Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE) Subject Area Practice Test

What type of assessment is a teacher using when questioning pairs of students during partner reading?

1. Formal assessment

2. Standardized test

3. Informal assessment

4. Summative assessment

The correct answer is: Informal assessment

The selection of informal assessment is based on the nature of the activity being described. Informal assessments are typically more flexible, more frequent, and often occur during the learning process rather than at the end. In the case of questioning pairs of students during partner reading, the teacher gathers immediate, on-the-spot feedback regarding students' comprehension and engagement in reading activities. This type of assessment allows the teacher to observe students' interactions and skills in real time while providing insights into their understanding, mastery of skills, and areas needing improvement. This method of assessment differs significantly from formal assessments, which are structured and typically have a set scoring criteria, and from standardized tests that are administered and scored in a consistent manner across all test-takers. Summative assessments are evaluations that occur at the end of a learning period to measure student learning against certain benchmarks, which would not apply to the ongoing, interactive nature of partner reading questioning.