This drawing is by Nattie Rios, a gifted young artist
Diagnosis of Reading Deficiencies and Planning, Delivery and Management of Appropriate Reading Instruction Based on Assessment and Evaluation Description
Diagnosis of reading deficiencies and planning and delivery of appropriate reading instruction based on assessment and evaluation are essential for components for a comprehensive reading program. Every teacher needs a variety of assessment strategies and tools to inform daily instruction. Assessment should be frequent in the early grades to prevent children from falling behind. For upper grade students, assessment should be conducted on an ongoing basis, using student work as data sources of authentic assessment. Instruction should be planned on the basis of class and individual evaluation to insure that assessment is being used to inform instruction.
This where you begin to think about a case study. A case study is a close look at the oral language, reading, writing of one student. You will be using a variety of informal assessment tools that will provide you with a great deal of information.
The first thing you need to do for a case study is select a student as the subject. Do not use his or her real name. Select a child who is experiencing difficulty in language and literacy. Obtain permission from the parent of the child and be sure to share the results of your assessment with the parent.
Informal Reading Assessments. Begin the year with individual student assessments to determine the levels of literacy at which your students are. An informal reading inventory such as The Stieglitz Informal Reading Inventory: Assessing Reading Behaviors from Emergent to Advanced Levels (1997), by Ezra L. Steiglitz is a good place to start. Any other reading inventory such as the Basic Reading Inventory is also appropriate to use. There are many informal reading inventories. They all contain some basis components that are similar.
The similar components are: graded word lists, graded passages, information on how to calculate independent, instructional and frustration reading levels in decoding and in comprehension. If a student is in the third grade, for example, you would have him or her read the graded word lists at two grade levels below (grade 1) to insure success. You usually test until the student misses 20% of the words. Then you will place the student in a graded reading passage that is one grade below the grade level at which he or she missed 20% of the words on the graded word passage. For example, if the 3rd grade student missed 20% of the words on the first grade word list, you would begin the student reading at the primer level.
Please be sure to read the instructions in the inventory you are using to insure accurate administration. Also, remember that the district adopted materials usually have informal reading inventories you can also use. It is important that you use a current informal reading inventory, that is, one with a recent copyright date since informal reading inventories are revisited and revised over time to keep aligned with documented research trends in assessment.
You will listen to students read graded word lists, sometimes in context and in isolation, depending on the informal reading inventory. Next, you listen to students read graded passages, learn how to mark miscues made during reading and calculate miscue scores to determine an independent, instructional, and frustration level for each student. A retelling of each story as well as comprehension questions are also included in this inventory. Most inventories use the same marks to indicate miscues. Be sure to learn the coding system of the assessment tool you are using. When you are communicating assessment results to administrators, other teachers or parents, include a key that tells the reader what the miscue coding system means.
Reading inventories provide the basis for running records which are being done in many schools. Students should be evaluated at least three times a year. However, in the case of struggling readers, at least once a month to determine progress and to share that progress with students.
Running Records. A running record is similar to an informal reading inventory. However, children's books are used as assessment materials.
A variety of other assessment tools are helpful to use. The following should be considered for your case study as well:
Second Language
Learner Considerations
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