Some assessments are more formal, others more informal.
Some formal assessments provide teachers with a systematic way to evaluate how well students are progressing in a particular instructional program. They may give all the students a theme test in which students read, answer questions, and write about a similar theme concept. This type of assessment allows the teacher to evaluate all the students systematically on the important skills and concepts in the theme by using real reading and writing experiences that fit with the instruction. In other situations, or for certain students, teachers might use a skills test to examine specific skills or strategies taught in a theme. Teachers, parents, and administrators might want to know how well students are reading and writing in general, independent of the specific instructional program.