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- 📝 The final stretch: Meaningful assessments for little learners
📝 The final stretch: Meaningful assessments for little learners
Exit Ticket Templates, Same But Different Math, Unfunny Bunny Read-Aloud, and more!
Karly Moura & Christina Sciarrotto
May 12, 2026
Almost there!
Welcome to another exciting week of growth! As we wrap up our school year, assessments and data are on our brains. In this week’s edition, we are leaning into that fresh perspective to focus on both formal and informal assessments that you can use in your classroom tomorrow. Whether you are checking for a quick pulse or a final benchmark, your weekly boost of inspiration is here!
Inside:
💡 Tips, Tools and Templates: Assessment Ideas
📺 Teaching with TeachFlix: Unfunny Bunny
😄 Giggle of the Week: Five minutes… what?
❤️ Share your ideas with us!
💡 Tips, Tools and Templates
📅 End of Year Assessment Ideas
Image created by Google Gemini
As we move into the final stretch of the school year, finding the right balance between "checking in" and "moving forward" is key. Whether you are looking for a quick digital pulse-check or a traditional paper-and-pencil benchmark, here is a curated list of formal and informal assessments tailored for our youngest learners.
1. Exit Tickets (Pencil/Paper and Digital)
How it works: Students circle (happy, neutral, or confused face) to indicate how they feel about a lesson.
Emoji Canva Links: Template 1, Template 2, Template 3
Digital Options: Google Slides Template (shared by Meryl Innerfield) | Avid Open Access Tip
For more ideas, check out: WeAreTeachers Exit Tickets
2. Picture Prompts (AI and Digital)
AI Picture Prompt: How it works: Use an image generator to create a slightly "wrong" scene (e.g., a polar bear in the desert). Ask students to identify what doesn't belong and why.
Math Same, but Different: Show images and have students explain how they are the same and how they are different. Explore the gallery here.
3. Think-Pair-Share "Audio Record" (Digital)
How it works: Instead of just talking, students record a 30-second explanation on a platform like Padlet, Book Creator, Snorkl, or Seesaw.
4. Rubrics (Pencil/Paper and Digital)
How it works: Use rubrics as concrete examples for students to see how they did on their work.
Templates: Canva Rubric | WeAreTeachers Examples
AI Tools to try: Magic School and Brisk
5. Gamified (Digital)
How it works: Get your students excited by assessing through games. Use their answers to inform your instruction.
📺 Teaching with Teachflix Junior
🐰 Unfunny Bunny
🎥 Video Link: Unfunny Bunny
Key points covered in the video:
Bunny wants to be the funniest kid in school but struggles with his jokes.
Bunny learns about perseverance, friendship, and practice with the help of a new friend.
This is an inspirational story about pursuing your dreams and finding your own humor, with a positive message about not giving up.
Ready-made classroom resources:
Character Mapping: Have students identify the Bunny’s internal and external traits. Use this graphic organizer for students to share traits.
"Funny vs. Not Funny" Sorting: Create a T-chart identifying moments where the bunny tried to be funny versus moments where he was just being himself.
Predicting the Punchline: Pause the story before a joke concludes and have students use "I think..." statements to predict the ending.
Vocabulary Word Wall: Create an "Emotion Word Wall" where students draw a face representing each emotion the Bunny displays.
Writing a "New Joke": Create a class book where students write their own simple jokes for Bunny.
Letter to the Bunny: Have students write a letter offering advice on how to be happy or telling him what they liked about his personality.
🤭 Giggle of the Week
And there is nothing you can do to stop it 😭
Source Bored Panda