What Is Formative Assessment—and Why Does It Matter in Tutoring?

Ever wondered how tutors know exactly what your child needs help with? Or how they measure progress without the pressure of constant testing? Maybe you're a tutor yourself, wondering how to identify learning gaps early without overwhelming your students. That’s where formative assessment comes in—and it’s a powerful tool we can use to support a child’s learning journey.

Understanding Formative Assessment

Formative assessment isn’t about formal tests or high-stakes exams. Instead, it focuses on observing, listening, questioning, and responding to students during their learning process. This approach provides tutors with real-time insights. It reveals how a child is thinking, what their strengths are, and which areas might need additional support or clarification.

Techniques in Formative Assessment

As a tutor with over 13 years of teaching experience, I use formative assessment techniques in every session. Whether I’m helping a child struggling with confidence in Maths or Phonics, or preparing someone for their Year 6 SATs or 11 Plus exams, I rely on specific strategies:

• Asking well-placed, open questions to check understanding.

• Encouraging children to articulate their thought processes.

• Using short, low-pressure activities to recall previous knowledge or apply new learnings.

• Noticing patterns in their errors or hesitations.

• Providing immediate, constructive feedback and adjusting my teaching accordingly.

  
  

These techniques are crucial in ensuring the assessment process is fluid and natural.

Continuous and Responsive Feedback

The beauty of formative assessment is its continuous and responsive nature. Often, students don’t even realise they are being assessed. To them, we’re simply playing a game or completing a fun activity. Yet, I’m learning exactly what they need from me. This enables them to achieve their next steps—more practice to solidify a concept or a new challenge to extend their knowledge.

It helps ensure that sessions are always tailored, targeted, and effective—rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Most importantly, it allows children to progress with confidence, knowing they’re being supported at precisely the right level for them.

Supporting Diverse Learning Needs

Every student is unique, with their own set of strengths and weaknesses. Formative assessment helps identify these differences. Through continuous observation and interaction, I can understand each child’s learning style and target areas for improvement.

This personalized support ensures that no child is left behind. It helps bridge learning gaps, enabling students to reach their full potential.

Conclusion

Formative assessment is an essential aspect of effective tutoring. It enables me to observe, listen, and respond to students in real time, providing critical insights into their learning process. By employing various techniques, I can foster a supportive and engaging environment that allows children to thrive.

Understanding formative assessment is key for parents and educators alike. It offers a pathway for students to make meaningful progress—all while enjoying the learning process.

If you’d like to know more about how I work or how I can help your child move forward with confidence, feel free to reach out.

Problem solving - a 100 square with missing numbers all cut up. Does my student know which numbers a

Using number bonds to 100 to help us with adding decimals to 1 - quick recall activity

Watching students use written methods after we've practised together. Are they ready for the next st

My student is confident in solving BODMAS questions. How deep is their understanding? Can they use t

Recalling known sounds and learning a new one - can they highlight the correct grapheme to represent

What do students already know about fractions? Which bit do they need support with?

Learning a new sound - can my student read words with this sound in?

Fly Swat - can student find the correct word by reading each one carefully?