Dr. Nicki shares some great strategies to check for understanding at her blog-Dr. Nicki’s Guided Math Blog. One of my favorites is “the windshield”. To use this idea, the teacher asks the class: “Who has muddy windshield?” The students who are totally lost will raise their hands. Then the teacher asks “Who has some bugs on their windshield?” The students who have an emerging understanding will raise their hands. Finally, the teacher will ask, “Who has a clear windshield?” to see which learners feel they have mastered the concept or idea.
All of her strategies are quick and fun for learners, allowing you to use them repeatedly during a lesson and throughout the day. These ideas can be used to change the direction of a classroom discussion or they can help you make decisions for grouping or follow-up activities.
About Paula Kluth
