READING
Reading is a skill that is expected of students to learn (unless there is a disability that interferes). Reading for English learners can be very difficult due to grammatical rules, irregular verbs, and tricky letter combinations. Second language readers must develop appropriate content and formal schemata to carry out interpretations accurately. The assessments for reading address the four types of reading which are perceptive, selective, interactive, and extensive.
Perceptive 1
Assessment Title/ Description: Perceptive (1)
Annotation: Perceptive reading assessments address the beginning level of reading a second language, the fundamentals. Perceptive tasks are also known as literacy tasks. One of the assessments used to measure a student’s literacy is reading aloud. The assessment is of reading comprehension and oral production. Students separate letters, words, and/ or sentences and read them one by one. The teacher/ administrator can choose a story that is appropriate for the student’s proficiency level. I included a sample short story. The teacher should focus on the student reading fluency and grade accordingly. All grading criteria should be established and shared prior to testing.
Citation: http://www.elcivics.com/worksheets/reading-aloud.html
Assessment Example: Reading Aloud
Annotation: Perceptive reading assessments address the beginning level of reading a second language, the fundamentals. Perceptive tasks are also known as literacy tasks. One of the assessments used to measure a student’s literacy is reading aloud. The assessment is of reading comprehension and oral production. Students separate letters, words, and/ or sentences and read them one by one. The teacher/ administrator can choose a story that is appropriate for the student’s proficiency level. I included a sample short story. The teacher should focus on the student reading fluency and grade accordingly. All grading criteria should be established and shared prior to testing.
Citation: http://www.elcivics.com/worksheets/reading-aloud.html
Assessment Example: Reading Aloud
Perceptive 2
Assessment Title/ Description: Perceptive (2)
Annotation: Multiple-choice responses are used to assess literacy skills from ESL students. Tasks can be minimal pair distinction task and grapheme recognition task. I included a grapheme recognition task in multiple-choice form from Brown & Abeywikrama. Students must be able to decipher amongst words that sound the same but have different meanings. The use of minimal pairs to help students distinguish minor differences between English vowel sounds and the words meanings.
Citation:(Page 231)
Douglas-Brown, H., & Abeywikrama, P. (2011). Language assessment, principles and classroom practices. (2nd ed.). White Plains, NY: Pearson Education.
Assessment Example: Grapheme Recognition Task
Test-takers read* Circle the “odd” item, the one that doesn’t “belong”
1. piece peace piece
2. book book boot
*In the case of very-low-level learners, the teacher/administrator reads directions.
Annotation: Multiple-choice responses are used to assess literacy skills from ESL students. Tasks can be minimal pair distinction task and grapheme recognition task. I included a grapheme recognition task in multiple-choice form from Brown & Abeywikrama. Students must be able to decipher amongst words that sound the same but have different meanings. The use of minimal pairs to help students distinguish minor differences between English vowel sounds and the words meanings.
Citation:(Page 231)
Douglas-Brown, H., & Abeywikrama, P. (2011). Language assessment, principles and classroom practices. (2nd ed.). White Plains, NY: Pearson Education.
Assessment Example: Grapheme Recognition Task
Test-takers read* Circle the “odd” item, the one that doesn’t “belong”
1. piece peace piece
2. book book boot
*In the case of very-low-level learners, the teacher/administrator reads directions.
Selective 1
Assessment Title/ Description: Selective (1)
Annotation: Selective reading focuses on the lexical and grammatical aspects of language, typically thought as “vocabulary and grammar”. A common activity/ assessment used for testing reading knowledge of vocabulary and reading knowledge is the multiple-choice format. It is easily administered and scored, serves the purpose of vocabulary and/or grammar check. I included a sample Multiple-Choice: for form-focused criteria from a website, it focuses on vocabulary. These tasks can be created or accessed via internet/ book resources. This task, like any other, should be designed with student/teacher needs in mind while using the appropriate proficiency level.
Citation: http://www.ingilish.com/preparing_reading_questions.htm
Assessment Example: Multiple-Choice: for form-focused criteria
Vocabulary-Grammar
1. He’s not married. He’s……………….
a) young
b) single
c) first
d) a husband
2. If there’s no doorbell, please ………….. on the door.
a) kneel
b) type
c) knock
d) shout
3. The bank robbery occurred ……………….. I was in the restroom.
a) during
b) while
c) which
d) that
Annotation: Selective reading focuses on the lexical and grammatical aspects of language, typically thought as “vocabulary and grammar”. A common activity/ assessment used for testing reading knowledge of vocabulary and reading knowledge is the multiple-choice format. It is easily administered and scored, serves the purpose of vocabulary and/or grammar check. I included a sample Multiple-Choice: for form-focused criteria from a website, it focuses on vocabulary. These tasks can be created or accessed via internet/ book resources. This task, like any other, should be designed with student/teacher needs in mind while using the appropriate proficiency level.
Citation: http://www.ingilish.com/preparing_reading_questions.htm
Assessment Example: Multiple-Choice: for form-focused criteria
Vocabulary-Grammar
1. He’s not married. He’s……………….
a) young
b) single
c) first
d) a husband
2. If there’s no doorbell, please ………….. on the door.
a) kneel
b) type
c) knock
d) shout
3. The bank robbery occurred ……………….. I was in the restroom.
a) during
b) while
c) which
d) that
Selective 2
Assessment Title/ Description: Selective 2
Annotation: An assessment that requires both reading and writing performance is gap-filling tasks. A simple gap-filling task is to create sentence completion items where test-takes read part if a sentence and complete it by writing a phrase. The administrator will have to use their judgment on what comprises a correct response. Correct responses will reflect reading comprehension of the first part of the sentence. I included an example assessment of gap-filling questions. The student must read the first part of the sentence and then decide (off of background knowledge) the best phrase that would complete the sentence.
Citation: http://www.ingilish.com/preparing_reading_questions.htm
Assessment Example: Gap filling Questions
Oscar: Doctor, what should I do if I get sick?
Doctor: It is best to stay home and……………………………………………..
If you have a fever ……………………………………………………
You should drink as much …………………………………………….
The worst thing you can do is …………………………………………
You should also ……………………………………………………….
Annotation: An assessment that requires both reading and writing performance is gap-filling tasks. A simple gap-filling task is to create sentence completion items where test-takes read part if a sentence and complete it by writing a phrase. The administrator will have to use their judgment on what comprises a correct response. Correct responses will reflect reading comprehension of the first part of the sentence. I included an example assessment of gap-filling questions. The student must read the first part of the sentence and then decide (off of background knowledge) the best phrase that would complete the sentence.
Citation: http://www.ingilish.com/preparing_reading_questions.htm
Assessment Example: Gap filling Questions
Oscar: Doctor, what should I do if I get sick?
Doctor: It is best to stay home and……………………………………………..
If you have a fever ……………………………………………………
You should drink as much …………………………………………….
The worst thing you can do is …………………………………………
You should also ……………………………………………………….
Interactive 1
Assessment Title/ Description: Interactive (1)
Annotation: Interactive reading is a combination of from-focused and meaning focused objectives. Reading texts are longer in length and are more complex. One assessment for this task is cloze tasks, which is one fo the most popular types of reading assessments. Cloze tests are typically one to two paragraphs in length. They can be created relatively easy and customized for any student. The assessment includes a reading and omits (typically) every seventh word but the teachers can modify deletions of appropriate words that coincide with proficiency level. I included and example of a cloze test below.
Citation: http://elizabethclaire.com/store/easy-english-news/easy-english-news-tests.html
Assessment Example: Cloze Test
Name___________________________________________________ Date ___________________
Bullying
Bullying is when an older or stronger person hurts a younger or ______________________ person. Bullying can happen in many ways. Sometimes a gang* of kids __________________ a
newcomer, or repeatedly make fun of* someone for their looks, ____________________, race, clothing, or any _____________________________ at all. Sometimes a person sends many
mean or insulting* emails or tells someone’s ______________________________ on a website. People who bully feel good when they make someone _________________ feel bad.
Newcomers to the U.S. have often been the ______________________ of bullies.
The ___________________________ of bullying can be very serious*. The Internet lets a bully
__________________________ or hurt someone in front of thousands of people. The bully is _________________________, and doesn’t have to be bigger or stronger to hurt someone.
WORD BANK
secrets, language, tease, weaker, else, target, embarrass, problem, invisible, reason
From December, 2010 Easy English NEWS ©Elizabeth Claire, Inc.
Annotation: Interactive reading is a combination of from-focused and meaning focused objectives. Reading texts are longer in length and are more complex. One assessment for this task is cloze tasks, which is one fo the most popular types of reading assessments. Cloze tests are typically one to two paragraphs in length. They can be created relatively easy and customized for any student. The assessment includes a reading and omits (typically) every seventh word but the teachers can modify deletions of appropriate words that coincide with proficiency level. I included and example of a cloze test below.
Citation: http://elizabethclaire.com/store/easy-english-news/easy-english-news-tests.html
Assessment Example: Cloze Test
Name___________________________________________________ Date ___________________
Bullying
Bullying is when an older or stronger person hurts a younger or ______________________ person. Bullying can happen in many ways. Sometimes a gang* of kids __________________ a
newcomer, or repeatedly make fun of* someone for their looks, ____________________, race, clothing, or any _____________________________ at all. Sometimes a person sends many
mean or insulting* emails or tells someone’s ______________________________ on a website. People who bully feel good when they make someone _________________ feel bad.
Newcomers to the U.S. have often been the ______________________ of bullies.
The ___________________________ of bullying can be very serious*. The Internet lets a bully
__________________________ or hurt someone in front of thousands of people. The bully is _________________________, and doesn’t have to be bigger or stronger to hurt someone.
WORD BANK
secrets, language, tease, weaker, else, target, embarrass, problem, invisible, reason
From December, 2010 Easy English NEWS ©Elizabeth Claire, Inc.
Interactive 2
Assessment Title/ Description: Interactive (2)
Annotation: Ordering tasks are an activity that most ESL students enjoy. Students receive small strips of paper. Each strip has a sentence on it that is apart of a short story. Students have to put the sentences in order based in logical reasoning. Teachers must have one (or a couple) acceptable order of sentences that make sense prior to the assessment. Students can complete this one on one or the whole class can participate. Sentence complexity will be based of the test-taker’s proficiency level.
Citation: http://www.ingilish.com/preparing_reading_questions.htm
Assessment Example: Sequencing of Events
Number the events in Mr. Kazi’s life from 1 to 7
…….. He sold his first restaurant at a profit
…….. He got a job as a cook’s helper.
…….. He bought his 168th restaurant.
……... He learned to fly a plane.
……... He moved to the United States.
……... He became the manager of the restaurant.
……... He got a job at a car rental company.
Annotation: Ordering tasks are an activity that most ESL students enjoy. Students receive small strips of paper. Each strip has a sentence on it that is apart of a short story. Students have to put the sentences in order based in logical reasoning. Teachers must have one (or a couple) acceptable order of sentences that make sense prior to the assessment. Students can complete this one on one or the whole class can participate. Sentence complexity will be based of the test-taker’s proficiency level.
Citation: http://www.ingilish.com/preparing_reading_questions.htm
Assessment Example: Sequencing of Events
Number the events in Mr. Kazi’s life from 1 to 7
…….. He sold his first restaurant at a profit
…….. He got a job as a cook’s helper.
…….. He bought his 168th restaurant.
……... He learned to fly a plane.
……... He moved to the United States.
……... He became the manager of the restaurant.
……... He got a job at a car rental company.
Extensive 1
Assessment Title/ Description: Extensive (1)
Annotation: Extensive reading involves longer complex texts such as journal articles, longer essays, short stories, and books. One assessment used for extensive reading is skimming. This task sues the process of rapidly reading over a text to determine the main idea. Afterwards the test-taker answers questions, responses may be oral or written (depending on context). Most skimming assessments are informal and formative. Below is an example of questions used for skimming a text. Appropriate texts that align with proficiency skills should be used as the reading text.
Citation: http://www.ingilish.com/preparing_reading_questions.htm
http://www.eslyes.com/eslread/ss/s001.htm
Assessment Example: Extensive Reading
Skimming: process of rapid coverage of reading matter to determine its gist or main idea, it is a prediction strategy giving the reader the sense of the topic, purpose of the text, organization of the text, the perspective or point of view of the writer, its ease or difficulty, and its usefulness.
Questions:
What is the main idea/topic of this text?
What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?
What kind of writing is this? (newspaper article, manual, novel, etc.)
What do you think you will learn from this text?
Who is the audience for this reading text?
Sample Reading:
Nancy was new to America. She came to America speaking only her native language. She brought her 8-year-old son with her. He was all she had in the world.
They found an apartment in Arcadia. They were there for only two months when a neighbor's dog jumped over the fence. The dog ran toward Nancy's son. Nancy put her body in between the dog and her son. The dog stopped when it saw Nancy screaming at it. She was going to punch it in the nose. The dog turned around.
Shaking, Nancy took her son upstairs. They stayed in the apartment all weekend. Then Nancy found another apartment, close to the school that her son was going to attend.
She and her son walked everywhere. One day her son started coughing badly. He had an asthma attack. All the walking was making his asthma worse.
Nancy knew that she had to buy a car. So she called up the Honda dealer. She talked to a salesman who spoke her language. She told him that she wanted to buy a new car if he could come over to pick her up. The salesman said he would be right over.
Annotation: Extensive reading involves longer complex texts such as journal articles, longer essays, short stories, and books. One assessment used for extensive reading is skimming. This task sues the process of rapidly reading over a text to determine the main idea. Afterwards the test-taker answers questions, responses may be oral or written (depending on context). Most skimming assessments are informal and formative. Below is an example of questions used for skimming a text. Appropriate texts that align with proficiency skills should be used as the reading text.
Citation: http://www.ingilish.com/preparing_reading_questions.htm
http://www.eslyes.com/eslread/ss/s001.htm
Assessment Example: Extensive Reading
Skimming: process of rapid coverage of reading matter to determine its gist or main idea, it is a prediction strategy giving the reader the sense of the topic, purpose of the text, organization of the text, the perspective or point of view of the writer, its ease or difficulty, and its usefulness.
Questions:
What is the main idea/topic of this text?
What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?
What kind of writing is this? (newspaper article, manual, novel, etc.)
What do you think you will learn from this text?
Who is the audience for this reading text?
Sample Reading:
Nancy was new to America. She came to America speaking only her native language. She brought her 8-year-old son with her. He was all she had in the world.
They found an apartment in Arcadia. They were there for only two months when a neighbor's dog jumped over the fence. The dog ran toward Nancy's son. Nancy put her body in between the dog and her son. The dog stopped when it saw Nancy screaming at it. She was going to punch it in the nose. The dog turned around.
Shaking, Nancy took her son upstairs. They stayed in the apartment all weekend. Then Nancy found another apartment, close to the school that her son was going to attend.
She and her son walked everywhere. One day her son started coughing badly. He had an asthma attack. All the walking was making his asthma worse.
Nancy knew that she had to buy a car. So she called up the Honda dealer. She talked to a salesman who spoke her language. She told him that she wanted to buy a new car if he could come over to pick her up. The salesman said he would be right over.
Extensive 2
Assessment Title/ Description: Extensive (2)
Annotation: A common method of assessing extensive reading is asking students to write a summary of a text. Students receive an appropriate but complex text to read and then summarize. Students are to accurately determine the main idea and supporting details. Their summaries should be written in their own words and organized accordingly. Below I have included directions for summarizing and the assessment criteria pulled from Brown & Abeywikrama.
Citation: (p.254)
Douglas-Brown, H., & Abeywikrama, P. (2011). Language assessment, principles and classroom practices. (2nd ed.). White Plains, NY: Pearson Education.
Assessment Example: Summarizing and Responding
Directions for summarizing [R,W]
-Write a summary of the text. Your summary should be about one paragraph in length (100-150 words) and should include your understanding of the main idea and supporting details.
Criteria for assessing a summary
1. Express accurately the main idea and supporting details
2. Is written in the student’s own words; occasional vocabulary from the original text is acceptable.
3. Is logically organized
4. Displays facility in the use of language to clearly express ideas in the text
Annotation: A common method of assessing extensive reading is asking students to write a summary of a text. Students receive an appropriate but complex text to read and then summarize. Students are to accurately determine the main idea and supporting details. Their summaries should be written in their own words and organized accordingly. Below I have included directions for summarizing and the assessment criteria pulled from Brown & Abeywikrama.
Citation: (p.254)
Douglas-Brown, H., & Abeywikrama, P. (2011). Language assessment, principles and classroom practices. (2nd ed.). White Plains, NY: Pearson Education.
Assessment Example: Summarizing and Responding
Directions for summarizing [R,W]
-Write a summary of the text. Your summary should be about one paragraph in length (100-150 words) and should include your understanding of the main idea and supporting details.
Criteria for assessing a summary
1. Express accurately the main idea and supporting details
2. Is written in the student’s own words; occasional vocabulary from the original text is acceptable.
3. Is logically organized
4. Displays facility in the use of language to clearly express ideas in the text