Monday, March 3, 2014

Reading Comprehension Assessment Tools

Reading comprehension is important in all school subjects.


Reading comprehension is a skill that all students need. According to Janice Light and David McNaughton of Pennsylvania State University, reading comprehension requires students to recognize written words; understand and relate the meaning of words and sentences; relate their prior knowledge to what they are reading and understand long texts. The importance of reading comprehension is clear, and there are many tools available to facilitate this comprehension.


Assessing with Benchmarks


The Reading A-Z website provides educators and parents with aids for two kinds of benchmark assessments: Running Records and Benchmark Quick Checks. Running Records can be used for early readers and are designed to assess a reader's behavior. In the Running Records, a reader reads a passage out loud and a teacher or parent makes note of what the student reads and how they read. This type of assessment can monitor the comprehension of word annunciation, meaning and sentence structure. Benchmark Quick Checks should be used after seeing success with Reading Records. Quick Checks are designed to test the reader's ability to recall what they read, ponder it, and respond to it.


Phonemic Awareness Assessment Tools


Phonemic awareness is defined by the University of Oregon's College of Education as the manipulation of the sounds that are created by spoken words. Phonemic awareness is an essential pre-reading skill that should be assessed in early readers. The Los Angeles County Office of Education suggests testing reader phonemic awareness through the use of rhyme schemes. The assessment is done by saying two words that rhyme, such as mat and bat, and asking the reader if the words sound the same.


Graphic Organizers


Graphic organizers are visual aids that assist with reading comprehension. Graphic organizers can be used to help readers understand story elements, main ideas from a selection, or even patterns in the reading. Educators can then discuss with the reader what was incorporated in the organizer. Scholastic provides educators with printable versions of different kinds of graphic organizers that can aid readers with their comprehension.








Related Posts:




  • How Is Reading Comprehension Tested For Research In English Speaking Students

    Schools and research institutes test for reading comprehension.The National Reading Panel, organized by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in 1997, assessed the effective...


  • What Is The Dominie Reading Assessment

    What Is the Dominie Reading Assessment?The Dominie Reading Assessment is a portfolio of tests and tools that teachers can use to measure the reading and writing ability of children in kindergarten...


  • Write Reading Comprehension Tests

    Make sure students' reading skills are on track: design and administer comprehension tests.According to the National Literacy Trust's first annual survey, students prefer reading text messages and...


  • Mathematical Assessment Tools

    Mathematical knowledge can be assessed using various tools.Foundations for Success, the final report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel in 2008, identified slipping mathematical prowess as...


  • Word Identification Vs Reading Fluency

    Language starts to develop early in life, when a newborn realizes crying gets his needs met. While learning aspects of language, such as talking, comes naturally for most children, learning to rea...