Organizing Comprehensive Literacy Assessment: How to Get Started, Part II

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Organizing Comprehensive Literacy Assessment How
to Get Started, Part II

• September 10 17, 2008

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Tonight

• Discuss assessing reading and listening
  comprehension, writing, and student
  interest/attitudes toward reading
• Practice using an Informal Reading Inventory and
  discuss some simple response modifications
• Small group work use a short case study to plan
  comprehensive literacy assessment

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Organizing Assessment Areas to Evaluate

• Listening Reading comprehension
• E.g., Informal Reading Inventories Gray
  Diagnostic Reading Test story re-telling
  checklists story grammar maps
• NOTE offer alternative means of response for
  students with communication challenges, such as
  pictures, eye gaze selections, etc.
• Dont forget that students who cant read
  conventional text can still demonstrate reading
  comprehension by demonstrating comprehension of
  environmental print, icons, etc.
• For students who cannot answer questions after a
  story is read to them, even with modified
  response options, assess listening comprehension
  by observing responses to oral directions.

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Examples of Alternate Ways to Assess Reading
Comprehension

• Re-telling (with/ or w/o picture support)
• Think-alouds
• Acting out a story
• Drawing pictures

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Informal Reading Inventory (IRI)

• Assess students reading level and reading and
  listening comprehension can also do a running
  record with miscue analysis
• Components
• Graded Word Lists (single words)
• Graded Reading Passages
• Reading comprehension
• Listening Comprehension

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Try it out Informal Reading InventoryWatch the
demonstration then practice administering the
IRI with a partner.Use the handout General
Instructions for Administering an Informal
Reading Inventory.
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Assessing Word Identification

• Automatic Word Identification (Flash)
• Assessed using words from graded word lists rx
  that they are printed on index cards.
• Words are flashed for less than 1/3 of a second.
• Mediated Word Identification (Analysis)
• Assessed using words that were not read
  accurately in the flash mode.
• Students can look at word for 3-5 seconds.
• Calculate of words correct under each condition
  and compare.
• Highest level achieved at which no errors were
  made indicates which level of graded passages to
  use for the comprehension portion of the
  assessment. (Some experts rx using a criterion of
  80-85)

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Word Identification Assessment Modification for
Students with Complex Communication Needs

• Use Words
• Provide 4 words that are visually similar to
  target word.
• Say, but dont show, the target word.
• Ask, Show me the word I just said.
• Problem you provide speech, and student links
  it to print rather than the reverse which
  children without disabilities are doing.
• Better than nothing!

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Listening Comprehension

• Assess using graded passages from the Informal
  Reading Inventory.
• Read a graded passage aloud to the student (NOT
  the same one as used for assessing reading
  comprehension)
• Ask the student questions orally about the
  passage write down the childs oral responses
• Go up and down levels until you reach the highest
  level at which student is 80 accurate in
  answering questions.

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Silent Reading Comprehension

• Assess using graded passages from the Informal
  Reading Inventory.
• Ask student to read the passage to yourself
• Take the passage away from the student when
  finished reading
• Ask the student questions orally and you write
  down the childs oral responses
• Go up and down levels until you reach the highest
  level at which student is 80 accurate with
  questions.

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Listening/Reading Comprehension Assessment
Modifications

• You write multiple-choice answers to IRI
  questions.
• Difficulty is determining plausible, but not
  confusing, alternatives.
• Read the comprehension questions aloud and then
  read possible responses aloud.
• Ask, Show me the best answer. Student can point
  to, verbally repeat, eye point, etc to correct
  answer.

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Interpreting IRI Look for the

• Difference between listening and instructional
  levels
• Difference between instructional/frustration
  levels
• Differences between word recognition and
  comprehension
• Word recognition in context vs. in isolation
• Reading strategies the student used
• Reading rate, hesitations, repetitions
• Students background knowledge
• Type of comprehension questions student
  answered/missed (e.g., inference, literal, etc.)

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Assessing Writing

• Dont forget to include this in a comprehensive
  assessment of a students literacy skills!
• Teacher-made rubrics and checklists
• (See handout)

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Attitudes Toward Literacy

• Parent and student interviews (with support)
• Interest inventories (with support)
• Observation!

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Small Group Work

• Read the student description given to your group.
  
• Using this information, develop a plan for a
  comprehensive literacy assessment for this
  student. Decide how each area of literacy will be
  assessed (be specific) and be able to provide a
  rationale for your choices. Remember that you
  want an evaluation of the students literacy
  skill strengths and areas of need on which an
  individualized and appropriate plan of
  instruction could be built.
• Record your ideas on chart paper and appoint
  someone to be the group Reporter.

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Next Week (9/24)

• Examine Emergent Literacy and how this applies to
  students, especially those who are older but
  still in emergent literacy phase
• Read (so you have the background info to
  participate in small groups)
• Burns et al. (2002) Ch. 2
• Gately (2004)
• Turn in Literacy History Assignment signed
  consent/assent forms