I found the chapter, Assessing Students’ Literacy Development, to be particularly interesting as I start my second year of teaching. Last year, it took a lot of time and effort to get comfortable with the palm and using running records. This year, I am looking forward to honing my skills and continuing to conduct meaningful, on-going assessments.
Last spring, I took a class where we used a book called, Words Their Way. This book contains a number of assessments, including a spelling assessment and the Qualitative Reading Inventory. The spelling assessment was very helpful as it showed me specifically which consonants and vowels my students knew and which ones I needed to work on in small group. The implications for instruction were incredible and it allowed me to really hone my instruction and customize it for my students. I look forward to using the spelling assessment and the "Words I Know" within the next few weeks.
As important as formal assessments are, I do agree with Yetta Goodman (1978) when she said effective teachers are “kid watchers”. We cannot, and should not, rely solely on standardized tests and assessments. As a teacher, we should be continually monitoring our students to listen for the words they have trouble pronouncing, reading, and/or spelling. I think there can be so much pressure that the kids meet the benchmark that we can lose sight of the daily contact and observations we have with our students. Spending time with our class provides us with a wealth of information. It is my job to make sure I notice that information and use it to guide my instruction. I sure hope I can do that!
References
Tompkins, G.E. (2010). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Bear, D. et al. (2008). Words their way (4th ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
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