean the student is not capable of learning. Many multilingual learners come from different educational backgrounds, and some may have had limited formal schooling before entering an English-speaking classroom. Because of this, they may still be developing vocabulary concepts in their first language at the same time they are learning English. For these students, language learning often involves building concepts and vocabulary simultaneously.

Throughout my career I've noticed that assessing ESL students in reading and writing is often easier because there are many tools and assessments available for those areas. Teachers can find a wide variety of reading passages, comprehension questions, and writing prompts designed to measure students’ literacy skills. However, assessing speaking and listening can be much more challenging because there are fewer structured assessments available for these language domains. One way I assess for speaking is to just show my students pictures with different scenes and I'll let them tell me what they see and I'll ask them questions about it. I'll make notes on what their responses are and what steps I need to take to improve grammar and speaking skills. After so many weeks or a couple months I may reassess them with the same pictures to see how their language has grown. And when it comes to simple listening skills Often times I'll just give them prompts based on what we've learned. For example put the pencil under the table, draw a circle, read a book, etc. And again this can be based off what you're already working on with them just to see if they've retained the information. I have folders for each one of my students sort of like a portfolio to make sure that I'm keeping track of their progress. Make sure to check back on my blog for upcoming speaking and listening assessments that I'm currently working on and wanting to share with all of you!