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A couple of years ago we were given a new curriculum that came with Benchmark Tests that our district requires us to give twice a year (fall and spring). The first couple of years I was a fairly new teacher so I did as I was told. Some adjustments have been made by the district as to what our requirements of the students are, but I am curious how other teachers out there handle assessments at such a young age that are required for you to give but are not graded? I use the assessments to be sure students understand the concepts and then go back and re-teach when needed. These particular assessments are scripted for us, which I find to be the most difficult part because I might not always use the same vocabulary they have in their script. Am I to use that vocabulary in my teaching or is it okay to adjust the script when giving the test? Do you have any other great ways of measuring comprehension and understanding at the kindergarten level?