Preparation Course

TKT: Young Learners Part 4

Assessing young learner learning through classroom-based assessment  
Contents
Introduction to the test and practice 3 1.4 Acting on assessment evidence 13
for Part 4
1.4.1 Revising acting on assessment 13
evidence
Section 1: Assessing young learner 4 1.4.2 Practice questions – acting on 15
learning through classroom-based assessment assessment evidence

1.1 Possible testing focuses in TKT: 4

Young Learners Part 4 Section 2: Assessing young learner 16
learning through classroom-based
assessment – reflection
1.2 Purposes of assessing learning 5
1.2.1 Revising purposes of assessing 5
learning Answer key 17
1.2.2 Practice questions – purposes of 9
assessing learning

1.3 Focuses of assessing learning 10

1.3.1 Revising focuses of assessing 10
learning
1.3.2 Practice questions – focuses of 12
assessing learning

2 Cambridge English TKT: Young Learners | Part 4 | © UCLES 2016

Introduction to the test and practice
for Part 4
We are now going to look at Part 4 of TKT: Young Learners. You may wish to refer back to Task 1.4 in the
Introduction to TKT: Young Learners to remind you of the testing focus for each part.
In each section of Part 4 you will complete tasks which will revise some of the content covered in
TKT: Young Learners Part 4 and you will do some practice questions. Each time you finish a task or practice
question, you can check or compare your answers with those in the answer key (see pages 17–19).
Remember that, in the test, you will have an answer sheet on which to mark your answers. Please refer to
the TKT: Young Learners Handbook for an example of an answer sheet.

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1 Assessing young learner learning through classroom-based assessment

Section 1: Assessing young learner

learning through classroom-based
assessment
1.1 Possible testing focuses in TKT: Young Learners Part 4

TKT: Young Learners Part 1 tests knowledge of young learners and principles of teaching English to young
learners. Part 2 tests candidates’ knowledge of planning and preparing lessons for young learners. Part 3
tests candidates’ knowledge of strategies for teaching language to young learners. Part 4 of TKT: Young
Learners tests candidates’ knowledge of assessing young learner learning through classroom-based
assessment. This is about teachers assessing young learners in the classroom, and responding to the
information provided by classroom assessment.

Task
Look at the list of subjects in the table below and the three testing focuses in the box. The subjects are
related to each of the three testing focuses which are tested under the heading of ‘Assessing young learner
learning through classroom-based assessment’. Decide which testing focus each list of subjects belongs
to. Write the testing focuses in the appropriate boxes A – C.

Focuses of assessing learning Acting on assessment evidence Purposes of assessing learning

Testing focus Subjects covered

A • identifying progress in language, learning strategies, use of skills
• identifying achievement in language, learning strategies, use of skills
• diagnosing strengths and weaknesses in language, learning strategies, use of skills,
gaining feedback on learning objectives of the lesson or of the syllabus
• identifying children’s likes and dislikes
B • language
• behaviour
• learning strategies
• cognitive strategies
C • providing oral and written formative feedback in class
• adjusting teaching materials
• adjusting task types
• adjusting classroom management

Now check your answers in the key.

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 Assessing young learner learning through classroom-based assessment  1

1.2 Purposes of assessing learning

The first testing focus in TKT: Young Learners Part 4 is on knowledge of the purposes of assessing learning.
These are the different reasons teachers have for assessing learners. For example, teachers assess children
in class to find out about their progress or achievement in language, learning strategies and use of skills, or
to find out children’s strengths and weaknesses in language, learning strategies or use of skills. Let’s begin
by reviewing some terms related to assessment, then we’ll move on to a checking activity.

1.2.1 Revising purposes of assessing learning

Task 1
Read the terms relating to assessment A – K and match them with the correct definitions 1 – 11.
Write your answers in the boxes below.
Terms

A. Objective assessment G. Formative assessment

B. Assessment criteria H. Peer assessment
C. Assessing progress I. Self-assessment
D. Assessing achievement J. Subjective assessment
E. Continuous assessment K. Summative assessment
F. Diagnostic assessment

Definitions
1. F inding out or making a judgement about children’s ability during a course. Comparing ability in a
specific area with previous ability.
2.  hen a teacher uses formal and informal assessment and information on children’s progress
W
during a course to change their teaching or to give children feedback on their learning.
3.  hen the opinion or judgement of the person marking a test is not needed to assess children. The
W
questions in the test/assessment have one correct answer.
4. When children give their opinions on each other’s language or work.
5.  hen the opinion of the person marking a test is needed to make a decision on the quality of the
W
work being assessed.
6. F inding out or making a judgement about how much children have learned in class, often at the end
of a course.
7. The qualities against which a learner’s performance or ability is judged.
8.  type of assessment aimed at finding out what language and skills weaknesses or strengths
A
children have, perhaps at the start of a course, to decide what children need to learn or practise in
the future.

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1 Assessing young learner learning through classroom-based assessment

9.  type of assessment done at the end of a course where the focus is on children receiving a grade for
A
their work rather than receiving feedback on their progress.
10.  type of assessment which does not involve a final examination. Some or all of the work that
A
children do during a course is marked by the teacher on a regular basis and these marks go into a
calculation of the final grade given to learners.
11.  hen children assess themselves, when they decide how good they think their progress, learning or
W
language use is.
Now check your answers in the key.

Task 2
Let’s check the meaning of some key terms. Match the terms A – F with the definitions 1 – 6. Write your
answers in the boxes below.
Terms

A. Language D. Feedback
B. Learning strategies E. Learning objectives
C. Skills F. Syllabus

Definitions
1. The language and skills covered in a course and the order in which they are taught.
2. The things teachers plan to achieve in a lesson or a course.
3. Information about what went well in a lesson and what didn’t work so well.
4. Vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar.
5. Reading, writing, listening, speaking.
6. Techniques to help with learning, such as predicting when reading or deducing the meaning of words.
Now check your answers in the key.

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 Assessing young learner learning through classroom-based assessment  1

Task 3
Look at the suggested assessment activities listed 1 – 6. The activities would help to provide the teacher
with information for the assessment purposes listed in the box. Write the correct assessment purpose for
each activity in the gaps 1 – 6.
Assessment purposes

Diagnosing strengths and weaknesses in use of listening skills

Identifying achievement in use of skills Identifying children’s likes and dislikes
Identifying achievement in learning strategies Gaining feedback on learning objectives
Identifying progress in language

Assessment activities

1.
Give children a gap-fill exercise which tests vocabulary and structures that you have recently reviewed and
which they found difficult before.

2.
Ask children to produce a piece of writing about a topic area that they’ve been working on.

3.
Ask children to show you how they remember difficult spellings in English.

4.
At the start of term, give a picture dictation where children have to work alone and colour in the different
parts of a monster according to your instructions.

5.
Ask the class what they think about an activity after they have finished it

6.
Monitor children as they work by walking around the class and noting which areas of the syllabus will
need adapting and supplementing.
Now check your answers in the key.

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1 Assessing young learner learning through classroom-based assessment

Task 4
Now, read the statements listed 1 – 9 about the purposes of assessing learning. Decide which of the
statements are True (T) and which are False (F). Write your answers in the boxes below.
1. It can be useful to get children to give feedback about different topics on the syllabus.
2.  sing checklists of language items which the teacher ticks or comments on to assess progress
U
distracts children when they are working.
3. Playing a game such as ‘Passing on a telephone message’ gives feedback on speaking objectives.
4.  sking the class to rank animals in size from biggest to smallest shows achievement in developing
A
cognitive strategies.
5. Doing simple reading games at word level identifies progress in learning strategies.
6. Doing a colour dictation shows children’s achievement in reading skills.
7.  etting children to use reference resources like dictionaries or websites can assess their progress in
G
using learning strategies.
8.  sking children to proofread their work before handing it in gives feedback on progress in
A
language learning.
9.  aining feedback on the effectiveness of teaching methods is not a good reason for
G
assessing learning.
Now check your answers in the key.

Task 5
Look back at Task 4. What are your reasons for saying that the answers are either True or False?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.
Now check your answers in the key.

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 Assessing young learner learning through classroom-based assessment  1

1.2.2 Practice questions – purposes of assessing learning

Sample question
For questions 1 – 7, match the assessment tasks with the main purposes of assessment listed A, B and C.
Write your answers in the boxes below.
Main purposes of assessment

A. Identifying progress in use of language or skills

B. Diagnosing strengths and weaknesses in learning strategies
C. Identifying children’s likes and dislikes

Assessment tasks
1.  hildren use a substitution table to complete sentences about things their classmates can and
C
can’t do.
2. Children plan how they will organise their individual projects on plants and the environment.
3.  hildren look at pictures from a story they have read and fill in speech bubbles to show what the
C
characters are saying.
4.  hildren vote on whether they preferred singing the song about the elephant and the mouse or
C
drawing the picture.
5.  hildren choose which animal they want to be in their role-play after the teacher has described
C
each one.
6. Children make a word snake using different words related to vegetables.
7.  hildren use either an online dictionary to find the meaning of some
C
new words themselves.
Now check your answers in the key.

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1 Assessing young learner learning through classroom-based assessment

1.3 Focuses of assessing learning

The second testing focus in TKT: Young Learners Part 4 is on knowledge of the focuses of assessing
learning. In this part of the test candidates are tested on their knowledge of the different kinds of things
children may be assessed on. In TKT: Young Learners the different focuses of assessing learning are:
assessing language, assessing behaviour, assessing learning strategies and assessing cognitive strategies.
Let’s begin by doing some revision activities and then we’ll move on to a sample test question.

1.3.1 Revising focuses of assessing learning

Task 1
Let’s check what the focuses relate to. Match the focuses A – D to the correct examples 1 – 4.
Focuses

A. Language
B. Behaviour
C. Learning strategies
D. Cognitive strategies

Examples
1. matching, ranking, predicting
2. reviewing work, organising learning, planning, self-monitoring
3. vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar
4. the way children act in the classroom both when they are on their own and with other children
Now check your answers in the key.

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 Assessing young learner learning through classroom-based assessment  1

Task 2
Now look at the assessment activities listed 1 – 16 below and choose the focus they belong to. Write the
numbers of the correct four assessment activities under each assessment focus A - D.

1. Language 3. Use of learning strategies

2. Behaviour 4. Use of cognitive strategies

Assessment activities
A. Teacher checks children’s notebooks to assess how their work is organised.
B. Children guess what’s in the next part of a film on DVD.
C. Teacher observes how children act when they have to follow instructions.
D. Children change nouns from singular to plural.
E. Children brainstorm time expressions, e.g. today, yesterday, tomorrow.
F. Teacher observes how children act when the group arrive and leave the classroom.
G. Teacher listens to children repeating a choral drill.
H. Children use Can Do statements for self-assessment tasks.
I. Children order jumbled words to make sentences.
J. Teacher asks children how they review their work.
K. Children categorise pictures of animals into zoo animals, farm animals and pets.
L. Teacher observes how children act when they work in pairs or small groups.
M. Children order picture cards to make a story.
N. Teacher discusses with children how they plan their work.
O. Teacher observes how children act when they work alone on tasks.
P. Children rank themselves in order of age from oldest to youngest.
Now check your answers in the key.
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1 Assessing young learner learning through classroom-based assessment

1.3.2 Practice questions – focuses of assessing learning

Sample question
For questions 1 – 6, look at the statements about assessing children in class and choose the option
(A, B or C) which does NOT complete each statement correctly. Circle the correct answer.

1. W
 hich option does NOT complete the
statement correctly?
To assess their cognitive skills, the teacher
asks the children to
A. answer True/False questions about their
favourite types of food.
B. p
 ut pictures of food into two groups
according to whether they are fruit or
vegetables.
C. s equence the prices of different foods from
the cheapest to the most expensive.
2. W
 hich option does NOT complete the
statement correctly?
To assess their ability to use language
creatively, the teacher asks the children to
A. listen to and perform a jazz chant in pairs.
B. take part in a role-play in pairs.
C. talk about their last holiday in pairs.
4. W
 hich option does NOT complete the
statement correctly?
To assess their spelling, the teacher asks
the children to look at pictures and
A. fill in a crossword puzzle using the pictures
as clues.
B. m
 ake sentences with the words in a
substitution drill.
C. label the buildings on a picture of a town.
5. W
 hich option does NOT complete the
statement correctly?
To assess their ability to review their learning,
the teacher asks the children to think about
the lesson and to
A. decide what things they were good at.
B. list the words they understood.
C. say which activities they liked.

6. W
 hich option does NOT complete the
3. W
 hich option does NOT complete the statement correctly?
statement correctly?
To assess their ability to remember language,
To assess their listening comprehension skills, the teacher asks the children to
the teacher asks the children to listen and
A. fill in the gaps in a text about different types
A. mime the words in a song. of clothes.
B. follow a text with the words of a song. B. m
 atch clothes words to pictures of
different clothes.
C. a nswer some questions about the meaning
of a song. C. listen to a song about different clothes.
Now check your answers in the key.  

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 Assessing young learner learning through classroom-based assessment  1

1.4 Acting on assessment evidence

The third and final testing focus in TKT: Young Learners Part 4 is on acting on assessment evidence. This is
the way that teachers respond to and act on the information classroom assessment provides by:
• giving oral formative feedback
• giving written formative feedback
• adjusting teaching materials
• adjusting task types
• adjusting classroom management.

1.4.1 Revising acting on assessment evidence

Task 1
Look at the definitions 1 – 5 and the ways of acting on assessment evidence in the box. Write the ways of
acting on assessment evidence above the definitions.
Ways of acting on assessment evidence

Adjusting classroom management Providing written formative feedback

Adjusting teaching materials Providing oral formative feedback Adjusting task types

Definitions

1.
The teacher talks to the children about what they have done well in an activity and about how they could
improve further. This may be a short comment in class or it could be during a tutorial.

2.
The teacher writes comments for the children on their work. They could be comments written about an
activity, a portfolio or on some work children have completed as homework.

3.
The teacher adds to, adapts or supplements materials used in class; for example, by deciding to add
visuals or leave out a task because assessment evidence has shown that the material is too difficult.

4.
The teacher simplifies or changes an activity because assessment evidence has shown it is too easy or
too difficult.

5.
The teacher makes changes to the way the lesson has been planned or organised; for example, by asking
children to work in pairs rather than individually because assessment evidence has shown this is a more
productive way for children to complete a particular type of task.

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1 Assessing young learner learning through classroom-based assessment

Task 2
Now let’s check your understanding. Read the teachers’ comments about what they did in class 1 – 5 and
match them to the ways of acting on assessment evidence A – E. Write your answers in the boxes below.
Ways of acting on assessment evidence

A. Providing oral formative feedback

B. Providing written feedback
C. Adjusting teaching materials
D. Adjusting task types
E. Adjusting classroom management

What the teachers did in class

1. F ive children in the group were just starting to read and write, so I used picture flashcards to
support learning.
2.  he reading task was too difficult, so I gave them a gap-fill activity instead of sentence
T
completion.
3.  he group were noisy as they left the classroom, so in the next class, I finished a bit earlier and let
T
them leave in pairs after answering a vocabulary question.
4. I praised Aziz and Hamid at the end of the role-play for the way that they had spoken slowly and
clearly.
5. I put a positive comment on each child’s worksheet with a suggestion of something to improve.
Now check your answers in the key.

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 Assessing young learner learning through classroom-based assessment  1

1.4.2 Practice questions – acting on assessment evidence

Sample question
For questions 1 – 7, match the examples of teacher actions with the different ways of acting on
assessment evidence listed A - E. You will need to use some of the options more than once. Write the
correct letter against each example of teacher actions.

A. Giving oral formative feedback

B. Adjusting teaching materials
C. Adjusting classroom management
D. Giving written formative feedback

Examples of teacher actions

1. I let learners read comic books at the end of lessons to give them more reading practice.
2. Every month I meet groups of learners to talk to them about their progress.
3. I decided to rewrite some of the reading texts to make them shorter.
4. I decided to nominate learners to answer questions so everyone gets a chance to speak.
5. I made sure I gave all learners detailed comments on three pieces of writing, at the beginning,
middle and end of term.
6. I asked learners to put up their hands when I ask questions in open class so shy learners get a
chance to answer.
7. I praised a learner for doing the task well.
Now check your answers in the key.

Cambridge English TKT: Young Learners | Part 4 | © UCLES 2016 15

2 Assessing young learner learning through classroom-based assessment – reflection

Section 2: Assessing young learner

learning through classroom-based
assessment – reflection
That’s the end of the final part of these self-access preparation materials for TKT: Young Learners. Before
you finish, take a few minutes to reflect on what you feel you did well in these exercises and what you feel
you may want to revisit and revise. This will help you in your future preparations for taking the test. Think
about the subjects we have worked on and make some notes in the box below. Don’t forget to look back at
the introduction to these materials for advice on how to prepare for the test!

Purposes of assessing learning

Focuses of assessing learning

Acting on assessment evidence

16 Cambridge English TKT: Young Learners | Part 4 | © UCLES 2016

 Answer key

Answer key
Section 1: Assessing young learner learning through classroom-based assessment
1.1 Possible testing focuses in TKT: Young Learners Part 4
A. Purposes of assessing learning
B. Focuses of assessing learning
C. Acting on assessment evidence

1.2 Purposes of assessing learning

1.2.1 Revising purposes of assessing learning
Task 1

1. C 4. H 7. B 10. E
2. G 5. J 8. F 11. I
3. A 6. D 9. K

Task 2
1. F 3. D 5. C
2. E 4. A 6. B

Task 3
4. Identifying progress in language 7. Diagnosing strengths and weaknesses in use of skills
5. Identifying achievement in use of skills 8. Identifying children’s likes and dislikes
6. Identifying achievement in learning strategies 9. Gaining feedback on learning objectives

Task 4

1. True 4. True 7. True

2. False 5. False 8. True
3. True 6. False 9. False

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Answer key

Task 5
1. True 6. False
This helps a teacher to identify children’s likes and dislikes. It shows achievement in listening skills and recognition
of target language such as colours and clothes.
2. False
Children can be motivated by and quickly become used to 7. True
the teacher using checklists for short periods to assess and Getting children to use reference resources, for
record levels of achievement. example in project work, shows progress in finding,
reading, remembering and using information in the
3. True
target language.
Teachers can assess specific areas of pronunciation or
notice children’s ability to remember language during 8. True
speaking games. Children can sometimes correct their own mistakes and
so show their progress in using target language.
4. True
Children need to think abstractly about the size of different 9. False
animals to consider an order from large to small. It is important to assess children’s learning to understand
and evaluate the effectiveness of different approaches or
5. False
coursebook methodologies.
Doing reading games at word level identifies progress or
achievement in reading and language skills.

1.2.2 Practice questions – purposes of assessing learning

1. A 3. A 5. C 7. B
2. B 4. C 6. A

1.3 Focuses of assessing learning

1.3.1 Revising focuses of assessing learning
Task 1
1. D 3. A
2. C 4. B

Task 2

1. D, E, G, I
2. C, F, L, O
3. A, H, J, N
4. B, K, M, P

1.3.2 Practice questions – focuses of assessing learning

1. A 4. B
2. A 5. C
3. B 6. C

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 Answer key

1.4 Acting on assessment evidence

1.4.1 Revising acting on assessment evidence
Task 1
1. Providing oral formative feedback
2. Providing written formative feedback
3. Adjusting teaching materials
4. Adjusting task types
5. Adjusting classroom management

Task 2
1. C 3. E 5. B
2. D 4. A

1.4.2 Practice questions – acting on assessment evidence

1. B 3. B 5. D 7. A
2. A 4. C 6. C

Cambridge English TKT: Young Learners | Part 4 | © UCLES 2016 19

Further information
About Cambridge English, including international language standards
www.cambridgeenglish.org/why-cambridge-english

Published research
www.cambridgeenglish.org/research-and-validation/published-research

English Profile, including Cambridge Learner Corpus

www.englishprofile.org

Teaching English, including Cambridge English Teaching Qualifications

and Teaching Framework
www.cambridgeenglish.org/teaching-english

TKT
www.cambridgeenglish.org/tkt

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