Sketching as Response and Assessment: From Misunderstanding to Better Instruction

Middle grade students enjoy responding to literature in a variety of ways: sketching, dramatizing, writing, and talking. Assessing and evaluating response modes that use multiple sign systems to extend thinking about issues presented in real-life texts, however, can be cumbersome and complex. This article addresses ways teachers might use artistic responses as a way to guide instruction and provide quality assessment feedback for students while also improving understanding and instruction. Misunderstandings are highlighted here as an important part of the meaning-making process and as an important assessment and evaluation tool for teachers as they prepare for effective instruction.