Joseph is a fourth grader who receives special education services as a student with an OHI due to his ADHD diagnosis. Which formative assessment would be MOST appropriate when starting a new lesson?

• A. Giving him a math fact test to complete at the end of the unit
• B. Giving him a fact test to complete before the unit
• C. Monitoring his progress throughout the unit
• D. Monitoring his behavior during the test

Answer: (C)

When starting a new lesson, you want ongoing information about what the student already understands and how their learning progresses as you teach. Monitoring progress throughout the unit provides that real-time, actionable data, so instruction can be adjusted on the fly and supports can be tailored to the student’s needs. For a fourth-grader with ADHD and OHI, frequent, brief checks help keep him engaged, identify misunderstandings early, and guide pacing and supports like additional prompts or clearer tasks.

End-of-unit math fact tests don’t inform instruction during the new lesson and are more summative. A pre-unit fact test might establish a baseline, but it doesn’t continuously inform teaching as the lesson unfolds. Watching behavior during a test doesn’t tell you whether he’s understanding the math concepts.