Assessments are an important part of instruction. Teachers use them for many reasons and using the right ones at the right time is a useful teaching skill. This lesson will outline types of reading assessments and when and why we use them.

In order to inform instruction assessment is a crucial component of education

Assessing students’ baseline performance is the first step in putting effective reading instruction into practice. Pupils bring a variety of backgrounds and literacy levels to the classroom. While some students may have mastered the material a teacher plans to cover, others may have special needs and need a review of basic reading skills.  Due to these various student levels, it is necessary to design literacy instruction to meet the individual needs of each student. Individual needs can be determined by initial and ongoing reading assessments. These assessments provide teachers with the information needed to develop appropriate lessons and improve instruction for all students, including students with disabilities. The information gained from appropriate assessment enables teachers to provide exceptional students with improved access to the general education curriculum[1]. The following information is an overview of the purpose and benefits of early reading assessment, examples of data collection methods, and considerations for selecting a measure for students.

Research provides evidence that specific early literacy concepts can predict young students’ later reading achievement.These reading concepts include letter knowledge, phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency, and comprehension. An effective reading program includes assessments of all of these concepts for several purposes.

One purpose is to identify skills that need review. Assessment provides teachers with information on what skills students have and have not mastered. It is needed to help teachers know the skill levels of their students, since students have varying experiences and knowledge.

A second purpose is to monitor student progress. A teacher can learn which students need review before covering additional content and which students are ready to move forward[2].

A third purpose is to guide teacher instruction. Through consistent assessment, a teacher can make informed decisions about what instruction is appropriate for each student.

A fourth purpose is to demonstrate the effectiveness of instruction. The information gained from assessment allows teachers to know if all students are mastering the content covered. It is important for teachers to use instructional time effectively, and this can be done when teachers are knowledgeable about what their students are ready to learn and what they already know. Therefore, the information gained from assessment allows a teacher to create appropriate instruction for their students.

Additionally, a fifth purpose of assessment is to provide teachers with information on how instruction can be improved.

Assessment Helps the Educator Improve their Professional Practice

It helps us improve our professional practice and become better teachers. As we are assessing and paying attention to young children’s developmental progress and learning, we can understand which activities and experiences were successful and which ones weren’t. This helps us refine our knowledge about child development, individual children, and best practice. Then we can use the assessment data to improve our teaching over time. Assessment helps support school and family partnerships as educators communicate important milestones in children’s development to families. It also provides opportunities for educators and parents to work together to support children as they grow[3].

In conclusion, assessment is a natural part of what you’re already doing every day to help children be successful. It helps you as an educator know your children better so that you can adapt your curriculum and teaching to be more effective. It provides the framework for your practice and helps you grow as a professional. I hope that this class has changed your view or at least helped put a little positive light on your view of assessment in young children.

[1] Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 5(1), 7-74. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969595980050102

[2] Brindley, G. (2001). Assessing and defining language ability. In A. Hughes (Ed.), The Handbook of Language Testing (pp. 35-52). Cambridge University Press.

[3] Davies, A. (2008). The ethics of language testing. Language Testing, 25(3), 353-373. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532208091360