Several approaches to reading assessment, based on the whole language approach, can provide teachers with a frame of reference to guide them in making decisions about selecting and planning classroom activities. The more traditional approach to reading assessment, usually referred to as reading diagnosis, focuses on the final product (the test…

Thirty-two children aged 7 to 12 participated in a study to determine the reliability of the Ekwall Reading Inventory (ERI) and the Classroom Reading Inventory (CRI). The children were randomly assigned to take one of the two inventories, which were administered by four different specially trained teachers. The study used a test-retest design, in…

TESTS SHOULD BE CAREFULLY EXAMINED IF TEACHING OBJECTIVES ARE TO MATCH TEST OBJECTIVES. TEACHERS SHOULD BECOME MORE PROFICIENT IN THE BROADER ASPECTS OF EVALUATING READING PERFORMANCE AND SHOULD EMPLOY A WIDER VARIETY OF EVALUATION TECHNIQUES. THE USE OF STANDARDIZED READING TESTS AS INDICATORS OF INSTRUCTIONAL READING LEVEL SHOULD BE ABANDONED.…

During an inservice training program on the construction and use of informal reading inventories, 14 teachers of freshman English learned how to administer informal reading inventories, how to use information obtained to construct reading profiles, and how to use reading profiles to guide reading instruction. After six 2-hour sessions, they…

This publication presents fundamental ideas necessary for effective teaching of word recognition as part of the reading process. Chapter 1 defines and discusses word recognition techniques. The second chapter reviews word recognition techniques and discusses how they aid the reader in unlocking words. Exercises and suggestions for teaching word…

This study investigated the feasibility of using only the McCracken Word List (MWL), a subtest of the Standard Reading Inventory (SRI), rather than the entire SRI to determine functional grade placement in reading. The MWL is one of the few word lists with well-documented reliability and validity. In addition, the MWL has been shown to be highly…

An informal reading inventory (IRI) consists of graded passages of increasing difficulty and a series of comprehension questions for each grade level reading selection. The IRI is most often used to assist classroom teachers in the placement of children in groups for purposes of instruction. In this paper, the history of the IRI is presented and…

This paper describes the Basic Reading Inventory, an individually administered informal reading test composed of a series of word lists and graded paragraphs which the child reads aloud to the teacher. Comprehension questions follow the reading of each paragraph. The contents include: "Preface"; "Description of the Basic Reading…

The effects of specific directions on the reading comprehension of sixth-grade students were investigated. Two passages on different topics, each with 20 percent of the sentences relevant to the topic, were materials for two informal tests administered to 92 six-grade students. Half of the students were given specific directions to learn about the…

The purpose of this collection of selected papers is to provide the reading teacher and the classroom teacher with usable information concerning remedial reading and its diagnosis and correction. The first section, concerned with the why of reading problems, reviews the various factors associated with reading difficulties. The second section…

This booklet is designed to help science teachers who would like to improve the reading skills of their students. The first section of the booklet has three purposes: to acquaint the science teacher with meanings of terms related to reading in science, to acquaint the teacher with reading skills which can be taught and/or reinforced through…

This study examined the accuracy of teacher-candidates in conducting an informal oral-reading inventory, in English, of a student whose English exhibited Spanish language features. In one test, subjects recorded, analyzed, and scored an inventory; in a second, they analyzed and scored miscues which were already recorded. Subjects had training and…

Suggests that informal reading inventories (IRIs) should include both narrative and expository passages. Describes a study of several reading inventories indicating that some current secondary school IRIs have been constructed with some consistency of text types, but failed to reveal a clear picture of text structure for the inventories. (HTH)

Uses case study data from three young readers to examine the assumption that commercial informal reading inventories are as reliable as teacher made tests. Questions that assumption. (FL)

Concludes that most elementary school teachers surveyed were familiar with informal reading inventories and knew how to administer them. (FL)