Unsure as to which strategy to use, I decided to present both, and then ask my students which one made more sense to them. Most students chose the veteran teacher's strategy. In this instance, feedback from my students enabled me to improve instruction in two ways. I avoided confusing my students, and, in doing so, I utilized time more efficiently by reducing reteaching time. This and other similar situations have taught me the value of formative evaluation.
Portfolio assessment provides in depth information regarding student progress.
Much has been written about the value of portfolio assessment in measuring student progress, particularly in reading. The literature cited above, as well as an influential cooperating teacher during my student teaching assignment, convinced me to keep a portfolio for each student when I received my first teaching placement. Since then, I have sought to improve my students' portfolios by including a wider variety of information sources. The most recent addition has been a writing workshop notebook. At the beginning of the year, I provide each student with a loose leaf binder complete with paper, blank graphic organizers, examples of various types of writing, a skills checklist, a holistic scoring rubric, etc.