Educational trends have come and gone over the years during the time that I have been teaching. However, one thing remains constant. We want all students to be able to read fluently and for meaning when they leave elementary school. Reading should not be a challenge as students approach middle and high schools as they are going to be faced with more complex concepts. Further, we want our students to be lifelong learners and lovers of reading. So, how do you do this in the age of standardized assessments?
Can There Be a Balance Between Literacy and Assessment?
Assessments are a nature of the beast in school, wouldn’t you say? We need to be able to assess students in order to move them forward through the year. As teachers we use formative assessments to guide our instruction. At the end of a unit of study, we use a summative assessment to assess the learning that has taken place. How do you make time for all of these assessments while using the balanced literacy model?
This question has recently been addressed with my team of teachers. We want to embrace the balanced literacy model and implement all of its components, but we also need to know that what we are doing will prepare our students for the state testing in the spring. Grade-level assessments are the key. Students need to be given a cold-read assessment at least once every two weeks. This should be a cold-read of a fiction or non-fiction passage presented to the students at their current grade level. In other words, to receive an accurate “grade”, the reading passage should not be at the students’ instructional reading levels. It needs to be at the current grade level. This is the only way to give everyone (teachers, parents and students) a clear picture of whether or not the student is performing at grade level.
This is just one piece of information from the larger, more complex, puzzle of information we gather on each student. However, it is the piece that should never go missing. It is a tool that will allow teachers the opportunity to decide who needs remediation and also who needs to be pushed further and challenged even more. It is one of the many tools that help teachers guide instruction.
Using the data from this type of assessment, teachers can better place students into the appropriate guided reading group. If students are not reading on grade level, as indicated on the cold-read assessment, teachers are able to pin-point the areas of weakness and develop an appropriate plan for guided reading instruction. During this more individualized instruction, students can be assessed on their own independent level, too. Assessing them at their level can help students build confidence in their own growth as a reader. Hopefully, this will also help teachers mold students into lifelong learners and lovers of reading.
As teachers, we strive to build confidence among all readers, which makes assessment so tricky. It is a balancing act that we must face every single day in the classroom. However, it is a necessary component in order to successfully move students forward with their reading levels. Ultimately, we want all students to not only be successful readers, but feel like successful readers. Therefore, when they leave the comforts of elementary school, they are ready to tackle whatever text is placed before them.
About the Author
Elizabeth Supan is an elementary school teacher in South Carolina with 18 years experience. Currently she is a 4th grade math teacher. She uses small group math instruction to meet the needs of her diverse learners. You can read more about her teaching on her blog Fun in Room 4B. Aside from teaching, Elizabeth enjoys crafting, completing DIY projects and spending time with her husband and children.