It really is amazing to me how many different ways we can assess our readers but each of these assessments have a specific purpose. Usually when a student is acting out in class there is a reason behind it and it's our jobs to figure out if it's academically induced or if outside factors are playing a role. I have used many of these process but didn't realize I was doing them either. I have used many times checklists or anecdotal records for observations of behavior but not for reading behavior. This would be a great way to figure out if the students is constantly struggling with the same thing or is always wanting to read the same genre. There are many insights you can figure out when observing a students behavior but as Opitz states it takes time and energy from the teacher away from the rest of the students. On page 76, figure 5.8A shows a performance checklist and this resembles what we are using with the Fountas and Pinell BAS running record tests for literacy testing in my school. This is a great tool for analyzing common errors made by the student and to check for comprehension of a short passage. I have found through the literacy tests I have completed that many of my students struggle with comprehension and I like Figure 5.9 to use a checklist for comprehension. You could use this during a guided reading session and use letters or numbers to document when a student answers or cannot answer the probing questions in a group setting. The most profound statement throughout this chapter to me was on page 79 when Opitz states, "Reading helps reading: unfortunately many students are not choosing to read...Understanding students' attitudes and interests enables teachers to motivate students and instill in them a positive attitude toward reading." This reigns true to me for dealing with my tutee for this semester. I conducted both an attitude and an interest survey with my tutee like this chapter describes, and both surveys were very enlightening to how I should approach my tutoring sessions. Overall I think informal assessments you are able to analyze in more detail because the students aren't feeling as though they are in a threatening situation. The students are more relaxed and I think you get more true results.
Chapter 6: Using Standardized Tests across the Grades
Standardized tests have become such a hot topic over the past few years in education. I understand the use of them and even more so now after reading through this chapter, but I don't understand why we have to take so many. My students last year by the time our CRCT came around they were burnt out. They had already taking the ITBS and Fulton's checkpoints three times during the year. This is also a LOT of classroom time teachers are losing for instruction. I think I prefer the norm referenced tests because you can see how your students are doing compared to those in your school, district, state, or nation. Especially with common core starting this year I think norm referenced tests are going to be a good way to assess who is teaching common core the best and how you can analyze what improvements you can make as a teacher. Reading these two chapters I saw the questions "What do I want to know? Why do I want to know it? and Which test will help me discover this information?" and I think these questions we should be asking ourselves not only before each test but before each lesson. This goes along with backwards design too with what do I want them to learn? Why do I want them to learn this? and What strategies would be bester to successfully portray this information?
Opitz, M., Rubin, D., & Erekson, J. (2011). Reading diagnosis and improvement: Assessment and instruction . (sixth ed.). Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson.
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