Teaching Strategy: Exit Slips

Exit Slips

Exit slips are written student responses to questions teachers pose at the end of a class or lesson. These quick, informal assessments enable teachers to quickly assess students' understanding of the material.

Why use exit slips?

• They provide teachers with an informal measure of how well students have
  understood a topic or lesson.
  
• They help students reflect on what they have learned.
  
• They allow students to express what or how they are thinking about new information.
  
• They teach students to think critically.
  

When to use:	Before reading		During reading	After reading
How to use:	Individually		With small groups	Whole class setting

 

How to use exit slips

• At the end of your lesson ask students to respond to a question or prompt.
  

  Note: There are three categories of exit slips (Fisher & Frey, 2004):
  

  • Prompts that document learning:
    —Example: Write one thing you learned today.
    —Example: Discuss how today's lesson could be used in the real world.
    

    
     

  • Prompts that emphasize the process of learning:
    —Example: I didn't understand…
    —Example: Write one question you have about today's lesson.
    

    
     

  • Prompts to evaluate the effectiveness of instruction:
    —Example: Did you enjoy working in small groups today?
    

    
     

  • Other exit prompts include:
    —I would like to learn more about…
    —Please explain more about…
    —The thing that surprised me the most today was…
    —I wish…
    

    
     

• You may state the prompt orally to your students or project it visually on an overhead or blackboard.
  
• You may want to distribute 3 x 5 cards for students to write down their responses.
  
• Review the exit slips to determine how you may need to alter your instruction to better meet the needs of all your students.
  
• Collect the exit slips as a part of an assessment portfolio for each student.
  

Examples

Content area exit slip examples

• Write one thing you learned today
  
• Write one question you have about today's lesson
  
• Write three words with the long "o" sound
  
• Why are the North and South Pole so cold?
  
• Explain why Canada is not considered a melting pot
  
• Draw a quick diagram that shows perspective
  
• Of the 3 graphs we studied today which one did you find most useful? Why?
  
• Name one positive and one negative thing that happened during group work today
  
• Multiply 3 by 4
  

Click on this link to find out more or download a blank Exit Slip form: http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/exit_slips