This report describes an individualized literacy intervention program that was developed for a fifth grade boy who struggled with reading. Based upon informal assessment and evaluation procedures, the following literacy strategies were taught within a one-to-one instructional setting: Repeated Readings, Personal Vocabulary Journal, Phonemic…

A great reading conference only takes five minutes, but its impact can last a lifetime. That is because conferences are the critical, one-to-one teaching that forms the backbone of reading instruction. This book shows teachers how to confer well and demonstrates why a few moments with students every week can put them on the path to becoming…

Tells how children's performances on informal spelling and writing tasks can be analyzed to develop appropriate instructional activities. Argues that the real utility of assessment procedures comes from the qualitative interpretation that a sensitive diagnostician makes, based on a knowledge of the student and of the process of reading. (AEA)

Offers an overview of the steps taken by Orange County Public Schools in Florida to move to a portfolio approach to literacy assessment. (MG)

Clarifies the term "emergent literacy" and reviews significant informal assessment techniques, record-keeping systems, and reporting measures appropriate for emergent literacy. Discusses guidelines for whole-language assessment. Suggests areas of evaluation to be considered for inclusion in a locally developed emergent literacy assessment system.…

Discusses several problems associated with standardized testing. Proposes possible solutions to these problems, and calls for a new perspective on testing which utilizes informal tests and teacher observations of reading behavior. (MM)

Describes using book diaries as a way for students to respond in writing to their reading as they practice the comprehension strategies learned in class; also describes using the diaries as an informal means of assessing students' learning and communicating regularly with parents. (MG)

Presents a method, based on the language experience approach, for informal diagnosis of young children's awareness of the technical aspects of print. (FL)

Divided into four sections, this monograph focuses on effective evaluation in the whole language classroom. The first section discusses the whole language philosophy and classroom, and lists the beliefs that proponents of this approach hold about whole language teaching and teachers, language, and language learners. The second section addresses…

Noting that most classroom teachers use informal reading inventories (IRI) as diagnostic instruments, a study examined what oral reading accuracy level is most appropriate for the instructional level and whether repetitions should be counted as oral reading errors. Randomly selected students from the second through fifth grades at two elementary…

The four sections of this guide provide information for use by educators who wish to find means other than standardized tests for assessing the reading performance of students. The first section of the guide deals with two methods of determining the readability of classroom materials, the Fry Readability Graph and the cloze procedure. The second…

Presents five reading activities including "Reading Buddies" (Joyce Kemp); "Documenting Reading and Writing Growth in the Primary Grades Using Informal Methods of Evaluation" (Clifford J. Kramer); "Problem Solving Our Way through Writers' Workshop" (Ann Walker Christensen); "Real Audiences for Real Writing"…

In response to a recent shift toward informal measures of teaching/assessment in reading education, this study investigated types of assessments and instructional strategies being taught in teacher education programs in five midwestern states. Surveys of reading education professors at state universities indicated that direct, informed assessment…

Classroom teachers frequently need techniques for assessing students' reading comprehension; the retelling technique is a useful tool for this purpose. The technique is divided into two parts, the unaided retelling and the aided or directed retelling. During both parts, open-ended, divergent questioning techniques are used. An excerpt from a…

This article addresses translating phonological awareness research for classroom reading instruction. It presents a practical overview of phonological awareness development and its relationship to beginning reading. Formal and informal assessment methods of children's phonological awareness are presented, and strategies are described for…