Importance of Early Literacy Skill Assessments for Student

School: Grand Canyon University - Course: READING 510 - Subject: Accounting

Early Literacy Skill Assessments Erin (Nikki) Lash Grand Canyon University REA-510: Survey of Reading Assessments Dr. Nancy Edwards February 22, 2023

Hi!My name is Nikki Lash, and I am a third-grade teacher at Evoline C. West.This is my second year as a homeroom teacher.Before becoming a homeroom teacher, I was a Title One instructional teacher for two years.During these years, I have learned how important it is to assess my scholars. Various Assessments When teachers assess their students, they understand what their students already know, what they have learned, and skills that still need to be discovered.There are a variety of ways teachers can assess their students. 1.Diagnostic assessments or pre-assessments give teachers an idea of how much their students already know.This is usually given before the beginning of a new unit or lesson. 2.Informal or formative assessments are given throughout the unit or lesson.It provides the teacher with an idea of how much students have learned.This type of assessment can be gathered in different forms, such as classroom discussions, exit tickets, quizzes, and more. 3.Screening assessments help teachers identify students at risk in reading.According to the National Center on Improving Literacy, screening assessments are similar to the screenings doctors provide (Petscher, Y., n.d.).These screenings check for warning signs that might help at-risk readers. 4.Progress monitoring is a type of formative assessment that is given throughout the year to monitor student growth.It can determine if students understand current standards and have mastered past ones. Importance of Assessing and Monitoring Data Assessing students is essential to ensure that all students excel in school.Assessments allow teachers to identify learning gaps.By identifying these learning gaps, teachers can begin closing these gaps.If these gaps are not addressed, they will continue to grow with each passing year. By collecting data, teachers can recognize misconceptions or use this information to push students to the next learning level.Assessing students also improve instructional lessons and enhances differentiation learning (Victoria, 2023). Types of Literacy Assessments Read Theory is adaptive, effective, geared to grades 1-12, as well as ESL and Special Education, easy to use, accessible, and most importantly, fun.Read Theory is designed to differentiate lessons according to student reading levels.Before beginning, students must take a pre- assessment to determine their reading level.Read Theory allows teachers to identify learning gaps and assign weekly progress monitoring assessments.One thing it does not do is provide material to teachers to help close these gaps.