Uncovering Student Thinking in Mathematics, Grades K-5: 25 Formative Assessment Probes for the Elementary Classroom

Formative assessment is an important strategy for improving student achievement in mathematics. This resource provides tools and examples that allow primary educators to gauge students’ knowledge of core mathematics concepts and strengthen their ability to teach effectively. The authors provide 25 formative assessment probes-brief, easily administered activities targeting specific mathematics ideas and concepts-to reveal common understandings and misunderstandings in student thinking. Field-tested with teachers and students at various grade levels, these powerful diagnostic tools help teachers modify their teaching and identify areas that require more instruction. Cheryl Rose Tobey is the senior program director for mathematics at the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance (MMSA). Her work at the MMSA is primarily in the areas of leadership, mathematics professional development, and school reform. She is currently the coprincipal investigator of the mathematics section of the NSF-funded project Curriculum Topic Study and principal investigator and project director of a Title IIa State Mathematics and Science Partnership Project, MATHS (Mathematics: Access and Teaching in High School). Prior to working on these projects, Tobey was the coprincipal investigator and project director for MMSA’s NSF-funded Local Systemic Change Initiative, BEAMM (Broadening Educational Access to Mathematics in Maine), and was a fellow in the Cohort 4 of the National Academy for Science and Mathematics Education Leadership.