The Practical Guide to Classroom Literacy Assessment

The Practical Guide to Classroom Literacy Assessment, is every teacher's indispensable guide to assessment of all aspects of elementary literacy. It is an engaging and comprehensive resource for practitioners and pre-service teachers that integrates assessment and instruction activities to demonstrate practical ways for embedding test preparation into teaching and learning. Authentic teaching situations and dialogues in a story-like setting help readers become part of the background as observers, then use the structures and similar activities in their own teaching. The authors present specific assessment formats with how-to and when-to guidelines for reading, writing, and speaking--illustrated with rich examples, dialogues, scenarios, checklists, and student samples. An essential teacher's resource for linking literacy instruction and assessment more closely, evaluating grading, and providing meaningful instruction while conforming to current testing mandates, this is also an invaluable reference for coaches and administrators.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments About the Authors Introduction 1. Assessments With a Focus on Learning: Purposes and Promises The Historical Root of the Matter Which Literacies? Audiences and Types of Assessments Timing of Tests Reasons for Assessments Final Thoughts 2. Writing Assessments Brief Historical Overview of Writing Assessments Writing Assessments Today Types of Writing Assessments Writing Tasks Evaluation Tools Writing Assessment Formats Assessing Processes Assessing Products Organizing and Administering Your Own Scoring Session Final Thoughts 3. Reading Asessment Teacher-Created Assessments Commercial Assessments Ongoing Assessments Used to Monitor Progress End-of-Year Assessment Final Thoughts 4. Oral and Visual Assessments Speaking Listening Viewing and Experiencing Audience and Purpose Importance of a Variety of Assessment Forms and Products Final Thoughts 5. Assessment Portfolios What Is an Assessment Portfolio? What Are the Issues Surrounding Portfolios? Final Thoughts 6. Putting Assessment in Perspective Overview of Assessment Data Uses of Assessment A Few Final Assessment Caveats Additional Resources for Assessment Final Thoughts Index

About the Author :
Diane M. Barone is Professor Literacy Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno.  In her role at the university, she teaches courses in early literacy, diversity and literacy, and qualitative research.  Her research interests center on young children, especially in high poverty schools, and how they develop in literacy.  Her most current study followed 16 children from kindergarten through to Grade 6 to document their literacy growth.  She has been an editor of Reading Research Quarterly and has written numerous articles, book chapters, and books.  Some of her recent books include Reading First in the Classroom with Joan Taylor and Darrin Hardman, Literacy and Young Children: Research-Based Practices with Lesley Morrow, Teaching Early Literacy: Development, Assessment, and Instruction with Marla Mallette and Shelley Xu, and The National Board Certification Handbook.  She is also Principal Investigator for Reading First in Nevada and serves as a member of the board for the International Reading Association. Joan Taylor is a teacher-consultant who works with teachers and students in Title I schools in the Reno/Sparks area of Northern Nevada.  She recently completed a dissertation on A History of Written Composition Instruction in U.S. Elementary Schools.  Her research interests, in addition to historical and current perspectives on writing instruction, are focused on exploring teachers′ stories on learning and teaching. She has been a long-time middle school teacher in Washoe County Schools.  She is also Nevada State Networks Writing Project Co-Director, and during the past several years has authored a number of federally funded state literacy grants from the U.S. Department of Education totaling approximately $53 million.  These include the Nevada Reading Excellence Act and Nevada Reading First grants.

Review :
"The authors have taken a complex topic and presented it in a very readable, accessible manner. An ideal candidate for school-based professional development organized on the study group model." "I found the monthly focuses for the portfolio to be wonderful!"