Grades 3-5 Math Problem Solving in Action_ Getting Students to Love Word Problems

Assessment ◆ 161

Key Points

• Curriculum-based assessments are important.


• Do at least beginning of the year, midyear and end of the year
  assessments.


• Word problems should assess not only the content but also the
  processes/practices.


• There should be a specific word problem data collection plan.


• There should be analysis and interpretation of the error patterns.


• Anna Newman developed a five-point word problem running
  record.


• Willis and Fuson also gave us four points to consider when assess-
  ing word problems.


• Students should reflect on their word problem work.

Summary

Assessment is the key to learning. Our instruction must be driven by good
assessments. Curriculum-based assessments help us to monitor where our
students are throughout the year. Assessments must look at not only content
but also processes. Teachers must analyze and interpret the specific errors
that students are making and then design interventions that address those

be scaffolded so that students can look at actual evidence about where
they currently are and allow them to set goals of where they need to be.
The goals should be SMART ones—specific, measurable, achievable, rel-
evant and time-bound (Doran, 1981). For example, when reflecting on a
quiz, students need to get specific about what they know and don’t know
(see Figure^ 11.11). They need to set a goal that can be measured around
working on specific types of word problems that they missed. The time
frame should be realistic (achievable) and the content (the actual word
problems) relevant to the grade-level standards.

Figure 11.11 Word Problem Test Reflection

Name:

1. How did you do on the word problem test?


2. Which problems were easy?


3. Which problems were difficult? Why were they difficult?


4. What do you need to get better at?


5. What is your plan to get better?