Alternative Assessment Techniques for Reading and Writing

by Miller, Wilma H.

• ISBN13: 9780876281413
• ISBN10: 0876281412
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1995-06-01
• Publisher: CFR

Summary

In short, ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES FOR READING WRITING offers a wealth of tested, ready-to-use informal assessment information and devices that should save the teacher a great deal of time and energy in making a useful assessment of any student's literacy ability!

Author Biography

Wilma H. Miller, Ed.D., is former Professor of Education at Illinois State University in Normal, where she taught undergraduate and graduate students in reading for 25 years. Prior to that she was an elementary school teacher in Illinois and Arizona.

Table of Contents

The Practical Help This Book Offers	vii
Using Informal Devices in Assessing Reading and Writing Ability	1	(14)
Definition of Literacy as Used in This Handbook	1	(1)
Definition of Assessment and Evaluation as Used in This Handbook	2	(1)
Definition of Informal Assessment and Evaluation	3	(1)
Importance of Intergrating Assessment with Instruction	4	(1)
Advantages of Using Informal Assessment Devices	5	(1)
Limitations of Using Informal Assessment Devices	5	(1)
The Future of Informal Assessment Devices	6	(1)
Brief Case Summaries	6	(9)
Chris	7	(1)
Literacy Strengths	7	(1)
Literacy Weaknesses	7	(1)
Suggestions for Chris's Corrective (Remedial) Literacy Program	8	(2)
Matt	10	(1)
Literacy Strengths	10	(1)
Literacy Weaknesses	10	(2)
Suggestions for Matt's Corrective (Remedial) Literacy Program	12	(3)
PART ONE ASSESSING COMPETENCIES AND WEAKNESSES IN READING	15	(358)
Using Checklists and Other Informal Devices to Assess Competencies and Weaknesses in Visual Perception Ability, Emergent Literacy Skills, Word-Identification Skills, and Oral Reading	17	(55)
The Importance of Being an Expert ``Kid-Watcher'' or Observer of Children's Behavior	18	(2)
Importance of Language Development to Success in Literacy	20	(1)
Reproducible ``Language Development Checklist''	21	(1)
Description of Visual-Perception Ability	21	(7)
Strategies for Improving Visual-Perception Ability	23	(1)
Informal Visual-Perception Test	24	(1)
Directions for Administering	24	(2)
Directions for Scoring	26	(1)
Example	26	(2)
Description of Alphabet Knowledge	28	(1)
Improving Alphabet Knowledge Ability	29	(1)
Strategies and Materials	29	(1)
Reproducible ``Alphabet Knowledge Checklist''	29	(1)
Description of Concepts About Books	29	(5)
Improving Ability in Concepts About Books	34	(1)
Reproducible ``Concepts About Books Checklist''	34	(1)
Description of Concepts About Print	34	(2)
Improving Ability in the Skills Assessed by the ``Concepts About Print Checklist''	34	(2)
Reproducible ``Concepts About Print Checklist''	36	(1)
Brief Description of Sight-Word Recognition and Sight-Word Identification	36	(7)
The Dolch Basic Sight-Word Test	39	(2)
The Instant Words	41	(1)
Improving Ability in Sight-Word Recognition and Sight-Word Identification	42
Wide Reading	41	(1)
Strategies	42	(1)
Activity Sheets	42	(1)
Games	42	(1)
Brief Description of Graphophonic (Phonic) Analysis	43	(2)
Improving Ability in Graphophonic (Phonic) Analysis	43	(1)
Strategies	44	(1)
Activity Sheets	44	(1)
Games	45	(1)
Brief Description of Structural Analysis	45	(3)
Improving Ability in Structural Analysis	46	(1)
Strategies	46	(1)
Activity Sheets	47	(1)
Games	47	(1)
Brief Description of Semantic (Contextual) Analysis	48	(1)
Improving Ability in Semantic (Contextual) Analysis	48	(1)
Strategies	48	(1)
Activity Sheets	49	(1)
Description of Oral Reading	49	(23)
Improving Ability in Oral Reading	50	(1)
Reproducible Checklists in the Word-Identification Techniques and Oral Reading	51	(21)
Using Checklists and Other Informal Devices to Assess Competencies and Weaknesses in Vocabulary, Comprehension Skills, the Basic Study Skills, and Silent Reading	72	(50)
Brief Description of Vocabulary Knowledge	73	(2)
Improving Ability in Vocabulary Knowledge	74	(1)
Brief Description of Reading Comprehension	75	(3)
Explicit (Literal or Factual) Comprehension	76	(1)
Implicit (Interpretative or Inferential) Comprehension	76	(1)
Critical (Implicit or Evaluative) Reading	76	(1)
Creative (Schema Implicit or Applied) Comprehension	76	(1)
Improving Ability in Reading Comprehension	77	(1)
Strategies	77	(1)
Brief Description of the Study Skills	78	(2)
Improving Ability in the Study Skills	79	(1)
Reproducible Checklists	80	(1)
Description of Assessment Using the Retelling Technique	80	(35)
Improving Ability in the Retelling Technique	80	(33)
Evaluating a Book or Story Retelling	113	(2)
Reporducible Story (Book) Retelling Ability Checklist	115	(1)
Checklist in Self-Monitoring of Reading Comprehension	115	(3)
Checklist for Evaluating Reading Competencies in an Intermediate-Grade Whole Language Classroom	118	(1)
Checklist for Pleasure Reading	118	(4)
Using Miscue Analysis in Assessing Competencies and Weaknesses in Reading	122	(19)
Description of Miscue Analysis	122	(2)
Advantages of Using Miscue Analysis	123	(1)
Limitations of Miscue Analysis	124	(1)
In Summary	124	(1)
Description of Miscue Analysis as Used in the Individual Reading Inventory in this Handbook	124	(10)
Sample Record Sheet for Miscue Analysis	129	(1)
Interpreting the Child's Responses on This Type of Miscue Analysis	129	(5)
Description of Another System of Miscue Analysis	134	(7)
Illustration of This Miscue Analysis Coding System	135	(3)
Sample Summary Sheet of Oral Reading Miscues	138	(3)
Variations of the Individual Reading Inventory	141	(85)
Description of a Typical Individual Reading Inventory	141	(2)
Advantages and Limitations of Using an IRI	143	(3)
Constructing the Word Lists and Graded Reading Passages of an IRI	146	(3)
Directions for Administering the World Lists and Graded Reading Passages of an IRI	149	(2)
Directions for Evaluating the Word Lists and Graded Reading Passages of an IRI	151	(4)
The Word Lists and Graded Reading Passages for Form L and Form M	155	(61)
List of Commercial Individual Reading Inventories	216	(1)
The Interest Inventory	217	(4)
Sample Interest Inventories	218	(3)
Content Reading Inventories	221	(5)
Models of Two Content Inventories	222	(4)
Using Informal Inventories and Other Informal Assessment Devices in the Word-Identification Techniques	226	(100)
Description of Letter-Name Knowledge	227	(13)
Strategies for Assessing Letter-Name Knowledge	228	(1)
Assessment Sheets for Evaluating Letter-Name Recognition in Isolation	229	(5)
Assessing Letter-Name Knowledge in Context	234	(1)
Assessment Sheet for Recognizing Upper-Case and Lower-Case Letter Names in Context	234	(3)
Constructing and Giving the Informal Letter-Assessment Device	237	(3)
Brief Description of Sight-Word Knowledge	240	(22)
Strategies for Assessing Sight-Word Identification in Isolation	244	(5)
Activity Sheets for Assessing Sight-Word Recognition in Isolation	249	(4)
Assessing Sight-Word Recognition in Context	253	(1)
Activity Sheets for Assessing Sight-Word Recognition in Context	253	(5)
San Diego Quick Assessment List	258	(4)
Brief Description of Graphophonic (Phonic) Analysis	262	(1)
Reproducible Graphophonic (Phonic) Analysis Inventories	263	(7)
Quick Survey Word List	270	(2)
El Paso Phonics Survey	272	(7)
The Name Test	279	(2)
Brief Description of Structural Analysis	281	(15)
Reproducible Structural Analysis Inventories	281	(15)
Brief Description of Semantic (Context) Cues	296	(30)
Assessing Ability in Semantic (Context) Cues	297	(1)
Using the Cloze Procedure as an Assessment Device for Semantic Cues	297	(1)
Reproducible Semantic (Context) Inventories and Cloze Procedures	298	(28)
Additional Alternative Ways of Assessing Reading Skills and Attitudes	326	(47)
Description of Teacher-Pupil Reading Conferences	327	(3)
Sample Teacher-Pupil Reading Conference at the Third-Grade Reading Level	329	(1)
Description of Alternative Kinds of Teacher-Pupil Interviews	330	(2)
Assessing and Activating Prior Knowledge	332	(1)
Description of the Pre-Reading Procedure (PReP)	333	(1)
Using Questionnaires and Inventories to Assess Prior Knowledge	334	(4)
A Sample Questionnaire-Inventory to Assess Prior Knowledge	334	(4)
Reproducible Schema Assessment Device	338	(2)
Brief Description of Reading Comprehension	340	(2)
The Levels of Reading Comprehension	340	(1)
Textually Explicit (Literal or Factual) Comprehension	340	(1)
Textually Implicit (Interpretive or Inferential) Comprehension	341	(1)
Critical (Textually Implicit or Evaluative) Reading	341	(1)
Scriptually Implicit (Script Implicit, Schema Implicit, Creative, or Applied) Comprehension	341	(1)
Questioning Strategies or QARs	342	(1)
Using Metacognition for Assessing Reading Comprehension	343	(5)
Examples of a Self-Monitoring (Metacognitive) or Self-Correction Assessment Device and a Simple Metacognitive Checklist	344	(4)
Brief Description of ``Think-Alouds''	348	(4)
Reproducible Example of a Story That Can Be Used for a ``Think-Aloud''	350	(2)
Brief Description of Creative Book Sharing	352	(6)
Reproducible Examples of Creative Book Sharing	354	(4)
Brief Description of Story Frames	358	(3)
Reproducible Story Frames	358	(3)
Brief Description of a QAD Chart	361	(4)
Reproducible Example of a QAD Chart	361	(4)
Brief Description of the Reading Autobiography	365	(3)
Reproducible Examples of Reading Autobiographies	365	(3)
Brief Description of a Self-Appraisal of Reading Ability	368	(1)
Reproducible of Self-Appraisal Devices	368	(1)
Reproducible Book-Selection Device	368	(5)
PART TWO ASSESSING COMPETENCIES AND WEAKNESSES IN WRITING AND SPELLING	373	(68)
Using Checklists to Assess Competencies and Weaknesses in Drawing, Writing, and Spelling	375	(14)
Brief Description of Emergent Writing Behaviors	376	(4)
Reproducible Checklist of Emergent Writing Behaviors	378	(2)
Brief Description of Creative and Content Writing at the Primary, Intermediate, and Middle---Upper Levels	380	(6)
Reproducible Checklists of Writing Behaviors	382	(4)
Reproducible Checklist for Computer Word Processing	386	(1)
Reproducible Checklist of Editing Behaviors	386	(3)
Using Holistic Scoring and the Informal Writing Inventory to Assess Writing	389	(35)
Description of Holistic Scoring Used in This Handbook	389	(30)
Clarity	390	(1)
Support	390	(1)
Organization	391	(1)
Mechanics	391	(1)
The Overall Rating	392	(1)
Actual Children's Writing Samples That Have Been Scored Holistically	392	(1)
``Mother''	393	(2)
``The Candy Monster''	395	(3)
``Soccer''	398	(3)
``Illinois''	401	(2)
``An Imaginery [sic] Trip''	403	(3)
``Earth''	406	(3)
Examples of Compositions That Give You Practice in Using Holistic Scoring	409	(1)
``My Mother''	410	(1)
``The Mystery of the Green Gass'' [sic]	411	(1)
``Motorcycles''	412	(3)
``Save Our Earth''	415	(2)
``Social Studies''	417	(1)
``Friendship''	418	(1)
Scores for the Holistic Writing Samples	419	(2)
Brief Description of an Individual Writing Inventory	421	(3)
Reproducible Individual Writing Inventory Developed for This Handbook	421	(3)
Other Alternative Means of Assessing Writing and Spelling Ability	424	(17)
Have the Child at the Emergent Literacy Level Write All the Words He/She Can	424	(1)
Words Per T-Unit	425	(1)
Brief Description of a Writing Coaching/Conferencing	426	(3)
Reproducible Sheet for Recording Information About a Student's Writing	427	(2)
Brief Description of a Writing Survey	429	(2)
Reproducible Example of a Writing Survey	429	(2)
Brief Description and Model of a Dialogue Journal	431	(1)
Brief Description and Sample of a Developmental Spelling Test	432	(5)
Brief Description of Sentence-Combining as a Writing Assessment Strategy	437	(4)
Reproducible Activity Sheet Emphasizing Sentence-Combining	437	(4)
PART THREE PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT	441	(30)
Using Portfolio Assessment in Any Literacy Program	443	(28)
Brief Description of Some of the Basic Characteristics of a Literacy Portfolio	443	(2)
Description of Some of the Elements That Comprise a Useful Working Portfolio	445	(8)
Portfolio Holder	445	(1)
Table of Contents	446	(1)
Reading/Writing Log	447	(1)
Drafts of All Types of Writing	448	(1)
Reading Response Journals	449	(1)
Dialogue Journal	449	(1)
Writing Done Outside of Class	449	(1)
Checklists and Surveys of Various Types	450	(1)
Tape-Recorded Oral-Reading Protocols	450	(1)
Audiotapes	450	(1)
Student-Teacher Conference Notes	451	(1)
Self-Assessment Devices	451	(1)
Various Types of Notes and Memos	452	(1)
Teacher Anecdotes and Observations	452	(1)
Graphs (Records) of Progress	452	(1)
Should Standardized and Informal Test Scores Be Included in a Student's Portfolio?	453	(1)
The Advantages and Limitations of Using Literacy Portfolios	454	(1)
The Importance of Using Portfolio Assessment in a Whole Language Program	455	(1)
Some Guidelines for Starting Portpolio Assessment in Any Literacy Program	456	(2)
The Importance of Student Self-Selection and Self-Assessment of Materials in His or Her Literacy Portfolio	458	(1)
Various Types of Reproducible Devices That Can Be Included in a Portfolio Assessment Program	459	(12)
Letter to Parents	460	(1)
My Portfolio: Table of Contents	461	(1)
How I Am Organizing My Portfolio	462	(1)
This Is My Portfolio	463	(1)
My Reading/Writing Log	464	(1)
Student-Teacher Literacy Portfolio Conference Notes	465	(1)
Self-Assessment Device	466	(1)
What I Think About My Reading and Writing	467	(1)
Classmate Review Sheet	468	(1)
Parent Portfolio Review Form	469	(1)
Evaluation of a Portfolio	470	(1)
PART FOUR CLOSING THOUGHTS	471
Closing Thoughts	473
Grading in a Whole Language Program That Mainly Uses Informal Assessment	474
Sample Report Card Showing Some Literacy Behaviors	475