Math Workshop Student Feedback, Reflection, and Parent Communication Tools

These five communication tools make it easy to consistently share student progress about math understanding with families.

All text on this resource is fully editable using PowerPoint or Google Slides.

When using a workshop approach for teaching and learning, one of the greatest challenges is finding an easy way to consistently communicate student progress with families. In a workshop classroom, the deeper learning students are engaged in builds on itself. Often, student understanding is not shown using a simple worksheet that can be scored and sent home at the end of the day.

Instead, math workshop activities typically include hands-on learning, multi-step projects, and work that students refer to multiple times throughout the unit so they can build on their learning and deepen their understanding.

So how do you keep parents in the loop with what their child is learning and how they are progressing in this setting? These five communication tools that can help you do just that.

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WHAT’S INCLUDED:

★ Math Assessments Note for Home: At the beginning of the year or when math workshop is first launched in your classroom, send this note home to the parents/guardians in your class to communicate how and when completed math work will be sent home. This letter also explains how each feedback & reflection sheet is used in the classroom, and how each end-of-unit math portfolio will be organized.

★ Math Unit Portfolio Cover Sheet: When sending student work home at the end of a unit, attach this cover sheet to provide families with an overview of the standards taught during the unit, and how each piece is connected to help you determine an overall score for the unit. This helps eliminate any surprises when report cards go home at the end of the trimester or when you are meeting for parent-teacher conferences. 

★ Digital Assignment Tracker: Online learning tools are a fabulous way to differentiate for your students but logging in to different learning platforms to see a child’s progress is pretty time consuming for families. Have students record their work using this tracker to make it easier for each family to see scores for their student’s digital work. Include this tracker with the end-of-unit portfolio you send home to paint a more complete picture of the work students have completed in class during the unit. 

★ Math Workshop Skill/Routine Feedback: If you notice there are common skills students need support with when it comes to a particular part of workshop, use this tool to deliver feedback about the skills they are developing. This tool also provides space for students to reflect on the feedback you’ve shared. The skills included on this editable template are those I notice my students require additional support with when solving complex word problems, but this can be modified for project based learning, test taking, game play, or digital assignments. The possibilities are endless.

★ Weekly Problem Solving Reflection: If you use a weekly problem solving routine in your classroom, this two-page reflection & rubric tool will help you and your students reflect on that work, and help you provide a score for that work. Using this consistent scoring and reflection format makes it easier for everyone to see growth and areas that need development when reviewing multi-step learning activities from your unit.

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BLOG POSTS ABOUT MATH WORKSHOP - FREE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

If you are interested in learning more about how I incorporate these tools into Math Workshop, please read the series of blog posts linked below:

★ Differentiate Instruction with Math Workshop

★ 3 Approaches To Formatting Lessons for Math Workshop

★ How To Organize Small Groups for Math Workshop

★ 5 Steps To Efficient Data Tracking: Math Workshop Meet with the Teacher

★ How To Boost Student Independence With Math Triads

★ Top 5 Ideas for Math Workshop At Your Seat

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Interested in building rigor during your math block? Check out my math enrichment resources:

★ Third Grade Problem Solving Task Cards - perfect for At Your Seat rotation

★ Second Grade Problem Solving Task Cards - perfect for At Your Seat rotation

★ Fourth Grade Problem Solving Task Cards - perfect for At Your Seat rotation

★ Project Based Learning Guides - perfect for At Your Seat rotation

★ Third Grade Math In Motion Games - perfect for Hands On rotation

★ Second Grade Math In Motion Games - perfect for Hands On rotation

★ Fourth Grade Hands On Math Games - perfect for Hands On rotation

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