cm's O'Malley Pierce ch 5

O’Malley/Pierce on Chapter 5: Reading Assessment

This chapter identifies and describes practical approaches to authentic reading assessment. It discusses the disposition of reading in the first language and reading in the second language and how these two relate to the other. New ideas are introduced with reading assessment in mind. Procedures for assessing reading are also discussed for use with English language learners. Some of these include identifying the purpose of reading assessments, involving students in self-evaluation and peer-evaluation, developing scoring rubric, and setting standards. Samples of reading assessment formats are given throughout the chapter. Suggestions are then given for recording teacher observations, developing reading/writing portfolios, and using assessment results for planning and teaching.

In reading this chapter I had, in the back of my head, my current students who read in their first language, Yup’ik. Whenever we had district wide discussions on reading, I often wondered how reading in Yup’ik compared to being able to read in English. I often hear that what the students learn to do in Yup’ik literacy, they should be able to transfer to English reading. One example is discussion about and finding the story problem and/or solution of a story. If students are able to that in Yup’ik they should be able to transfer that ability to English reading. Literacy at one time was thought to be mainly oral language and decoding. It’s a lot more than that now. For example, prior knowledge and/or personal experiences play a part in understanding (comprehension) of reading. Teachers of reading now need to be aware of the funds of knowledge that students hold in order for them to tap into their prior knowledge so that connections can be made and meaningful activities implemented in relation to the story. The story or reading becomes “alive” and makes sense when students can understand the content of the story. Unfamiliar vocabulary words are introduced through the process of scaffolding. One way of introducing vocabulary, that I find works well with my students is doing Total Physical Response (TPR.) I believe that involving students to come up with motions using their bodies for new words is beneficial. Through practice and repetition of words, using motion, the students soon learn to identify the new words and what they mean.

I think one of the things I’ve never really done in my classroom is assessment of reading that includes student attitudes and feelings toward reading or writing. (I also like the idea of holding students accountable for how they use time in class for reading or writing.) It would be well worthwhile to try the above ideas as part of authentic reading assessment.