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formative-assessment-for-language-planner

Plan formative assessment for language lessons and units: Wiliam's five strategies, success criteria, a bank of quick checks (exit tickets, mini whiteboards, ABCD cards, hinge questions with misconception distractors, traffic lights, no-hands-up questioning, monitoring checklists, 3-2-1, self-assessment against can-dos, peer checklists, error logs), where to place checks in a lesson, and feedback that moves learning forward. Turns exit-ticket or quick-check results into next-lesson decisions per objective (reteach the whole class, small-group reteach with named students, or move on), and lists students who missed most objectives and those ready for extension. Use when a teacher wants to check understanding during or after lessons, design exit tickets or hinge questions, or decide what to reteach.

Languages, Linguistics & Translation / Language Teachingv1.0.0Updated OCT 25 20261 reference1 script

Formative assessment only counts when the result changes what happens next. The skill plans checks into the lesson and scripts/exit_ticket_tally.py turns their results into reteach, group or move-on decisions.

Trigger Conditions

Activate this skill when the user:

  • Wants to check learners' understanding during or at the end of a lesson
  • Needs an exit ticket, hinge question or self-assessment for a lesson aim
  • Has quick-check results and wants to know what to reteach and to whom
  • Wants learners to self- or peer-assess against criteria

Graded quizzes: language-quiz-generator. Can-do criteria: can-do-statement-writer. Feedback on errors: l2-error-correction-strategy-advisor.

Workflow

text
1. CRITERIA -> lesson aim as 2-4 checkable objectives (success criteria)
2. PLACE    -> checks after clarification, mid-lesson hinge, during practice, at the end
3. DESIGN   -> exit ticket / hinge question / checklist (references/formative-techniques.md)
4. COLLECT  -> mark 1/0 or 0-2 per objective in a CSV
5. DECIDE   -> python scripts/exit_ticket_tally.py ticket.csv [--max 2 --pass 2]
6. ACT      -> next lesson: whole-class reteach, group reteach, extension, one-to-one check-ins

Decisions (exit_ticket_tally.py)

Share who met the objectiveDecision
Under 70%RETEACH the whole class, differently
70-89%GROUP: reteach the listed students; others practise or extend
90%+MOVE ON: individual follow-up

The thresholds are a starting rule; adjust for the importance of the objective and how much time is left.

Output Format

For planning: objectives as success criteria, the checks placed in the lesson stages, the exit ticket or hinge question written out with answers and the misconception behind each distractor. For results: the decision table and a next-lesson plan (warmer, group tasks, extension).

Scripts

bash
python scripts/exit_ticket_tally.py ticket.csv [--max 1] [--pass 1]

Columns: student, then one per objective; values 1/0, Y/N or scores. Exit codes: 0 printed, 2 read error or bad values.

Additional Resources

FileContent
formative-techniques.mdFive strategies, 14 techniques with language-class examples, hinge questions, exit ticket design, feedback, placing checks in a lesson
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