Alternative Assessment Techniques for Reading and Writing

Book excerpt: This practical resource helps elementary classroom, remedial reading, and LD teachers make the best possible informal assessment of a child's specific reading, writing, and spelling strengths and weaknesses and attitudes toward reading. Written in easy-to-follow nontechnical language, it provides a multitude of tested informal assessment strategies and devices, such as kid watching, retellings, journals, IRIs, writing surveys, portfolios, think alouds and more - including over 200 reproducible assessment devices ready for immediate use! You'll find a detailed description of each informal assessment technique along with step-by-step procedures for its use and, wherever possible, one or more reproducible sample devices. Complete answer keys for each device are included with the directions. Among the unique topics covered are the innovative Individual Reading Inventory, San Diego Quick Assessment List, El Paso Phonics Survey, QAD Chart, Holistic scoring of writing and Reproducible devices for portfolio assessment. In short, Alternative Assessment Techniques for Reading and Writing offers a wealth of tested, ready-to-use informal assessment information and devices that should save the teacher a great deal of time and energy in making a useful assessment of any student's literacy ability!