Although they can bring up feelings of nervousness and anxiety, math assessments aren’t used to intimidate students – they are there to help students get closer to math excellence. Without them, how can one truly tell if their math skills are improving? How can we know if students are effectively absorbing the material taught?
Research indicates that students are more likely to perform poorly on major assessments a week or more after studying, as they retain less information over time. In this study, students who had regular small assessments before a major test remembered 60% of the material, while those who didn’t remembered just 40%.
Without these assessments, we wouldn’t gauge if students are truly learning and understanding concepts, or if they have retained the information. Below are some more insights into why math assessments are important to a student’s progress in math:
1. Math assessments motivates students to further improve their math skills
Math assessments determine a student’s weaknesses in math, helping them tackle such weaknesses to turn them into strengths. Assessments provide students with clear learning goals, instilling confidence and guiding them on what to learn and improve.
This leads to students becoming more engaged with the curriculum and feeling empowered as they recognize their success through math assessments. Regarding math assessments like daily quizzes, a study showed that students preferred quizzing themselves as a study method, rather than highlighting and rereading their notes and textbooks. This led to those students retaining 80% of the information later on, while other students could only remember about 30%.
2. Teachers use math assessments to help teach the subject better
Math assessments are integral to aid teachers in assessing their students’ responses to their teaching strategies. Through assessments, teachers can comprehensively monitor student progress and determine whether they are achieving their learning goals. If not, teachers can offer the necessary resources for improvement and adjust their curriculum to meet their students’ learning needs.
3. Math assessments help parents understand their child’s progress in math class
Math assessments offer benefits to not only teachers and students but also to the parents of these students. They help parents evaluate and understand their child’s level in math and how they’re doing in school. Reviewing math assessments, parents can boost their child’s math confidence with encouragement and extracurricular activities like math tutoring.
Current research suggests knowledge is gained through meaningful understanding, not just rote memory. Parents can guide their children to see the importance of math in daily life, helping them excel in math assessments by recognizing its practical significance.
Math assessments are arguably one of the most effective tools in education, as it helps determine if students are successfully learning math and retaining the knowledge taught in class. We at MathProject utilize math assessments to identify any learning gaps in our students’ math education, using the results to customize their learning plan to strengthen their math skills and confidence. Book a free assessment for your child by calling +1 844-628-4243 – we’ll help with any inquiries and provide valuable information regarding MathProject, including fees! For more information on MathProject’s math tutoring programs in Mississauga, Brampton and Oakville, visit ‘Our Programs’ page.
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Citations:
Test-enhanced learning: Using retrieval practice to help students learn – cft.vanderbilt.edu
Researchers Find That Frequent Tests Can Boost Learning – scientificamerican.com
What Does the Research Say About Testing? – edutopia.org
Measuring What Counts: A Conceptual Guide for Mathematics Assessment – nap.edu
Three Tips for Developing Elementary Math Tests – resilienteducator.com
Why Is Assessment Important? –edutopia.org/assessment-guide-importance
Assessment to promote mathematics learning – thelearningexchange.ca
Why Assessment for Learning is essential for successful maths teaching – mathsnoproblem.com
