Assessment+Tools+&+Strategies

= Assessment Tools  = (This page is Under Construction! Please check back often for updates;o))

**Purpose of Assessment ** The most important thing to remember about assessment is that it should be used to build knowledge about our students. Too often standardized tests and other assessments measure what students //can't// do. One goal of assessment in Reading Workshop is to determine where our students are struggling. However, the most important goal of assessment in Reading Workshop is to determine what our students //can// do. We truly learn about our students so that we can match their learning experiences with what they read in order to be most successful. Old assessments (and those included in a basal reading text) assess students at the end of a unit. In Reading Workshop, assessment is ongoing so that we can alter and tailor our teaching to meet the needs of our students immediately. ** Gathering Information About Our Readers in the First Six Weeks ** Before we can really begin tailoring our teaching to meet of the needs of individual readers, we must spend quality time at the beginning of the year getting to know our readers. Below are some ways to do this. Reading interviews are a great way to learn about our readers before we even meet with them one-on-one. A reading interview is a place where students can really reflect on their reading interests and their reading behaviors. Before meeting with students individually to talk about their reading or listen to them read, it is helpful to have some background knowledge about their attitude towards reading and the specific books they have recently completed. The following student reading interview is an example of questions that teachers can ask at the beginning of the year to get familiar with students' interests, behaviors, and feelings toward reading. [|Download Fall Reading Interview]
 * == Reading Interview﻿s ==

**Other Reading Interest Inventories** [|Reading Interest Inventory 1] [|Reading Interest Inventory 2] [|Reading Interest Inventory 3] || || It is also helpful to get feedback from parents. Some students may not always be completely honest about their reading habits or abilities, so it is important to also hear from each student's parents to gain additional information about the child's attitude toward reading and the amount of reading the student does at home. Sending home a parent interview also sends a strong message to parents that reading is something we value in our school and take very seriously. The final question on the survey asks parents what expectations they have for their child as a reader. This sets the stage for the teamwork that will become so important as we work together to improve their child's skills in reading. [|Download Parent Reading Interview]
 * == Parent Interviews ==

[|Parent Reading Interview] ﻿ [|Parent Reading Survey] || ||
 * Other Parent Reading Inventories **