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Category: Assessment

Using ELD Assessments in the Classroom

Using ELD Assessments in the Classroom

ELD assessments (English Language Development assessments) are an important tool to help teachers determine how much language a student currently knows. You can use them to gain information about students speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Types of Assessments Summative assessments (formal assessments) happen at the end of the learning process. High-stakes testing such as the WIDA access test is an example of a summative test. The test gives a student a score, and the teacher is not allowed to assist…

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Digital ESL Assessments

Digital ESL Assessments

Like it or not more and more of student learning and assessments are done on the computer. In the short term, this is in large part due to virtual learning. More long term though this is still the trend. Many standardized assessments students take are given digitally. This includes the WIDA language assessment. It is important to give students the opportunity to practice navigating digital ESL assessments before they are expected to take a high stakes one. This will allow…

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How to Prepare ELLs for Language Testing

How to Prepare ELLs for Language Testing

How to Prepare ELLs for Language Testing Each year ELLs take an annual language assessment. In many states, this is WIDA ACCESS. I am not an advocate of extensive test preparation, but I think that students should be exposed to the language of a test beforehand to be better prepared. WIDA has some tips on how to prepare for the ACCESS assessment. Here are some additional ways to help students become familiar with the language and formatting of language testing…

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Assessing ESOL Students & Changes to WIDA Scoring

Assessing ESOL Students & Changes to WIDA Scoring

Assessing ESOL students & Changes to WIDA scoring Throughout the school year I constantly assess my ESOL students. I use short formative assessments that I integrated into activities we were already doing. Using Rubrics for quick assessments To get a sense of their speaking level I will sometimes take out the WIDA speaking rubric and simply listen to students conversations and write down where they fall on the rubric. Writing is also easy to organically assess. I look at writing…

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