Checking for understanding.

Xav is 6; a first grader - not always paying attention.  A few weeks ago we were on an outing with his twin sister.  Judy was reading a story; it was longer than I anticipated.  As she turned a page, I said, so we have 3 characters 9listing their names) and they are lost in the woods and it is getting dark.  Judy said - yeah, you got it!. 
From the back seat Xav said, "Grandma, Gene is checking for understanding."  I could hardly control myself.  He had casually described exactly what I was doing using "educationesse".  He said they do it in school to see if you are paying attention.   And then added to see if you know what they story is about.
His sister chimed in saying they did it in her classroom too.  She added, "We didn't get to do it in Kindergarten."
I was tickled that he knew the phrase, had observed and applied it accurately and  explained it quite well.
I was pleased that he is learning these concepts in first grade and is able to make the connection between a concept he was learning and what he observed in a non-school setting.  It is too easy to assume that kids are not ready to understand abstract concepts.  Bunk!!!  I am glad their elementary teachers are helping them learn big useful concepts.

Image is from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Checking-Understanding-Formative-Assessment-Techniques/dp/141660569X).  Book cover cropped with Paint, saved as a jpeg and uploaded here.