Standardized Tests and Informal Reading Assessments

Standardized Tests and Informal Reading Assessments

Introduction

This paper is aimed at improving a child's literacy abilities and strengths by addressing informal reading and standardized tests. It is important to note that an overwhelming majority of assessment programs focus mainly on the use of rubrics in the portfolios of students, in order to assign numerical points or scores, in addition to being focused at quickly determining the reading levels of students and to sum up all such data in the form of a grade. Assessment which is classroom based should not focus on such quick and slick outcomes, as a number of educators try to achieve.

Therefore, it would be more appropriate to use the windows of assessment to determine children as individual learners, so as to complement their literacy abilities, instead of cutting down on the information to a single letter or number representing a grade. The assessments should widen the educators' understanding, rather than reducing it; thus, grading should be done at a later stage. The main idea for the teachers should not be to fit their students in a box and consequently on the report card.

Discussion

Standardized testing is widely used by educators and students, and it is imperative that they are aware of why they administer such tests at school. Complete and thorough background information of standardized testing is necessary for the educator, in order to groom the students for the test in a proper way, and to be able to be in a position where they would either approve or disapprove of the standardized testing being administered in school. The performance of the students is affected to by these standardized tests, so much so that there is a debate within relevant quarters whether such an approach and is justified and valid to assess the knowledge and skills of students.

Merits of standardized tests

There are a number of merits of standardized tests over other forms of assessment which are at times, quite complicated.

Practical

Standardized testing methods are practical, in that they require relatively less time than assessments, which require personal attention. Standardized tests also stand out for being easily administered, since all the students are communicated the same directions, and in a similar way.

Furthermore, machines are used to grade the tests, making such tests very convenient. Lastly, the use of computers has made it easy for the teachers to evaluate students' achievement levels and their progress in various subjects.

Objective

Standardized tests are objective in nature, since they are not biased, and do not have any moods or emotions. Educators or teachers may assess a student based on biases or emotions which could adversely affect the student's score.

Instigator of change

School and classroom practices can be changed as a result of standardized tests, which acts as an efficient tool in that effect. Testing can be used to identify a problem. Once problem identification has been done; the next step is to take appropriate measures for the solution of the ...