Assessments of Early Reading

Abstract

Assessment of children's reading has a long history in U.S. education and remains a foundation for improving teaching and learning. This chapter examines developmental issues that surround practices for assessing beginning readers. In particular, we examine and re-interpret the evidence for federal policies emphasizing assessments that have been implemented across the nation, and we suggest an alternative interpretation of the research. Our analyses of early reading assessments reveal how developmental trajectories of different skills may contradict the prevailing component skills view of reading development. The nonlinear growth, universal mastery, and co-dependency of some reading skills (e.g., alphabet knowledge, concepts about print, phonemic awareness) may confound early reading assessments and lead to misinterpretations of data about early reading. This misinterpretation results in early reading practices that privilege some skills over others, and the consequences for teachers and students are enormous. We argue for a more balanced view of assessment that targets a wider variety of skills and accomplishments. Thus, the chapter connects conceptual, methodological, and practical aspects of children's reading development to show the value of an applied psychological perspective on educational issues.