Sometimes student assessments can backfire. If you have to spend so much time testing students that the process seriously cuts into teaching time, you have a problem. If you are required to administer assessments weekly, you are in jeopardy. Even a quick decoding test like those in the Stevenson Program can take time to administer individually, so here is a simple recommendation for your Stevenson students. Give your group a “pattern marking” test every week. As Stevenson teachers know, underlining vowel patterns (pattern marking) is a basic component of every lesson. Select 10 or 15 words from the week’s lesson work (Stevenson has plenty of word lists), print them on the board for students to copy and pattern mark. (Dictating the words would constitute a spelling test, and the words would have to be selected differently.) This pattern marking activity is valuable reinforcement for the students, and the results will give you some idea of which students need more practice and which elements need reteaching. Keep the papers with brief comments for your records. This activity would not be an adequate substitute for all your assessment needs, but for weekly evaluation it is easy and useful.