Happy Blog Birthday and ESGI Giveaway!

Smart Kids is one year old! Just so you know, I blew out my birthday candle and made a wish. My wish is that you'll keep visiting my blog!  

Now here's your chance to take home a party favor. My friends at ESGI have graciously given me a one-year license to give away to a lucky follower. That's a gift worth $199! Go to the end of the blog to enter!!

It's been a while since I shared on my own blog about ESGI, so if you're not familiar the company, let me share how I do assessments in my classroom. I promise, there are no tears (from the children or the teacher) and no folders of paper. I even have proof that the children are actually excited and able to track their own progress. Are you still with me??!

Remember assessments like this? 

If you were like me, you had a piece of paper for every child, every time you assessed every standard. When it was time for report cards, you had to pull it all together. If a parent wanted to know about progress, you had to pull out the folder. If the principal wanted to know how the whole class was progressing, you had to spread it all out on the dining room table. Sound familiar? Not past tense for you? Keep reading.

One day I found…enter heavenly light and angels singing…

I want to show you how I manage my assessments now. I want to show you how quickly I can actually use the assessments to drive instruction. I want to show you how I have reclaimed my weekends.

At the beginning of the year, I put my class into ESGI. If I lose or gain a student, I can quickly add delete names.

When I'm ready to assess a child, I just grab my computer. Sometimes I'm on the floor.

Sometimes we're waiting to use the restroom.

Even during busy center times. Here's what it looks like:

You can use tests that the site provides—and I did that for a while—but this year I made a test for every Common Core Georgia Performance Standard for Kindergarten. (I can actually share these with you soon…)

Did you say EVERY Common Core Kindergarten standard?!

Yes, We had a lot of bad weather days. Here are some of my test tabs and tests. 

For some math standards, I use manipulatives with the tests.

Now that you know how I do it, here's what I do with it.

I send reports to parents.

And sometimes flash cards.

I use the pie charts during conferences.

Other charts for grade level meetings:

And the bar graphs to guide small group instruction. See how I can glance to find out who needs help with recognizing the numeral 12?

To learn more or try it out for 60 days, visit ESGI. 

Enter by next Sunday for your chance to win!

(You must follow Smart Kids on Bloglovin' and like ESGI on Facebook to enter.)

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