Assessment

In Rubin's article, he states, "The mandated tests tend to give a snapshot of a child's ability, whereas use of a variety of assessments gives teachers a more comprehensive portrait."  Rubin discusses the importance of using multiple forms of assessment with the students.

My favorite was when Rubin discussed using three different periods of assessment measures: during independent reading time, instructional time, and times of frustration.  By evaluating the students during these different times, the teacher will be able to better assess the student's overall fluency, literacy, and reading level.

In the above assessment, teachers can use a simple worksheet to review student's reading.  Rather than writing negatives, teachers can suggest goals for each individual student as well as distinguish their strengths.

By using many ways to assess the students, teachers can get a better, fuller understanding of their comprehension.  How as teachers can we monitor this more and make sure we are fully assessing students in the most fair way possible?