This book is the most comprehensive of the assessment of reading in a foreign or second language.

A collection of formal and informal English and Spanish reading assessments for students in grades K-12. Includes assessment instructions, assessments and teacher scoring forms.

Practical, effective, evidence-based reading interventions that change students' lives Essentials of Understanding and Assessing Reading Difficulties is a practical, accessible, in-depth guide to reading assessment and intervention. It provides a detailed discussion of the nature and causes of reading difficulties, which will help develop the knowledge and confidence needed to accurately assess why a student is struggling. Readers will learn a framework for organizing testing results from current assessment batteries such as the WJ-IV, KTEA-3, and CTOPP-2. Case studies illustrate each of the concepts covered. A thorough discussion is provided on the assessment of phonics skills, phonological awareness, word recognition, reading fluency, and reading comprehension. Formatted for easy reading as well as quick reference, the text includes bullet points, icons, callout boxes, and other design elements to call attention to important information. Although a substantial amount of research has shown that most reading difficulties can be prevented or corrected, standard reading remediation efforts have proven largely ineffective. School psychologists are routinely called upon to evaluate students with reading difficulties and to make recommendations to address such difficulties. This book provides an overview of the best assessment and intervention techniques, backed by the most current research findings. Bridge the gap between research and practice Accurately assess the reason(s) why a student struggles in reading Improve reading skills using the most highly effective evidence-based techniques Reading may well be the most important thing students are taught during their school careers. It is a skill they will use every day of their lives; one that will dictate, in part, later life success. Struggling students need help now, and Essentials of Understanding and Assessing Reading Difficulties shows how to get these students on track.

This book contains a collection of formal and informal reading assessments for use with students in Grades k-12. These assessments assist the teacher in targeting areas of strength and weakness, in monitoring student reading development, and in planning appropriate instruction. Unlike large-scale achievement tests, the majority of these assessments can be administered individually. Each assessment was selected because it measures an important research-based reading skill and because it is quick, reliable, and easy to use. Each assessment provides clear and accurate individual student information. The assessments included in this book are informal assessments designed to measure specific skills critical to successful reading. Some of the assessments are curriculum-based, while others are criteria-based, depending on the purpose of the assessment. Similarly, some assessments target specific skills, some are instruments for broader screening, and some can be used for both types of assessment. Spanish assessments are provided for the early grades where many students may still be in bilingual programs or may be receiving Spanish primary language instruction before transitioning to English programs. Profile Forms and Class Records found in the Appendix provide an easy way for teachers to summarize assessment results. Appended are: (1) core Reading Assessment Profile Forms; (2) core Reading Assessment Class Records; (3) Performance Criteria for Fluency and Fluency Scores: a Discussion; (4) Assessment-Driven Instruction: a Systems Approach; and (5) Resources for Assessing Reading. [Contributing authors include: Orna Lenchner, Michael Milone, and Jacalyn Mahler.].

"Prepare students for future success by using effective reading instruction that's proven to work. The Teaching Reading Sourcebook, updated second edition is an indispensable resource that combines evidence-based research with actionable instructional strategies. It is an essential addition to any educator's professional literacy library--elementary, secondary, university."--P. [4] of cover.

The third edition of Assessing Readers continues to bridge the gap between authentic, informal, and formative assessments and more traditional quantitative and summative assessment approaches. Designed to assist educators and reading specialists in making informed decisions about not only what to assess, but also how, it provides teachers with a menu of qualitative assessment options, encouraging them to consider their own values and beliefs in light of the goals they have for the students they teach. Building on nearly four decades of theory, research, and practice, it is up to date with current research and offers specific assessment, instruction, and organizational ideas and strategies. With an emphasis on comprehension, motivation and engagement, and developing strategic knowledge, Assessing Readers offers a road map for teachers trying to meet the demands of increasingly rigorous standards. Features include examples of student-centered assessment, ideas for organizing and managing differentiated instruction, sample lesson plans, and authentic case studies. Accessible and practical, the third edition empowers pre-service and in-service teachers alike, encouraging them to think about the importance of their assessment and instructional choices and supporting them with the tools they need to achieve their goals and meet the needs of all students. Changes in the Third Edition: A new focus on literacy development and developmentally responsive instruction Expanded coverage of emergent literacy and the assessment of foundational skills, including concepts about print, storybook reading, phonological and phonemic awareness, alphabet knowledge, and concept of word in text A new section on assessing vocabulary and morphological knowledge Expanded coverage of response to instruction/intervention (RTI) New information on assessment and instruction of culturally and linguistically diverse students Increased attention to issues of social justice, educational equity, and anti-bias practices

This book investigates the issue of cloze-validity as a measure of second language reading comprehension. It starts off by making a distinction between general reading ability and the more specific reading comprehension followed by a thorough review of the related research on L2 reading comprehension and sorting out the confusion in the literature in this categorization. A comprehensive account of cloze procedure is presented discussing its origin, different versions, its use for teaching and testing purposes, as well the latest research on cloze as measures of readability, language proficiency and second language reading. The book includes studies conducted at several stages on validating cloze as a measure of reading and interview and questionnaire techniques are applied to investigate the validity of eight cloze tests, criterion reading tests, and other cloze and reading tests in general. Two new cloze tests, i.e. reader-centered cloze test and phrase cloze test, are also introduced and researched as measures of reading ability. The book concludes with suggestions for developing tests that can better measure reading comprehension in light of recent research insights on the complex and dynamic nature of reading. This book will appeal to researchers, lecturers and graduate and post-graduate students taking a course in Second Language Acquisition, Applied Linguistics, TESOL, Language Assessment, and Educational Measurement.