Assessing Readers: Qualitative Diagnosis and Instruction

Grades K-6

 

Rona Flippo's Reading Assessment and Instruction received glowing reviews for its unabashed belief in the capabilities of knowledgeable teachers to make the correct literacy decisions for the students they teach. This revision continues to be unique among reading diagnosis books, bridging the gap between narrative/observation-driven assessment and the more traditional quantitative analysis that typically governs the work of reading specialists. And once again it supports individual classroom teachers' knowledge, beliefs, decisions, and roles, while incorporating the various philosophies in the field of reading and literacy education.

Assessing Readers contains specific assessment, instruction, and organizational ideas and strategies, plus these distinctive features:

• an emphasis on assessment of students' strategies, strengths, interests, motivations, fluency, schemata, and metacognitive awareness
• lots of sample assessments found throughout the book
• attention to the individualization of instruction so that special learners and students from all cultural and sociocultural backgrounds have opportunities to learn
• chapters devoted to such topics as understanding standardized tests and scores; assessing affective influences, linguistic strategies, comprehension and cognitive strategies; practical applications from miscue analysis; use of portfolios and rubrics; organizing the classroom; grouping to facilitate ongoing assessment and instruction; and explicit instruction with sample lessons
• pedagogical aids that make the book easy to understand and practical to use–
  • contextual definitions and a glossary of terms
  • chapter-opening focus and goal statements
  • "consider and react" opportunities throughout each chapter
  • end-of-chapter questions for reflection and response
  • an appendix of portfolio and rubric assessment forms and ideas.

A handy reference and resource, Assessing Readers above all empowers teachers, encouraging them to think about the value of their assessment and instruction choices and supporting them with tools to help them achieve their goals.

 

RONA FLIPPO has taught early childhood, elementary, middle, and upper-level classrooms and is currently Professor of Reading Education at Fitchburg State College in Massachusetts. While probably best known for her "Expert Study," she has authored more than 90 articles and 10 other books, including What Do the Experts Say? (Heinemann, 1999). She has also been featured in educational television programs on assessment, instruction, testing, studying, and literacy issues. Her strong interest in policy and the politics affecting education and literacy have led her toward research and writing for a broad audience, including the general public.