This guide has been created to accompany the Lancaster, Pa., School District's Bilingual/ESL Reading Assessment Materials. The guide includes reading tests and information about how the tests were made, about how to give and score the tests, and about how to use test results. The tests are designed to help the teacher monitor changes in students'…

Examines the Decoding Skills Test (DST), a criterion referenced, diagnostic instrument designed to identify deficiencies in word decoding. (JC)

Two studies of third- through sixth-grade low-achievers (N=83) and 26 third-graders (some receiving special education services) compared traditional standardized achievement tests and alternative curriculum-based measures. Results indicated that curriculum-based measures were more sensitive in assessing student progress in reading and writing and…

Much research in second language reading uses a free written recall task to measure comprehension. The significance of differences in research design is analyzed. Sixteen groups of college Spanish students (N=20 each group) were given a recall task (in appendix). Research variables, including level of study, language of recall, and pre-reading…

Studies the effects of two comprehension training methods (one based on imagery and inferencing, the other based on text structure) on various aspects of third and fifth graders' reading performance. Results indicate that neither method had a measurable impact on reading comprehension nor on metacognitive knowledge of the reading process. (RS)

The connection between length of school day and time allocated to 10 school subjects and scores for grade 6 in reading, writing, and mathematics was studied for 1,030 schools in the 1982 California Assessment Program. More time for science and mathematics and a longer school day correlated with higher test scores in all subjects. (SLD)

Claims that in the conventional administration of the Informal Reading Inventory (IRI) comprehension diagnosis is inordinately influenced by the reader's ability to recall information. Suggests that allowing reinspection by the reader restores recall to its proper function and may result in other advantages. (NH)

This study examined the degree to which student performance in constructing macrostructures in Chinese prose is affected by three text features: number of ideas, metaphoric expressions and advance organizer. Results showed that fewer ideas facilitated macroprocessing, metaphors did not influence idea organization, and advance organizer resulted in…

Questions the validity and reliability of the Reading/Everyday Activities in Life (R/EAL) test, which is intended as a self-administered, self-directed, and self-paced test of basic literacy for minority populations and others traditionally singled out by the bias of standardized reading achievement tests. (SRT)

Explains the use of the Dolch List in the lower elementary grades. (FL)

Presents a study investigating effects of reading ability and study activity (rote or conceptual testing, structured or unstructured review) on learning outcomes of students assigned a reading on behavior modification procedures. Results indicate no significant effect for type of study activity and high reading ability students performed better.…

Describes the results of a survey of rehabilitation centers to determine evaluation methods for possible alexia (the loss of ability to read that results from a brain injury) and presents some suggestions for rehabilitative testing and teaching materials. (HOD)

Discusses psycholinguistic models of reading comprehension and presents general guidelines for reading comprehension testing in a second language. The guidelines focus on content validity, construct validity, and predictive validity. Suggestious are given for ways teachers can prepare students for tests and avoid problems in each of the three…

The Boder Test of Reading-Spelling Patterns is designed as an assessment of reading and spelling skills that allows specific diagnosis of the source and typology of reading problems. From a purely psychometric perspective, the BTRSP fails on virtually every characteristic examined. (BW)

1982-83 Georgia Regents' Testing Program reading subtest scores and five aptitude/achievement variables of 256 Black and 3009 White Georgia University sophomores were compared. Classification analysis showed White students scored higher. Results were compared to the National Assessment of Education Program findings. (BS)