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4.5
I'm currently an instructional coach with a background in teaching middle- and high-school mathematics. My current assignment has me working with elementary teachers as well. This book came to my attention somehow, and I was intrigued enough to purchase it.As you may have noted from the description, the book is very short. It describes a tool called the Assessment for Numeracy In Education (the ANIE), providing blank copies of the form in several versions. Additionally, the authors include student work examples with their commentary regarding student attainment of mathematics instructional goals.The instrument employs multiple representations to simultaneously deepen student understanding and reveal that understanding to teachers. Thus it aligns well with current mathematical instructional practices.I was most struck by the versatility of the instrument. Its simple design allows it to be used during instruction without taking an unreasonable amount of class time, as a formative assessment tool on which a teacher could quickly provide helpful and relevant feedback to a student's thoughts, and as a summative tool at the end of instruction as well. Obviously, one would need to let students know which use was being made of it in a given setting.Finally, research data from the implementation of the tool is provided as well. If I had a concern with the book, this would be it, as the data presented are nearly universally supportive of its effects on increasing student test scores. I'm not aware of any other sources of research that might have achieved different results, and indeed they may not exist at this time, but it does give the tool a sort of "magic-bullet" feel.Nevertheless, I believe the book and the tool to be a good idea for mathematics teachers looking for a quick assessment tool structure, and have shared it with my fellow coaches for our team to begin using.
