1. Diagnosis and Remediation of Reading Difficulties
Facilitator Name & Credentials
Reading 415

2. Week Two
Assessment in Diagnosis and Remediation of Reading Difficulties
Informal Assessments

3. Week Two Objectives
Describe the importance of assessment in identifying and remediating reading difficulties.
Identify the elements involved in implementing effective assessments for designing effective instructional plans.
Define basic concepts and terms related to assessment.
Describe how classroom assessments are used as formative and summative tools for guiding or monitoring student progress and for evaluating instruction.
Analyze and use the results of end-of-year achievement tests for the development of instructional plans.
Explain the differences between formal and informal reading assessments.
Identify informal instruments that assess the following areas of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.
Implement an informal reading inventory (IRI).

4. ASSESSMENT IN DIAGNOSIS AND REMEDIATION OF READING DIFFICULTIES

5. THE IMPORTANCE OF ASSESSMENT IN IDENTIFYING AND REMEDIATING READING DIFFICULTIES
The driving force for instructional planning
Leads to implementation of appropriate interventions
Reveals students’ strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles
Documents stages of the students’ development as readers
Helps teachers to learn about students’ reading strategies
Helps to focus instruction on students’ interests and needs
Source: Gillet, et. al. (2012)

6. ELEMENTS INVOLVED IN IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE ASSESSMENTS FOR DESIGNING EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTIONAL PLANS
Assessment should
be continuous
align with the instructional program
be collaborative and reflective
be multidimensional
be developmentally appropriate
be culturally appropriate
identify children’s strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles
not use scores merely for accountability but mainly to direct reading instruction
Source: Gillet, et. al. (2012)

7. BASIC CONCEPTS AND TERMS RELATED TO ASSESSMENT
Formative assessment
Summative assessment
Portfolio assessment and work samples
Informal assessments
Formal Assessments
Source: Gillet, et. al. (2012).

8. READING SUCCESS AND FAILURE
How Writing Can Influence Reading Success or Failure
Importance of integrating reading and writing
Writing experiences can help a child’s reading and visualization abilities.
Allow successful approximations of spelling.
Importance of writing in student’s processing of information, such as response journals, note-taking, and clarifying information
Source: Gillet, et. al. (2012)

9. INFORMAL ASSESSMENTS Observations and anecdotal records Checklists
Self-evaluations, surveys, and reflections
Teacher-student conferences
Oral and written retellings
Writing samples
Interest surveys
Running records and miscue analysis
Informal reading inventory (IRI)
Comprehension and fluency checks

10. FORMAL ASSESSMENT Norm-referenced Criterion-referenced
Benchmarks
Rubrics
State and district standardized tests
Achievement tests
Diagnostic tests
Source: Gillet, et. al. (2012)

11. CLASSROOM ASSESSMENTS USED AS FORMATIVE AND SUMMATIVE TOOLS FOR GUIDING OR MONITORING STUDENT PROGRESS, AND FOR EVALUATING INSTRUCTION
Screening tests provide the teacher with a beginning assessment of the child’s preparation for grade level reading instruction.
Progress monitoring tests keep the teacher informed about the child’s progress in learning to read during the school year.
Diagnostic tests may be used to measure a variety of reading, language, or cognitive skills.
Outcome assessments may evaluate the overall effectiveness of their reading program for all children. They may also help districts evaluate their progress toward meeting the goals of every child reading on grade level by the third grade.
Source: Gillet, et. al. (2012)

12. ANALYZE AND USE THE RESULTS OF END-OF-YEAR ACHIEVEMENT TESTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF INSTRUCTIONAL PLANS.
Identify Strengths
Students on target for achieving standards and benchmarks
Teachers who have consistently large numbers of students meeting or exceeding standards and benchmarks
Teachers who are implementing reading programs with fidelity and who may serve as mentors
Reading programs that are meeting students’ needs
Knowledge and skills from professional development
Source: Gillet, et. al. (2012)

13. IDENTIFY AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
Students at Risk for or Who Have Reading Difficulties
Teachers with a significant number of students NOT meeting benchmarks
Achievement gaps
Specific reading components
Reading programs that need to be evaluated
Teachers who need support
Professional development needs
Source: Gillet, et. al. (2012)

14. INFORMAL ASSESSMENTS
Differences between formal and informal reading assessments
Purposes
Development of the instruments
Format, delivery, and length of the tests
Results
How the results are presented and used
Source: Gillet, et. al. (2012)

15. INFORMAL INSTRUMENTS AND ACTIVITIES THAT ASSESS AREAS OF READING
Phonemic awareness
Phonics
Vocabulary
Fluency
Comprehension
Activities may be discussed, jig sawed into Learning Teams, and assigned to individual students, or videos may be inserted during the presentation.
Source: Gillet, et. al. (2012)

16. INFORMAL READING INVENTORY
Purpose of an IRI
To provide greater insight into a student’s reading level
Does not provide a specific diagnoses
Provides the classroom teacher greater understanding of a child’s reading abilities
May lead to more accurate reading instruction for the student
Planning Ahead
Assemble the your diagnostic kit.
Duplicate the scoring sheets and summary analysis forms.
Prepare your test materials.
Sources: Gillet, et. al. (2012) and Shanker & Cockrum,(2014)

17. Source: Shanker & Cockrum, (2014)
IMPLEMENTING AN IRI
When implementing the IRI, you will learn the purpose of each test, read a brief description of the test, and learn what steps to take in preparation before you give it, the detailed procedures for administration, and the procedures for scoring each test.
Source: Shanker & Cockrum, (2014)

18. Conclusion Answer any questions students have about Week 2.
Add any final notes or announcements for the next class meeting.
Post the presentation AFTER class takes place.

19. References
Gillet, J. W., Temple, C., Temple, C. , & Crawford, A. N. (2012). Understanding reading problems: Assessment and instruction (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
Shanker, J. L., & Cockrum, W. (2014). Reading inventory (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.