assessing

reading
MULTIPLE MEASURES
for kindergarten through eighth grade

   , .

Novato • California
 Introduction to Assessing Reading

R
eading is the most important skill taught in
Formal Assessments school. For many students, however, it is neither easy
English nor straightforward. CORE Assessing Reading: Multiple
Measures contains a collection of formal and informal
• Phonological Awareness Screen-
reading assessments for use with students in grades
ing Test
• San Diego Quick Assessment of
K–8. These assessments assist the teacher in targeting
Reading Ability areas of strength and weakness, in monitoring student reading
• Fry Oral Reading Test development, and in planning appropriate instruction.
• “Words Their Way” Qualitative
Spelling Inventory Unlike large-scale achievement tests, the majority of these assess-
• Critchlow Verbal Language Scale ments can be administered individually. Each assessment was
• McLeod Assessment of Reading selected because it measures an important research-based reading
Comprehension skill and because it is quick, reliable, and easy to use. Each assess-
Spanish ment provides clear and accurate individual student information.

• Critchlow Spanish Verbal Lan- Some of the assessments included in this book are formal assess-
guage Scale ments that have been refined through rigorous field testing and
validation studies; others are informal curriculum-based assessments
designed to measure specific skills critical to successful reading.
Informal Assessments
Spanish assessments are provided for the early grades where many
English students may still be in bilingual programs before transitioning to
regular English programs. Profile Forms found in the Appendix
• CORE Phonological Segmenta-
tion Test
provide an easy way for teachers to summarize assessment results.
• CORE Phoneme
In an effective reading program, assessment informs instruction.
Segmentation Test
This is true for large groups as well as for individuals. Different
• CORE Phoneme Deletion Task
• CORE Phonics Survey assessment instruments serve different purposes. The specific pur-
pose determines the particular instrument selected and when in
Spanish
the instructional sequence it is used.
• CORE Spanish Phonemic Aware-
In the primary grades, reading instruction includes teaching dis-
ness Test
crete skills. These specific skills and strategies tend to be “enabling”
• CORE Spanish Phonics Survey
• CORE Spanish Spelling Invento- skills, providing the foundation for long-term outcomes such as
ry

INTRODUCTION TO ASSESSING READING ✍ 5

 comprehension and fluency. Because of the need for mastery of
these underlying skills, effective reading assessment in the primary
grades is frequent and specific.
In the upper grades, assessment plays a role in monitoring progress
as well as in identifying causes of reading difficulties. Unlike pri-
mary grade assessment, which begins with the most discrete skills,
reading assessment in the upper grades often starts broadly and
then becomes more discrete in order to pinpoint particular read-
ing subskills that might cause reading difficulty. As a result, assess-
ment becomes increasingly diagnostic in nature.
To meet students’ various assessment requirements, schools should
organize their assessment toolkits around three broad types of
assessment: screening, formative assessment, and summative assess-
ment. In all cases, teachers need to understand the expected tar-
gets of mastery for individual skills in order to identify children at
risk of difficulty and to tailor instruction to meet identified needs.

Types and Frequency of Effective Assessment Systems

Screening Formative Assessment Summative Assessment

Kindergarten • Mid-year and year-end • Frequent, to direct ongoing • At end of a major instruc-
• Can be same tools used for modification of the curriculum tional sequence
summative • Informal curriculum-based • Can be same tools used for
assessments screening and formative

Grade 1 • Two or three times yearly • Frequent, to direct ongoing • At end of a major instruc-
• Can be same tools used for modification of the curriculum tional sequence
summative • Informal curriculum-based • Can be same tools used for
assessments screening and formative

Grades 2 and 3 • Two or three times yearly • Frequent, to direct ongoing • At end of a major instruc-
• Can be same tools used for modification of the curriculum tional sequence
summative • Informal curriculum-based • Can be same tools used for
assessments entry-level and formative

Grades 4 through 8 • Beginning of year • Frequent, for monitoring • At end of a major instruc-
• Can be same tools used for formal and informal measures, tional sequence
summative including assignments as part • Can be same tools used for
of regular curriculum screening and formative

6 ✍ INTRODUCTION TO ASSESSING READING

 Assessment Sequence for Primary Grade Students (Grades K–3)
See Assessment Sequence for upper grades on the following page.

Kindergarten Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3

Early Mid. Late Early Mid. Late Early Mid. Late Early Mid. Late

Choose 1 of the following: First assessment: Early/Middle Only if indicated Only if indicated
 Phonological Awareness Middle
Screening Test
 CORE Phoneme Deletion Test
 CORE Phonological Segmentation Test
 CORE Spanish Phonemic Awareness Test

 CORE Phoneme Segmentation Test Only if indicated Only if indicated

 CORE Phonics Survey First assessment: Every 4–6 weeks Every 4–6 weeks Only if indicated
 CORE Spanish Phonics Survey Middle* until mastery until mastery

 Fry Oral Reading Test First assessment: 3 times a year 3 times a year
Late

 San Diego Quick Assessment of First assessment: 3 times a year 3 times a year
Reading Ability Middle

 “Words Their Way” Elementary Quali- First assessment: 3 times a year 3 times a year
tative Spelling Inventory Late
 CORE Spanish Spelling Inventory

 Critchlow Verbal Language Scale First assessment: Every 4–6 weeks 3 times a year 3 times a year
 Critchlow Spanish Verbal Middle until mastery
Language Scale

 McLeod Assessment of Reading Com- 3 times a year 3 times a year

prehension, Elementary Level

*Alphabet names and consonant sounds only.

10 ✍ INTRODUCTION TO ASSESSING READING

 Assessment Sequence for Upper Grade Students (Grades 4–8)
See Diagnostic Plan for upper grades on the following page.

Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grades 7–8

 McLeod Assessment of Reading 3 times a year 3 times a year 3 times a year 3 times a year
Comprehension, Upper Level

 Critchlow Verbal Language Scales 3 times a year 3 times a year 3 times a year 3 times a year

 Fry Oral Reading Test Only if indicated Only if indicated Only if indicated Only if indicated

 San Diego Quick Assessment of Only if indicated Only if indicated Only if indicated Only if indicated
Reading Ability

 “Words Their Way” Elementary 3 times a year 3 times a year 3 times a year
Qualitative Spelling Inventory
 CORE Spanish Spelling Inventory

 “Words Their Way” Upper Level 3 times a year 3 times a year 3 times a year 3 times a year
Qualitative Spelling Inventory

 CORE Phonics Surveys Only if indicated Only if indicated Only if indicated Only if indicated

 CORE Phoneme Segmentation Test Only if indicated Only if indicated Only if indicated Only if indicated

INTRODUCTION TO ASSESSING READING ✍ 11

 CORE Teaching Reading Sourcebook
A comprehensive, grades K–8 sourcebook covering
the what, the why, the when, and the how of teaching 5855 Christie Avenue
reading. Includes research-based information as well as Suite A
practical, hands-on teaching models for all aspects of Emeryville, CA 94608
explicit reading instruction. 1-510-595-3400
8-1/2 x 11 softcover, 800 pp. [8119-3] FAX 1-510-595-3434
For information about
CORE Reading Research Anthology CORE
Call Toll Free
A collection of articles about best practices in teaching 1-888-249-6155
reading. Authors include Bill Honig, Keith
Stanovich, Joseph Torgesen, Isabel Beck, Barbara
CORE works collaboratively
Foorman, Edward Kameenui, and many others.
with schools and districts to
8-1/2 x 11 softcover, 232 pp. [8121-5]
implement effective research-
based reading instruction by
CORE Assessing Reading: Multiple Measures providing training seminars
A collection of assessments for the comprehensive and workshops; site-based
monitoring of reading skill development. coaching; and system-building
8-1/2 x 11 softcover, 156 pp. [8120-7] support.

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PHONE PHONEMIC AWARENESS ✍ 13