Reading Assessment

1 Reading Assessment Helen Huntley Senior English Language Fellow MOET, Vietnam 2 Workshop Goals  To examine the micro- and macro-skills of reading comprehension  To look at the different characteristics of intensive reading  To review strategies for intensive reading  To examine some problem areas in reading  To discuss different types of reading assessments  To evaluate test items for reading  To practice creating test items for reading 3 Types of Written Texts Academic Reading  Reference material (dictionaries etc.)  Technical reports (lab reports, journal articles)  Articles in magazines and newspapers  Textbooks, theses  Essays, papers  Test directions, test content  Curriculum/syllabus documents  Editorials, opinion writing  Internet research 4 Types of Written Texts Job-related reading  Messages (phone messages, memos)  Letters/emails  Reports (job evaluations, project reports)  Schedules, signs, labels, announcements, advertisements  Forms, applications, questionnaires  Financial documents (bills, invoices)  Directories (telephone, office)  Manuals, instructions 5 Types of Written Texts Personal reading  Newspapers, magazines  Letters, emails, greeting cards, invitations  Messages, notes, lists  Schedules (buses, flights, trains)  Recipes, menus, maps, calendars  Advertisements  Fiction (novels, short stories, drama, poetry)  Financial documents (tax forms, loan applications)  Comic strips, cartoons, jokes  Journals, diaries  Internet information 6 Microskills for Reading Comprehension  Recognition of letters, words, and spelling  Ability to retain ‘chunks’ of language in short-term memory  Ability to process written text at an efficient speed  Processing of vocabulary and grammatical patterns  Differentiation of word classes (noun, verb etc.)  Recognition of alternate meanings and grammatical forms  Recognition and utilization of textual cohesive devices which indicate relationships between ideas 7 Macroskills for Reading Comprehension  Recognition of rhetorical forms of written discourse  Recognition of the purpose and communicative function of a text  Making inferences by using background knowledge  Inferring connections and relationships within a text  Distinction of literal from implied meanings  Appropriate interpretation of cultural references  Use of reading strategies to extract meaning from text skimming, scanning, guessing, activating background knowledge, detecting discourse markers 8 Characteristics of Intensive Reading  Emphasis on the quality of reading  Short texts  Difficult texts (i + 1)  Usually authentic texts  Many tasks to complete after reading  Reading is slow and careful  Need to understand the text in detail  Primarily for language study/testing and reading skills’ development  Teacher/test-driven  Teacher/tester selects texts  (Teacher often intervenes in the reading process)  Teacher/tester determines where and when to read  Reading is usually done in the classroom/test situation Davidson, P. (2005). Facilitating language learners’ vocabulary development through extensive reading. Assoc. of Teachers of English in Lebanon Journal, 14: 19-25. 9 Strategies for Intensive Reading Comprehension I  Preview and make predictions  Identify the author’s purpose and argument  Use graphemic rules and patterns to aid in bottom-up decoding  Use efficient silent reading techniques for relatively rapid comprehension  Skim the text for main idea  Scan the text for specific information  Use semantic mapping or clustering  Guess when uncertain (vocabulary, inference, discourse relationship)  Analyze vocabulary: word part, roots, context 10 Strategies for Intensive Reading Comprehension II  Distinguish between literal and implied meanings, fact and opinion  Capitalize on discourse markers to process relationships and organization  Draw inferences from both stated and implied content  Identify pronoun references  Understand the components of nonlinear texts (graphs, charts, diagrams)  Sequencing of ‘events’  Insertion of ‘missing’ sentences into a text  Identify the components of a text summary [...]... 200 22 Reading Rate Goal At the intermediate level: 200 words per minute + 70% comprehension 23 Slow Reader Problems These activities slow down reading:  Pronouncing every word while reading  Moving the lips while reading silently  Using a finger or pen to follow the words  Translating  Reading each word individually instead of in chunks  Looking up all or some unknown words 24 Reading Assessment. .. 20 Increasing Reading Rate “… fluent reading is rapid; the reader needs to maintain the flow of information at a sufficient rate to make connections and inferences vital to comprehension” Grabe (1991) Current developments in second language reading research TESOL Quarterly 25: 375-406 21 L1 Reading Rates Carver, R P (1990) Reading rate: A review of research and theory Academic Press Reading Process...Some Problem Areas…        Bottom-up and top-down processing Activation of prior knowledge Utilization of pre -reading activities Vocabulary development Guessing Strategies Reading Rate Assessment of reading 11 Bottom-up and Top-down Processing “Research has shown that reading is only incidentally visual More information is contributed by the reader than by the print on the page That is,... individually instead of in chunks  Looking up all or some unknown words 24 Reading Assessment        A reading log of material read Reading rate chart Reading portfolio Reading reports/journals Oral reports Comprehension questions in a variety of formats Quizzes/tests 25 Texts for Reading Tests      Purpose written, adapted or authentic Sources: newspapers, magazines, brochures, encyclopedia,... emphasized” Grabe (1991) cites the important role of vocabulary as a predictor of overall reading ability Nation (1990) emphasizes “ a systematic and principled approach to vocabulary by both the teacher and the learners” Learning vocabulary is important for reading! Focus on most frequent words 18 Extensive Reading = Extensive Vocabulary Anderson (1996): the average 12th grader knows about 80,000... in their memories… Skill in reading depends on the efficient interaction between linguistic knowledge and knowledge of the world” Clarke, M & Silberstein, S (1977) Toward a realization of psycholinguistic principles for the ESL 12 reading class Language Learning 27: 135-54 Activating Prior Knowledge (schema/schemata)? Facilitates comprehension  Unlocks vocabulary before reading  Makes readers more... street She remembered her Christmas money and ran into the house She locked the door… 16 Activating Activities      Pre -reading discussion Semantic maps Visuals: pictures, photographs, charts Expectations of rhetorical patterns Predictions/hypotheses 17 The Role of Vocabulary in Reading Research Studies Levine & Reeves (1990) cite “lack of adequate vocabulary… as one of the obstacles to text comprehension”... brochures, encyclopedia, Internet Avoidance of texts with controversial or biased material Word Count and readability statistics (Flesh Kincaid on MSW) Addition of line numbers in text 26 Designing Assessments for Reading Comprehension      Cloze Comprehension questions multiple choice short answer Editing Sequencing Information transfer charts, maps, graphs, diagrams 27 Cloze Tests (see handout) Definition... that changing or avoiding my things that make you miserable may well make you less miserable ever but probably no happier from Brown, D.H (2004) Language assessment: Principles and classroom practices Longman 32 Multiple-choice (see handout) Most common reading testing technique Tests according to specifications, e.g Main idea Vocabulary in context Expressions/idioms/phrases in context Inference Grammatical... Expressions/idioms/phrases in context Inference Grammatical features Details Unstated details Supporting ideas Computer-based additions: clicking on word or picture, adding a sentence 33 Multiple Choice Format for Reading Distinguish between main ideas and supporting details     JR (just right): Correct or best answer TG (too general): Option too broad TS (too specific): Focus on one detail OT (off topic): Idea . intensive reading  To review strategies for intensive reading  To examine some problem areas in reading  To discuss different types of reading assessments. knowledge  Utilization of pre -reading activities  Vocabulary development  Guessing Strategies  Reading Rate  Assessment of reading 12 Bottom-up and Top-down