Castagnozzi_Journal+09+4

Maria Castagnozzi Assessment 4

Last week when I went to my classroom I got to give a group of students a spelling test. Every week, I’m sure like most other classes, students are given out a list of about ten words that they need to study and know for their Friday spelling test. The children I gave the spelling test to were absent on that previous Friday. I read each word to the students and as they were writing it I gave it in a sentence form, and then said the word again. Each student did really well. I would classify spelling tests as a performance assessment because it’s assessing the student’s ability to spell certain words. Once the test is given the teacher collects the test, grades them, and sends them back to their families, so they can also see their progress. I think the children like having spelling tests because it’s something that they can study real hard for then take the test and see how much they remembered. Usually when students get them all right they feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. Spelling words also facilitate student-parent involvement. Parents are usually the one helping the students learn their words by quizzing them. Overall I think spelling tests are a good idea and a good performance assessment. It helps the teacher assess the performance of their students and also helps they children learn how to spell a new set of ten words every week.