The Glow & Grow Buzz: Informal Assessment That Isn’t Boring
- Arika
- Aug 29
- 3 min read
Let’s be honest—assessment often conjures images of stiff, stressful tests and red ink everywhere. But what if feedback could be like a friendly high-five—and maybe a gentle nudge—rather than a full-on pop quiz ambush? Enter the Glow & Grow assessment
method: quick, kind, and downright kid-friendly.
What’s a Glow & Grow, Anyway?
Glow: Shines a light on what the student did well—those bright spots that make us do a happy dance.
Grow: Gently flags areas for improvement—think rubber chicken, not rubber stamp of doom.
It’s informal, flexible, and—best of all—universally applicable across subjects, grades, and learning styles.
A Few Real Gains of Informal Assessment
Timely Feedback: Unlike formal tests that feel like they arrive after summer vacation, informal assessment happens in real time—quick, targeted, and totally relevant.
Tailored Instruction: It helps teachers and parents adapt lessons based on what’s actually happening in front of them rather than a one-size-fits-all plan.
Confidence Boosting: Highlighting a strong “glow” starts the day on a good note and fuels motivation.
Low Stress, High Clarity: There’s no grading curve or panic—just clarity about what's working and what needs practice.
In-the-Moment Insights: Observing, chatting, and asking open questions gives a real-time snapshot of learning—not just what was memorized. Reading Rockets
What Research Says About Informal Assessment (Spoiler: It Works!)
What’s great is that this small-scale feedback doesn’t just feel better—it works.
--- Studies show that formative and informal assessment—the kind that Glow & Grow embodies—can produce significant learning gains. These methods especially help students who struggle, narrowing achievement gaps and lifting overall performance.
--- Alos, studies consistently show that informal formative assessment—including verbal exchanges and spontaneous mini-check-ins—improves student learning and outcomes. When teachers actively elicit student thinking and adapt to it in the moment, students perform better.
More Informal Assessment Ideas
You don’t need bells and whistles—just creativity:
Individual Activities:
Quick Writes: Two-minute prompts that reveal understanding faster than you can say “writer’s block.”
Exit Tickets: A one-sentence summary at the end of the session—quick, effective, and no photocopying required.
Mini Conferences: Sit down, chat, probe. A few minutes can give big insights.
Group Activities:
Think-Pair-Share: What’s better than one student reflecting? Two students talking it out.
Whiteboard Response: Everyone holds up an answer. Instant class-wide pulse-check.
Peer Glow & Grow: Students highlight each other’s strengths and next-step ideas. Twofold feedback power!
Turning “Grow” into Growth
Here’s where the glow fades and the grow ignites:
Grow Comment: “Needs stronger topic sentences.”Follow-Up: Practice 3 different topic sentence starters. Let the student choose their favorite.
Grow Comment: “Can improve multiplication recall.”Follow-Up: Try a race (with flashcards) or multiplication scavenger hunt—make it fun, no timer required.
Grow Comment: “Remember to cite evidence.”Follow-Up: Highlight a paragraph, then write one sentence with quote + explanation.
These activities bring the Grow to life—and they guide your instruction rather than letting it wander aimlessly.
Why Glow and Grow Assessment is Worth It (Even If You’re a Teacher Who Hates Adding Another Thing)
Ultra-simple: No rubrics, no spreadsheets, no tears. Just one Glow, one Grow.
Authentic: Real-time, real learning, real growth.
Focused: Students leave knowing exactly what they rocked and what to tackle next.
Fun-ish: Yep—learning can be fun when feedback isn’t scary.
In short, Glow & Grow makes assessment friendly, effective, and downright doable—even on your busiest day. It’s feedback that fits in minutes, fuels learning, and lets you skip the red ink drama.
- Arika
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