Reading Assessment

Context:

This assignment was completed during RE 4030 under the instruction of Dr. Linda Pacifica in the Fall of 2008. This assessment was administered to a fifth grader at Startown Elementary school in Newton, North Carolina.

Impact:

This reading assessment will help me in the future by giving me the skills that I need to administer and assess the level of instruction that I will be giving to my students. I feel that because of the nature of this assessment this will give me an opportunity to gauge students on their level without comparing them to their peers but rather comparing them to the level that they are on. This assessment will help me to determine the level that my students are on instructionally as well as independently.

Alignment

Standard 1: Elementary teachers have a broad knowledge and understanding of the major concepts in English Language Arts and Literacy.

This standard was met by using the assessment to understand the level of reading that my students are on instructionally, independently, as well as their frustrational level.

Indicator 1: Teachers know the developmental stages of language acquisition.

This indicator was met because the data garnered from the Informal Reading Inventory indicates developmental stages of language acquisition.

Indicator 4: Teachers understand the elementary school child’s social, cultural, linguistic, cognitive, and affective backgrounds as they relate to the ability to develop effective communication processes (listening, speaking, reading, and writing).

This indicator was met because the assessment provides data about how elementary school children’s linguistic and cognitive knowledge can influence their ability to learn new information.

Standard 7: Elementary teachers use developmentally appropriate strategies to design and deliver instruction in all areas of the elementary curriculum.

This standard was met when I interpreted the results of the assessment. This will tell me, as a classroom teacher, where to begin reading level instruction with the student. This will enable me to adapt my lesson plans and classroom structure based on the students needs. I will be able to meet the students on their level with the information garnered from this assessment.

Indicator 3: Teachers promote new learning by using students’ prior knowledge, misconceptions, and interests when designing lessons.

This indicator is met because the assessment data is used to target and promote student learning. Additionally, data from the Informal Reading Inventory can be used to modify instruction to better meet the needs of individual students

Indicator 6: Teachers modify instruction and assessments to meet the needs of individual students.

This is accomplished when teachers select appropriate materials and instruction to match students’ developmental levels in reading ability.

Indicator 7: Teachers develop and use a variety of formal and alternative assessment strategies as an integral part of instruction and learning appropriate for assessing individual, peer, team, and collaborative skills.

This indicator is met by teachers using this assessment tool as an integral part of teaching, to gather information about what students know before designing and delivering instruction with an eye toward providing instruction that matches a student’s zone of proximal development.

Standard 8: Teachers design instructional programs and strategies that build on students' experiences and existing language skills to help students become competent, effective users of language.

This assessment will help me to design instructional programs that are centered around my student’s experiences and existing language skills. This will help me to determine the level the student needs so that I can implement a plan to assist my students in becoming competent effective users of language.

Indicator 1: Teachers teach children to read with a balanced instructional program that includes an emphasis on the use of letter/sound relationships (phonics), context (semantic and syntactic), and text that has meaning for students.

This indicator was met because the results from the assessment will help me to develop a balanced instructional program that will enable me to reach the students at their level to teach them the concepts of reading that they have not quite mastered.

Indicator 2: Teachers help students use a variety of strategies to monitor their own reading comprehension.

This indicator was met because this assessment will enable me to help students use strategies to monitor their own reading comprehension based on their level garnered from the IRI. Students will have the starting point to monitor their reading comprehension rather than basing their strategies on random information.