1. Informal and Formal Reading Assessment
Strengths and Weaknesses
Your child will be assessed and monitored through out the year by your teacher using both informal and formal assessments.

2. Why Should Parents Look at Assessments?
Reading Assessments provide feedback.
Goals can be set to improve performance.
Goals can be set to challenge students.
Specific skills can be addressed.
Assessments provide an understanding of your child’s performance.
Formal assessments provide an individual numerical score compared to others within the state and /or nationwide.
Data from assessments enable teachers to monitor your child's progress and to achieve goals and objectives set ( Gillet, Temple & Crawford, p. 9). Good communication between student and parents about this data can be used to improve scores.

3. Reading Assessments Informal Reading Inventory ( IRI) Informal Formal
Informal Word Inventory ( WRI)
Running Records
Authentic Assessments
Kidwatching
Portfolios
Norm-Referenced Tests
Standardized Tests
Criterion-Referenced Tests
At this time we use FAIR (Florida Assessments for Instruction in Reading). This a computer-based assessment which replaced the previously used assessment DIBEL used for Reading First.
There are many types of assessments depending of the purpose throughout the year. Schools who have adopted a reading program funded under the Federal legislature as “ Reading First” are mandated to assess students using four different types of assessments four times a year. Schools are required to assess using some sort of screening, diagnostic, monitoring, and outcomes based assessments
(Gillet, Temple & Crawford, Page 10).

4. Why Informal Assessment ?
Diagnostic assessments such as an informal reading inventory provides a starting point for instruction designed specifically for your child.
Differentiated instruction is based off of your child's strengths and weaknesses according to an array of informal assessments.
Further ongoing informal assessments such as teacher observations will show the big picture.
Informal assessments are administered by your child’s teacher. These assessments provide direction as to how to help your child prepare for more formalized monitoring assessments (Gillet, Temple & Crawford, Page 29).

5. Informal Assessment Weakness
Screening Assessments examine just enough to identify those who need extra help.
Diagnostic tests cover many areas and may be hard to interpret.
You will not receive a “test report comparison to other students at their grade level” (Gillet, Temple & Crawford, p. 11).
There are numerous informal assessments.
Choosing and administering assessments may be subjective.
Some informal assessments are not norm-referenced, but rather are used to inform students, parents, and teachers and to drive instruction
(Gillet, Temple & Crawford, Page 32). Informal instruction prepares your child for high-stakes testing.

6. Informal Assessment Strengths
Screening Assessments show those who need help and are economical.
Diagnostic Assessments show specific needs of students.
Individual Diagnostic Instruments test specific skills.
Informal Reading Inventory, are more comprehensive and test many areas Authentic Assessments and Kidwatching show the big picture.
In some cases, high-stakes tests can determine whether your child will be promoted to the next grade level” (Gillet, Temple & Crawford, Page 12). Informal testing keeps your child on the right track for success.

7. Why Formal Assessments ?
Standards-Bases Tests are required by the federal No Child Left Behind law ( FAIR)
Standardized tests such as Florida’s Comprehensive Assessment Test ( FCAT) shows growth of a whole grade level and school.
Outcomes-Based Assessments hold teachers and schools accountable for standards based learning.
“Standards-based tests are meant to assess each student’s performance on the standards set by the state” (Gillet, Temple & Crawford, Page 12).
End-of-year assessments ensure all students are learning what they are expected to know (Gillet, Temple & Crawford, Page 11).

8. FAIR There are four types of assessments in FAIR for k-2:
The Broad Screen/Progress Monitoring Tool given to all students in 3-5 min.
The Broad Diagnostic Inventory, which includes comprehension and vocabulary tasks
The Targeted Diagnostic Inventory
Ongoing Progress Monitoring Broad Screen/Progress Monitoring
 In kindergarten, the broad screen consists of letter-name knowledge, letter-sound knowledge, phonological awareness, and word reading and grades include word reading. Some of the strengths are ongoing monitoring. Teachers can refer back to the diagnostic inventory to monitor student’s strengths and weaknesses to guide classroom instruction and to better prepare for the next assessment. “The diagnostic instruments take up where the screening instrument left off”.

9. Formal Assessment Weakness
“Formal reading tests do not reflect the reading process”
(Gillet, Temple & Crawford, Page 146).
Formal reading tests do not always provide students with
Prior knowledge
Interests
Motivation
Purpose for reading a passage
Strategies to construct meaning
Formal reading tests assess students on a series of isolated, discrete skills. Test results show how readers perform on one separate skill after another (Gillet, Temple & Crawford, Page 146).

10. Formal Assessment Weakness
Reading is not assessed in an authentic way.
Reading selections are short passages and comprehension is assessed by multiple choice questions.
Reading is timed
Formal reading tests do not match goals of instruction
Students are asked to recognize information not produce information.
We teach students to spell not recognize words that are misspelled. The test results may not show the result of real, useful learning
(Gillet, Temple & Crawford, Page 147).

11. Formal Assessment Strengths
Formal tests show mastery over certain information and operations.
They show numerical results that are easy to interpret and compare.
Formal testing are administered as a group and by a team.
All students receive the same instructions, examples, time limits.
Numerical scores are not subjective.
Formal tests are reliable and valid.
Communities expect their schools to do an effective job teaching young people skills to live and be a good citizen. Formal assessments are administered because communities seek to make their schools accountable in many ways including what students have mastered (Gillet, Temple & Crawford, Page 146).

12. Assessments Working Together
Informal
Teachers can provide differentiated instruction through screening, diagnostic testing, and other informal testing. Students must be monitored throughout the year to determine the best course of action for each child.
Formal
Students are monitored to show students progress 3-4 times per year with formal assessments set by your school. Results from each assessments are discussed by a panel of professionals to determine future instruction per child before the last assessment takes place for the year.
Ultimate Goal
Based on the outcomes-based assessments, a determination will be made if past assessments provided students with enough skills to master state standards required per grade level. Outcomes-based assessments will determine : Student Mastery and School Accountability.
“ While daily informal assessment and periodic monitoring assessments will be focused on children’s academic development, these monitoring assessments will have one eye on these outcomes-based assessments” (Gillet, Temple & Crawford, Page 28).

13. What Can I Do To Help My Child?
Conference with your child’s teacher.
Ask about assessments both informal and formal tests.
Work with your child on specific skills needed.
Be involved with your child’s education.
Children need to know you care and they also depend on you to build self-confidence, responsibility, and good study habits.
Children learn through modeling and you are their first teacher.
Assessment tools are used to monitor your child’s literacy development. Your child is assessed daily in one form or another on benchmarks covered in class. Assessments show if your child is mastering skills required for the next grade level. Working as partners, we are looking out for your child’s best interest. Your child will succeed if teacher, student, and parent use data to set goals and work towards mastery of state standards.

14. What Can I Do To Help My Child?
Review
Students are tested using both formal and informal assessments.
Both types of assessments have strengths and weaknesses.
There are pros and cons to both assessments.
Data provides a guide as to what your child needs to work on.
Assessment tools are used to monitor your child’s literacy development. Your child is assessed daily with informal assessments to prepare your child for the end-of –the year assessments. Assessments show if your child is mastering skills required to be on grade level. Both teachers and parents should use data to monitor students progress and plan accordingly.

15. References
Fotosearch. (2012). Bubble test stock photos and images. Retrieved fromhttp:// images/bubble-test.html.
Gillet, J. Temple, C. & Crawford, A. ( 2008). Understanding reading problems: Assessment and instruction. Boston, MA: Allyn Bacon by Pearons Inc.