One-on-one assessment provides accurate measure of reading skills

Richland School District teachers are consistently measuring student reading progress. Two of the tools they use are the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) and Running Records. Teachers listen to students read one-on-one and evaluate their progress several times each year.

"A teacher sitting down and listening to one student read is a meaningful kind of assessment," says Margie Bass, reading coordinator and Title I teacher at Marcus Whitman. "It's an authentic and accurate way to measure a student's reading ability."

As the student reads, the teacher makes note of skill levels in word recognition, grammar, phrasing, word meaning and comprehension. The teacher even notes when the student is able to self-correct a mistake.

"An individual assessment enables a teacher to pinpoint a student's strengths and weaknesses," explains Bass. "One child may know all the words, but may not understand the meaning. Another may have trouble with punctuation. The teacher observes and records it all."

After the one-on-one assessment is completed, the teacher analyzes the record sheet. The recorded data enables teachers to:
• determine the student's reading level
• plan appropriate reading instruction for individual students
• group students effectively for reading experiences and instruction
• identify students who may need extra help.

Next step in the cycle is the teaching and learning time when students work on improving their skills. The cycle is completed several months later when another one-on-one assessment takes place.