Assessment is used to monitor student progress, measure growth, identify critical skill deficits, provide feedback to students and report to parents.
When a student is not reading at an age or grade appropriate level the first step is to identify exactly where the student's strengths and weaknesses lie by assessing and monitoring their progress in each of the critical elements of reading.
Types of Assessments
Curriculum-based assessment (CBA) is a type of formative assessment that allows students to demonstrate their level of skills along a continuum. A specific level curriculum-based assessment covers all the components in a specific skill. The information gathered can reveal exactly where a student needs to be placed in the teaching sequence.
Standardised or norm referenced assessments assess and report a student's achievement in comparison to other students. These are often used to determine whether or not a student has a complex reading difficulty.
Criterion-referenced assessment evaluates a student's performance against specific observable and measurable criteria.
There are many different types of assessments that can be used to support students with reading difficulties
Assessment of Reading
When choosing reading assessments, it is important to consider the following areas of reading:
- Phonological awareness
- Phonics
- Fluency
- Vocabulary
- Comprehension
The results of these assessments, along with professional judgement, will inform the plan for any reading intervention.
NSW CER provides a resource package to support schools when choosing appropriate reading assessments. Click here for the Assessment & Intervention Package.
Useful websites
The following websites may also assist when leanring more about assessment practices:
Below are a list of assessment resources that may be useful: