Reading is complex. It requires
combining several skills at one time. Reading involves phonemic awareness,
phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Trying to determine which of
these reading skills a child needs to work on can be very challenging. When a
child struggles to learn to read, it can be very difficult to uncover the cause
of the struggle. There are many different diagnostic reading assessments that
can help with this challenging task. Because there are so many potential
assessments, teachers must evaluate the various options to determine which
assessment will be the most useful. In this paper, we will examine five of the
prospective assessments and evaluate how they would be most effective.
SIT
The first diagnostic reading assessment that I researched
was the Slosson Intelligence Test (SIT). This test is intended to assess verbal
skills and abilities. The test includes 187 questions that cover six cognitive
domains: vocabulary, general information, similarities and differences,
comprehension, quantitative memory, and auditory memory. It is used to help
determine a verbal IQ. This test is easy to administer and score. The SIT can
be used with all ages. It is useful in diagnosing learning disabilities as well
as giftedness. One benefit of this test is that it can be administered to
individuals with disabilities such as blindness or orthopedic disabilities. One
potential weakness of this assessment is its use of academic terminology. This
could potentially cause the test to be biased. Those who have had more formal
education would be expected to score higher. While this test should not be the
sole assessment in determining a child’s reading level, it can be very helpful
in identifying his verbal strengths and abilities.
SORT
Another useful diagnostic reading assessment is the
Slosson Oral Reading Test (SORT). This assessment is used to evaluate word
recognition using sets of 20 words. There are a total of 200 words in the test.
The SORT can be used for pre-primer through high school levels. It only takes
3-5 minutes to administer and score this assessment. The administrator would
simply allow the student to read the words in each list until they are no
longer able to correctly read any of the words. To score this assessment, the
administrator would count the number of words read correctly and match that
list to an equivalent grade level. This test is reliable, quick, and has
features for the impaired. However, it does not test for word meaning,
comprehension, or fluency. There is also no way to use the SORT for progress
monitoring, because there is only one set of leveled word lists. Therefore,
like the SIT, this assessment should be used in combination with observations
and other diagnostic reading assessments.
BRI
The Basic Reading Inventory (BRI) is a test that assesses
several reading skills. When taking this assessment, the child would begin by
reading word lists similarly to the SORT. When the child misreads six or more
words in the list, he reaches what the BRI refers to as “frustration level.” At
this time, the administrator would move to the next type of assessment, leveled
passages. The child would be assessed on fluency, accuracy, vocabulary, and
comprehension during this part of the assessment. Once the assessment is
scored, the administrator will have the child’s independent, instructional, and
frustration level of reading. The BRI also provides suggested interventions
based on the results of the assessments. Another great feature of the BRI is
progress monitoring. There are three sets of leveled word lists and passages.
This allows the student to be reassessed using the same type of test in order
to monitor progress. This is a very useful assessment, but it does not assess
phonemic awareness, which is a fundamental reading skill.
WADT
Wepman’s Auditory Discrimination Test (WADT) is a
wonderful example of a phonemic awareness assessment. The administrator of the
WADT reads pairs of words aloud, and the child indicates whether the words have
the same sounds or different sounds. The test consists of forty pairs of words.
Poor scores on the WADT typically indicate that the child will have a hard time
learning to read, and reading interventions should be considered. While poor
scores often indicate potential disabilities such as dyslexia, they could also
be the result of hearing impairment, poor listening or attention problems. This
assessment is a good early indicator of possible reading struggles, but it is
only recommended for use with children between the ages of four and eight.
PAR
The Predictive Assessment of Reading (PAR) is the final
reading assessment that I researched. This assessment should be administered by
the child’s teacher. It is intended to be used as a screening and diagnostic
tool. The PAR assesses a child’s phonemic awareness, letter identification and
high frequency single word identification, rapid naming, fluency, and vocabulary.
This assessment helps the teacher identify the specific cause of a reading
deficit, and it provides recommendations for intervention. This assessment is
recommended for students in kindergarten through the third grade. While this is
a very thorough and useful assessment, it is also the most expensive of the
five assessments.
All of the assessments that I researched had benefits and
uses. The SIT can be used to determine a child’s verbal skills and abilities.
The SORT is useful in determining a child’s ability to recognize and decode
words. The WADT can be used to diagnose problems with auditory discrimination.
The BRI and PAR both help to pinpoint the specific reading skills that a child
is struggling with, and they provide plans for instruction. The most important
thing to remember is no single assessment should be used to settle on a child’s
reading level and placement. Teachers should use a combination of different
assessments and observations of the child to determine placement and plans for
intervention.
Reading
Diagnostic Tests
SIT
Slosson Intelligence Test
|
SORT
Slosson Oral Reading Test
|
BRI
Basic Reading Inventory
|
PAR
Predictive Assessment of Reading
|
WADT
Wepman’s Auditory Discrimination Test
|
|
Purpose
|
-Oral assessment of verbal skills
-Can
be used as part of a diagnostic test for learning disabilities
|
-Evaluates
word recognition skills
-Useful
in finding a child’s reading level
|
-Evaluates
several reading skills
-Provides
information for instructional decision making in reading
|
-Evaluates
several reading skills including: phonological awareness, letter recognition,
and vocabulary
-Diagnoses
a child’s strengths and weaknesses with reading
|
-Identifies
children who struggle with auditory discrimination or phonemic awareness
-Can
be used to diagnose students who will struggle to learn to read
|
Strengths
|
-Easy
to administer and score
-Features
for the impaired
|
-Reliable
-Quick
-Features
for the impaired
|
-Easy
to use
-Progress
monitoring (3 forms)
-Suggests
instructional strategies
-Targets
student needs
|
-Assesses
multiple reading skills in one test
-Determines
the specific cause of a reading deficit
-Recommends
a plan for intervention
|
-Quick
and easy to administer and score
-Economical
|
Weaknesses
|
-May
be biased due to the use of academic questions
|
-Does
not assess comprehension or fluency
-No
progress monitoring (only one form)
|
-Suggested
grade level may not align with other assessments
|
-Expensive
-Only
available in large numbers
|
-Low
scores may be inaccurate if the child has a hearing impairment, poor
listening, or attention problems
|
Appropriateness
|
-Can
be used with all ages to assess verbal IQ
|
-Can
be used with Pre-Primer through High School to assess word recognition skills
|
-Can
be used with Pre-Primer through High School To assess their current reading
level
|
-Can
be used with children in grades K-3 to assess current reading level and
predict future reading levels
|
-Can
be used with 4-8 year olds to diagnose potential learning disabilities
|
References
Why
Should You Choose PAR as Your RTI screener/RTI Assessment?
(2012). Child’s Mind
Johns, J. (2012). Basic Reading Inventory (11th ed.). Dubuque, IA: Kendall
Hunt Publishing
Company.
McKechnie, J., & Bradley, E. (2001). Test Review: Slosson Intelligence Test
Revised (SIT-R).
Slosson
Oral Reading Test (2012). Retrieved on March 5, 2014 from:
Western Psychological Services. (1987). Wepman’s Auditory Discrimination Test,
Second
Edition.
Retrieved on March 5, 2014 from:
No comments:
Post a Comment