Classroom Literacy Assessment
Rebecca Olness, Curriculum Connections -- School Library Journal, 3/13/2008
Classroom Literacy Assessment: Making Sense of What Students Know and Do (Guilford Press, 2007).
Jeanne R.Paratore and Rachel L. McCormack have brought together a veritable “who’s who” of leading literacy experts to contribute to this comprehensive and useful volume. The in-depth examination opens with a brief definition and addresses foundations for literacy assessment, emphasizing the importance of good teachers and valid classroom evaluation for meaningful learning.
Chapters that follow describe actual strategies and examples for measuring word knowledge, fluency, comprehension, and evaluating student writing. For instance, one contributor recommends effective alternatives to round robin reading. Others show how, using numerous examples, graphic organizers can be used to help middle and intermediate level students review their prior knowledge about an upcoming unit. In many cases, specific instruments are included with interpretation guidelines.
The final section examines assessment designed for urban classrooms; linking curriculum, instruction, and assessment (CIA) to improve student achievement; Individualized Education Plans (IEP); and principles for standards-based school improvements. A case study describes a system developed by teachers in two urban settings that allowed them to teach to standards incorporating authentic literary experiences. Checklists, examples, rubrics, charts, and vignettes will be invaluable to both teachers and administrators in grades K-8, making this book a “must” for elementary and middle school professional development libraries.
