You’ve just taught a great math lesson and feel your students “got it”… but did they?
What you need are a few math exit tickets to find out.
Math exit tickets are quick, informal assessments that gauge how well learners grasped the lesson. They encourage students to synthesize concepts, reflect upon new schema, and express their level of understanding.
It’s essential to regularly assess how well your elementary students are performing in math because each new learned skill lays part of the foundation for comprehending more challenging tasks.
The following math exit ticket ideas serve that purpose of helping you to informally assess and gather valuable data about your students’ math proficiency.
Related: For more cool exit slip ideas, take a look at our collection of over 100 exit ticket ideas for use in the elementary classroom.
Math Exit Tickets
Blank Math Exit Ticket Templates
It can be time-consuming to search high and low for that perfect math exit ticket idea that focuses specifically on your targeted learning objective.
To work smarter, keep a stack of blank math exit ticket templates on hand so that you can use them with a variety of math learning objectives at any time.
The Admit One math exit ticket (seen in the image) is one such example of a generic template that you can use for just about any math objective.
Distribute a sheet to each student, display the prompt or problem on the board/projector, and they respond.
Simple enough.
Blank math exit tickets are ideal for the following math learning objectives:
- adding fractions
- rounding
- comparing numbers
- multiplication
- place value
- multiplying decimals
- geometry
- measurement
- estimation
- ratio
- volume
Venn Diagram Anchor Chart
With a bit of brainstorming, math exit tickets using anchor charts are limitless.
Here’s an example…
Draw a Venn Diagram on an anchor chart.
Carefully choose the 2 elements you’d like students to compare such as composite/prime numbers, odd/even, mixed/improper fractions, etc.
After distributing post-it notes, ask each learner to write on his/her sticky note one (1) example of whichever elements you’re comparing.
Afterwards, they place their post-its on the appropriate section of the Venn Diagram anchor chart during the lesson’s closing.
Math Exit Ticket Cards
At the end of a lesson, restate the learning objective, and give students a few seconds to reflect.
Now, ask them to write their name and one (1) of the statements below on a notecard:
Got It.
More Practice, Please.
I Need Some Help!
Before leaving class, direct students to deposit their exit tickets into a folder or bucket.
Afterwards, separate the responses into the 3 categories. Quickly analyze, and adapt future instruction based on the information.
(Source: Erika Savage)
Math Journal Entry
At the end of instruction, provide 5 to 10 minutes for students to jot down and/or sketch in their math journal any big ideas from the lesson.
For those students who need support, provide question prompts or statement stems.
If you can possibly carve out a bit of time during the week, respond to each student.
Doing so really keeps kids engaged and excited about the topic!
Pictures, Numbers, and Words
This quick informal assessment showcases your young mathematicians’ depth of number sense.
Here’s how it works…
Say any number, and then students demonstrate that number in pictures, numbers, and/or words.
Given few limitations, their imaginations will go wild!
Glow and Grow
On a post-it note or in their response notebooks, students write one (1) area/skill in which they “glowed” – a learning objective that they understood well.
Afterwards, they write one (1) “needs improvement” statement – an area in which they still need to “grow”.
I Have the Answer. Who Has the Question?
Think Jeopardy with this math exit ticket.
Memorization-level knowledge, such as recalling multiplication and division facts, is the most appropriate type of content to use for this informal assessment.
Right before students are dismissed for the day, use that odd minute or two to give the whole class an answer related to a math topic.
Whoever raises their hand first and gives an appropriate question leaves first.
For times sake, performing this math exit ticket activity in table groups works just as well.
Red, Yellow, Green Math Exit Slip
For this math exit ticket, learners circle one (1) of three colors to represent how well they grasped the lesson material:
- Red = Stop (I’m totally lost.)
- Yellow = I’m struggling a bit. Please go slower.
- Green = I’m ready to move on.
Passport Out
Before learners “take off” for the day, they write 2 to 3 questions, concerns, or comments about the day’s math activities.
Rating Scale Self-Assessment
Give learners 3 emojis to choose from…
One “happy”, “sad”, and “neutral”.
They sketch on a post-it note (or circle their choice on a template if you have) which emoji face best reflects their understanding of the math lesson.
Math Questions
Provide your learners with a math question to answer. They respond on a note card, sticky note, or in their math journals.
See this list of math exit ticket questions and prompts here.
Story Frame Math Exit Tickets
Story frames are powerful tools that help elementary students frame the learning while synthesizing concepts.
Essentially, story frames are an extension of sentence stems and encourage students to think deeper.
Tic-Tac-Toe Graphic Organizer
The Tic-Tac-Toe graphic organizer assesses vocabulary development.
It encourages students to seek connections among math concepts.
Here’s how it works…
Students place key vocabulary terms from the lesson anywhere on their individual Tic-Tac-Toe graphic organizer.
They now write five meaningful sentences using the words.
The sentences will include three words straight across in any row, straight down from any column, or from any diagonal.
As a set of 3 words is used, the student crosses it out.
Students cannot repeat the same set of 3 words, but a word may be repeated if it’s part of another set.
Ticket to Leave
During those odd few moments right before the dismissal bell rings is where this math exit ticket fits best.
As students line up to be dismissed, give each a multiplication fact to solve or a quick true/false statement related to a math topic.
Your questions/statements should be yes/no or one-answer.
You want to move fast so that each learner has a chance to answer a question as he or she heads out the door.
If a student answers incorrectly, give another chance to respond.
Wrong again?
Gently provide the answer, and then move on to the next student.
Example/Non-Example
You’ll only use the bottom row of the above graphic organizer for this vocabulary math exit ticket idea.
Or better yet, have students record their work in math journals.
Ask students to sketch or write one (1) example and one (1) non-example of a math vocabulary word or concept.
This informal assessment demonstrates the depth of their understanding related to math vocabulary.
All Set to Use Math Exit Tickets
Checking for understanding just became easier with these math exit tickets.
Now you’ve got a set of quick tools that will provide valuable feedback you’ll use to help your learners progress even further.
Best