Practice Overview
Conduct formative assessments to screen for reading problems and monitor progress.
Formative assessment systems are used with core reading programs to identify student needs and monitor progress. The same assessments used with native English speakers can also be used with English learners. more >>
What the research has shown
The expert panel reviewed 21 studies that addressed the validity of assessment measures to screen English learners and monitor their reading progress. more >>
Monitoring the Reading Progress of English Learners
Learn about the beginning reading skills that should be assessed for all students including English learners. (12:18 min)
Download Transcript & Details PDF | 120 KB
Practice Explanation
English learners can learn to read at the same rate as their native English-speaking peers but may need extra support. To determine which students need support and what kind of support they need, teachers can use English language measures of phonological processing, letter knowledge, and word and text reading. English language measures of these early reading skills have been shown to be valid with English learners.
By the middle of kindergarten, after students have received some instruction, these formative assessments are a valid indicator of whether or not a student is at risk for reading problems. Students at higher risk for reading difficulty will require frequent monitoring — as often as several times per month.
Example
A first grade teacher can conduct a formative assessment on all students at the beginning of the year to learn which students can:
- segment the sounds in individual words (Say the separate sounds in the word trap. : /t/ /r/ /a/ /p/)
- blend sounds to form words (What word is this? /t/ /a/ /p/ /s/)
- associate letters and sounds (Tell me the letter name for this sound: /m/).
The teacher can then use assessment results to group students who need practice and formally check their progress every few weeks.
Research Evidence
The panel considered a total of 21 studies that addressed the criterion-related validity of assessment measures to screen English learners in reading and to monitor their reading progress over time. The body of research on early screening measures meets the standards of the American Psychological Association for valid screening instruments.
Studies examined screening and criterion assessments with English learners at different points in time. The panel concluded that three types of measures (phonological processing, letter knowledge, and word and text reading) are valid for determining which English learners are likely to benefit from extra reading support. In addition, the set of screening measures demonstrates moderate predictive validity for English learners from homes speaking a variety of languages: Spanish, Punjabi, Tamil, Mandarin, Cantonese, Farsi, Hmong, and Portuguese, among others.
Key Research
1. Dominquez de Ramirez, R., & Shapiro, E.S. (2006).
Curriculum-based measurement and the evaluation of reading skills of Spanish-speaking English language learners in bilingual education classrooms.
School Psychology Review, 35, 356-369.
This study on the value of regular progress monitoring revealed that oral reading fluency measures could detect incremental changes in student performance for students in grades 2 through 5 even when used within short (two-week) intervals.
——————————————————————————–
2. Geva, E., & Yaghoub-Zadeh, Z. (2006).
Reading efficiency in native English-speaking and English-as-a-second-language children: The role of oral proficiency and underlying cognitive-linguistic processes.
Scientific Studies of Reading, 10, 31-57.
In a study of reading efficiency, researchers examined the similarities and differences of English learners and native English speakers. They found measures of phonological awareness, letter naming, and word recognition were significant predictors of word and text reading for English learners. Also, they discovered no advantage on cognitive and reading measures for native speakers despite differences in oral English proficiency.
——————————————————————————–
3. Lesaux, N., & Siegel, L. (2003).
The development of reading in children who speak English as a second language.
Developmental Psychology, 39, 1005-1019.
Findings of a longitudinal study demonstrate that English learners can learn to read at comparable rates as native English speakers when they receive early intervention. ESL speakers, involved in interventions beginning in kindergarten, performed as well as or better than English native peers on various measures of reading skills in grade 2.
Expert Interview
Introduction to Formative Assessment in Reading
Scott K. Baker, Ph.D.
Pacific Institutes for Research
Learn about types of assessments and the skill areas that should be assessed regularly to identify students who need extra support in reading.
Download Video – Quicktime | 68 MB | 16:31 min
Download Transcript & Details PDF | 184 KB
Key Actions
1. Identify or develop valid assessments and develop an assessment administration plan.
Schools select reading assessments to screen and monitor all students. Schools then plan a flexible schedule of administration aligned with the sequence of instruction in the core reading program. Consistent use of reading assessments leads to more efficient decision-making about interventions. Students at higher risk for reading failure will require more frequent assessments.
——————————————————————————–
2. Use data from assessments to make decisions about extra support and interventions.
Teachers work with ESL and reading specialists to interpret data from assessments for individuals and groups of students. Systematic examination of results will help determine which groups of students should receive what types of interventions. Data will also determine which teachers may require additional support.
——————————————————————————–
3. Provide teachers professional development and other support to help interpret and take action on assessment results.
Most teachers were not trained in the systematic analysis of assessment data. With support from reading coaches, principals, or ESL teachers, teachers can better utilize assessment results to find students with skill deficits, group students with similar needs, and organize particular types of interventions.
Links
NCELA Multi-Part Page on Assessment and Accountability
This section of the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition website provides definitions and purposes of various types of assessments and links to resources and studies related to assessment.
Link to Site
——————————————————————————–
Using Data to Guide Instruction
PowerPoint presentation by Margarita Pinkos and Kim Thomasson, presented at OELA Summit 2006.
Link to Site
——————————————————————————–
Scientifically Based Reading Research and English Language Learners: The Big Picture K-12
PowerPoint presentation by Sylvia Linan-Thompson, University of Texas at Austin, that includes summary of research and discussion of formative assessment in beginning reading.
Link to Site
——————————————————————————–
Data Use for Continuous Quality Improvement Website created by the Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center
Includes: A guide for the effective use of data to improve educational decision-making, a map of key capacities needed, standards and criteria for evaluating data tools and selecting diagnostic assessments, and research-based guidance on data use.
Link to Site
Return to “SCREEN and MONITOR” Page
Return to “RECOMMENDED PRACTICE” Page
Return to Main Teaching Literacy Page