Background Knowledge
Have students read books that they can relate to their lives. You can see what the students know before you read the book after the book you can see what they have learned.
Fast Retell
After reading a story, have students tell the main parts of the story. Students should only retell the story in 2-3 sentences. This should be fast but should get to the point. You will be able check to see if students are understanding the story.