By: Jonathan Ferris and Kirk Savage

We regularly listen to the Chalk and Talk podcast hosted by Anna Stokke – a math professor at the University of Winnipeg. She recently had a podcast that focused solely on the importance of screening in math instruction – which we really enjoyed. As we reflected on the information shared, we realized that we had something to offer to the conversation. Hence, this blog post. 

When it comes to math instruction, assessment needs to do more than sort and score — it needs to inform. Far too often, we treat assessment as an endpoint rather than a guidepost. But the truth is, the most powerful assessments aren’t those that close a chapter — they open a conversation.

That’s where formative assessment and screeners come in.

High-quality math screeners are essential. Research shows that early identification of numeracy challenges through universal screening can significantly improve outcomes for students at risk of falling behind (Gersten et al., 2009). Effective screeners allow teachers to flag misconceptions, tailor instruction, and prevent long-term learning gaps before they widen.

At the same time, formative assessment—frequent, low-stakes checks for understanding—remains one of the most impactful classroom strategies. As gurus Black and Wiliam (1998) explained in their seminal paper, well-implemented formative assessment can produce substantial gains in achievement, with typical effect sizes between 0.4 and 0.7—larger than most other educational interventions, and particularly powerful for supporting lower-achieving students. In practical terms, this is roughly equivalent to moving the average student up 15–25 percentile points, or shifting from the middle of a group to near the top third.

The SNAP Solution does all three.

Designed to be quick to administer, open-ended, and revealing, SNAP, which focuses on number sense in K-8 is more than a task — it’s a window into how students think, what they understand, and where they need support. It functions as:

• a screener, because it quickly highlights class-wide patterns and individual readiness,
• a formative assessment, because it drives day-to-day instructional decisions, and
• a diagnostic tool, because it uncovers specific misconceptions in number sense and operational reasoning.

And unlike many classroom tools, SNAP is a valid and reliable assessment, backed by formal research. In Kirk’s doctoral study (Savage, 2021), he demonstrated that SNAP produces consistent and accurate insight into students’ mathematical understanding, making it a trustworthy tool in both research and practice.

If we want to shift math instruction from coverage to connection, from performance to progression, we need tools that give us more than a score. If we want a number sense assessment that does not rely on reading ability, promotes curiosity, is easy to implement and provides rich information about students’ understanding, then we owe it to educators to share this. 

We need tools like SNAP.

If you are interested in learning more about SNAP, here are some resources you may find helpful:
– SD33 SNAP Website
– The SNAP Solution – Book from Solution Tree
– The SNAP Solution Online Book Study via SkillsForce

References:

• Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment. Phi Delta Kappan.
• Gersten, R., Clarke, B., & Jordan, N. (2009). Early Screening and Intervention to Prevent Math Difficulty. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 42(3), 204–210.
• Savage, K. (2021). SNAP vs. FSA: Competency‑based numeracy assessments count [Doctoral dissertation, University of Kansas]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. https://www.proquest.com/openview/392589ac29cb3b7423d678137434b676/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y