S4 Slides_Assessing second language reading

Assessing Second Language Reading

Course Overview

  • Course Title: Assessing Second Language Reading (EDUC2022, FED, UM)

  • Instructor: Zhicheng Mao

Expected Learning Outcomes

  • Understand the purpose, method, and importance of reading assessment.

  • Learn to design reading comprehension questions.

  • Acquire strategies for conducting formative reading assessments.

Reading Assessment Contents

  1. Reading comprehension questions

  2. Formative reading assessment

Importance of Reading Assessment

Questions for Discussion

  • Is reading assessment just about creating comprehension questions based on a text?

  • Why is it crucial to differentiate between testing and teaching reading?

  • What makes assessing reading abilities challenging? Is it focused on the process or product of reading?

Types of Assessment

Assessment of Learning vs. Assessment for Learning

  • Assessment of Learning:

    • Summative; measures student achievement at the end of a unit or course.

    • Takes the form of exams or tests to rank students.

  • Assessment for Learning:

    • Formative; adjusts teaching based on student assessment information.

    • Occurs throughout the learning process to improve future learning planning.

Purpose of Assessment

For Teachers:

  • Identify effective reading behaviors and address missing ones.

  • Document evidence of student progress.

  • Determine appropriate reading levels for materials.

  • Enhance instructional methods.

For Students:

  • Self-reflection on reading abilities.

  • Insight on performance in reading assignments.

  • Evaluate future learning paths.

What to Assess in Reading

  • **Key Competencies: **

    • Fluency and reading speed

    • Automaticity and word recognition

    • Vocabulary knowledge

    • Morphological knowledge (word structure)

    • Syntactic knowledge (sentence structure and grammar)

    • Text structure awareness

    • Comprehension of main ideas

    • Recall of details

    • Inference and logical conclusions

    • Summarization and synthesis skills

    • Critical reading and evaluation skills

Assessment Methods

Common Reading Assessment Items

  • Cloze tests (random word deletion)

  • Gap-filling exercises

  • C-test (deleting parts of words)

  • Multiple-choice questions

  • Matching tasks

  • Ordering activities

  • Dichotomous items (true/false)

  • Editing tests

  • Short-answer tests

  • Free recall tests

  • Summary tasks

  • Information transfer (e.g., charts, diagrams)

Descriptions of Specific Assessment Items

Cloze Test

  • Fixed intervals for word deletion; measures various reading skills.

Gap-filling

  • Words deleted based on relevance, necessitating rational choice.

C-test

  • Measures various reading competencies; challenging for low proficiency learners.

Multiple-choice

  • Effective for assessing critical thinking; good distractors reveal misunderstandings.

Other Types

  • Matching: Avoid limiting choices to available answers.

  • Ordering: Requires scoring strategies for partial correctness.

  • Dichotomous Items: Simple true/false evaluations plus additional response options.

Reading Comprehension Questions

Types of Questions

  • Literal Comprehension:

    • Basic understanding; e.g., factual recall.

  • Reorganization:

    • Combines information from different text sections; requires deeper understanding.

  • Inference:

    • Draws conclusions not explicitly stated in the text.

  • Prediction:

    • Hypothesizes future events based on text comprehension.

  • Evaluation:

    • Critical judgment about the text's content or writing style.

  • Personal Response:

    • Reflective answers based on feelings towards the text.

Examples of Questions

Literal Questions:

  • Factual recall: "Who was the youngest resident of the home?"

Inference Questions:

  • Engaging deeper thought: "Why didn’t the villagers help the boy?"

Formative Reading Assessment

Definition

  • Target instruction based on learning gaps identified through assessment.

Practice Examples

  • Use assessments to design focused instructional strategies.

  • Informal reading assessments through observations, journals, and feedback.

Tools for Assessment

  • Portfolios, student self-evaluation, reading logs, observation forms.

Interweaving Assessment with Instruction

  • Model and teach effective reading behaviors.

  • Inform students of assessment criteria.

  • Integrate assessment into instructional planning to enhance learning outcomes.