Assessment Methods Essay

Diagnostic assessment is a pre assessment that determines a difficulty for the student in a precise area. This type of assessment provides teachers with information of the student’s previous awareness of the topic, their interest and attitude before instructing a lesson (McMillan 2011, p 6). Diagnostic assessment information can be collected from Summative assessments of the previous lesson. It is important to note the expectation of what the students should know, understand and be able to do at the end of the lesson as this is an integral part of an effective lesson (McMillan 2011, p 8). Formative assessment occurs during instructions, giving feedback to students on their work to assess their level and determine the next level of work activities (McMillan 2011, p 6). This type of assessment takes place during learning and helps to improve the lesson as the learning is monitored and the progress of the student is noted (McMillan 2011, p 8). The student has the opportunity to improve learning during the lesson through the feedback and send them in the right direction of learning. Learning problems are able to be distinguished during the lesson and actioned accordingly, and instructional adjustments can be made (McMillan 2011, p 8). Summative assessment takes place at the completion of the lesson to determine the student’s level of understanding, their knowledge and can physically do (McMillan 2011, p 6). This is the aim of the lesson to decide if the teaching has been positive and that the students have achieved at the anticipated level of learning. Students are graded, teachers and lessons are evaluated to assess the effectiveness of the plan (McMillan 2011, p 8). The three assessment types that form the assessment cycle are an integral part of a primary classroom learning structure. Students with learning disabilities need to be assessed in the early stages of their learning to determine the techniques of tailored learning to be applied. Using Diagnostic assessment â€Å"effective teachers were found to have tailored instruction to students’ unique needs and interests, finding just the right materials to reach their students† Robinson, G. (2008). Teaching numeracy skills a Formative assessment is then used to improve learning throughout the lesson. A summative assessment is then required to determine the student’s numeracy capabilities. Assessment is an important part of the education curriculum, to enable an effective learning environment for the students. It also allows the teacher to ensure the lesson is tailored to the students learning disabilities and there needs to achieve the learning result desired. References McMillan, J. H. (2011).