The thing is

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Home : 2009 : May : 9

The thing is
By maryteach

reading words in isolation is not at all a test of reading ability. It's a test of your ability to read words in isolation. Since reading is making meaning of text, I don't view word lists as reading assessment. I'm not
trying to be rude, but word lists just don't test reading ability (nor do lists of nonsense syllables--"fluency practice" is what's it's called, but that's not what it IS).

To get a true picture of the true reading level, you pretty much have to do an IRI (not a district one, either--Flynt Cooter or QRI). The problem with those very, very accurate tests is that they take way

more time than you have. Way more time.

The second best way is the district IRI. District tests are not usually that great, though.

Your school could buy an assessment program, like NWEA. My school uses this. It levels about 75% of my kids correctly, which isn't all that accurate, IMO. It's something to go on, though (I have 120 kids). None of the commercially produced tests are super, super accurate.

What it really boils down to is you have to read with the kids and notice who's doing okay at this level and who's not. Use information from former teachers and place the kids where they should go, in your best professional judgement. Since our groups should always be very fluid, you'll be rearranging groups, based on what you learn, very soon. You will re-configure groups all year long, as kids make progress. Teachers who read WHOLE pieces of literature with their kids and who ask kids to explain what they read, explain the metaphor, make predictions, evaluate characters, ask questions, are teachers who really have their finger on the pulses of each of their students. Kids may be able to read a list of words like a champ, but if there is no comprehension when they read, all that super decoding is going nowhere for them. I've had kids who could tear it UP on a list, but couldn't remember a word they actually READ for the life of them.

So, the long answer is that there's no short answer to this. Teaching reading well requires constant reflecting, analyzing and re-grouping. There is no magic bullet test that doesn't take lots of time. You just have to be a teacher who notices and learns from your students. I would place them according to what former teachers say, as well as their state test scores, and then see how they do. Always use your head and what you notice. If I can do this with 120, anyone can do it with 25. But to teach reading well, you have to resist the notion that you can learn everything you need to know to place a kid from a quick little test. It just doesn't happen. Reading is much more complex than that.