Checking for Understanding: Formative Assessment Techniques for Your Classroom. Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2007. Pp. 158. $26.95, paper. ISBN-13: 978- 1-4166-0569-0. TEL: 800-933-ASCD • FAX: 703-575-5400

What teacher hasn’t sometimes believed that the entire class understands a lesson, even though only a few students are nodding their heads and answering questions? Later, the teacher is dismayed when many students fail a related test. Why aren’t students getting it? And, just as important, why didn’t the teacher recognize the problem?

In this book, Fisher and Frey show how to increase students’ understanding with the help of creative formative assessments. When used regularly, the authors write, these types of assessments enable teachers to determine what students know, what they need to know, and what type of instructional methods are effective. Fisher and Frey explore a variety of activities designed to build understanding, including: interactive writing, portfolios, multimedia presentations, audience response systems, interactive hand signals, and public performances.

The book further explores how teachers can use traditional tests and collaborative assessments to improve and increase students’ comprehension. It includes rubrics and charts to help teachers check their own understanding as they work with students.