Checking For Student Understanding (Monday Made It)

We are very excited to be linking up with Tara at 4th Grade Frolics for Monday Made It! We made something to make it a bit easier to check for student understanding during group work.  After having our students work in groups and having multiple hands in the air, we decided that we needed to come up with some sort of system for dealing with this. My college professors did something similar to this when we worked in groups which is where the idea started from. 

When students are working on their own or in groups, it can be difficult for a teacher to truly know if the students understand the concepts.  This system allows a teacher to quickly glance around the room and see which students/groups need teacher assistance.  This alleviates students shouting out for help and/or multiple hands waving in the air.  It also helps you figure out which groups to get to first.

Students use the red cup if they have a question that prevents them from working.  These students will need the teacher’s attention first.  Students use the yellow cup if they have a question but can keep working.  Students use the green cup when they understand the concepts and do not need the teacher’s help.

 Our sixth graders LOVE changing the cups! So much so, that they will fight over who gets to do it. Our table managers are the ones that get to change it, which cuts down on the arguing. :)

For some things it is easier not to use the cups, so we made simple tent signs that students can display on their desks. We mostly use this system for when students are working in groups, but sometimes use it with individual students as well.  

We put together a packet that includes all of the elements of this system to be easily implemented in any classroom. Included are the labels for the cups that can also be used on their own, the tent cards which can be displayed on desks instead of using cups, and the posters for reference.  We also have included two different sets with different wording.  One set uses “I” for individual student use while the other uses “We” for group work.

       

Click the picture below to view in our TPT store.