Teach Reading, Not Testing: Best Practice in an Age of Accountability

Teaching IS rocket science—and you are the pilot! Teach Reading, Not Testing reinforces what teachers already know—test preparation worksheets and drill-and-kill activities do not make children into lifelong readers. The authors' conscientious approach to reading instruction combines an insider perspective on the development of high-stakes tests with classroom experience in achieving successful reading outcomes at the elementary and secondary levels. Their research-based methodology, building on teachers' expertise about best practice, is based on five key components: Aligning instruction to the state or national core standards Using formative assessment Connecting units to real-world contexts Motivating students effectively Holding on to best practice in literacy instruction Included are end-of-chapter quizzes and real-life scenarios, plus a full chapter on teaching literacy with special populations. Readers will find helpful solutions for teaching children to love reading in the midst of the accountability movement, and an approach to test preparation that doesn't require teachers to sacrifice everything they already know about teaching kids to read.

Table of Contents:
Foreword by W. James Popham Acknowledgments About the Authors Introduction 1. Conducting an Alignment Study Conducting an Alignment Study What Is Alignment? Teaching to the Test: Just Say No Key Points to Remember End-of-Chapter Quiz 2. Using Formative Assessments What Does Formative Mean? How Are the Scores of Test Takers Analyzed? Differentiated Instruction Tests as a Snap Shot: The Jacuzzi Metaphor DIBELS Test Quality and District Assessments End-of-Chapter Quiz 3. Struggling Readers Accommodations Versus Modifications Modifications and High-Stakes Tests: Alternative Assessments Accommodations and High-Stakes Tests Assistive Technology (AT) Response to Intervention (RTI) Differentiated Instruction (DI) English Language Learners (ELLs) End-of-Chapter Quiz 4. Attitude and Motivation Motivation Research Incentives Goal Setting What to Do If Your Principal Wants to Use Pizza Parties to Bribe Students The Use of Practice Tests: Preparation or Motivation? Test Preparation: Analyzing Tests as a Reading Genre Communicaton With Stakeholders End-of-Chapter Quiz 5. Engaged Independent Reading Connect Your Reading Units to Real-World Contexts Teaching Students to Read for Pleasure Reading at Home: W.E.I.R.D. What′s the Deal With Boys? Literature Circles and Book Clubs: What Is Normal in the Real World? Best Practice for Book Clubs Summary End-of-Chapter Quiz 6. Best Practice What Do Quality Inservices Look Like? Theory and Practice at the Elementary Level: Best Practices Primer Know What Works for You End-of-Chapter Quiz 7. Implications for Your Teaching and Beyond Holding Your Ground Test Misuse in the Early Days of Testing The Need for a Supportive Principal No More Teaching to the Test Next Steps Final Thoughts Resource A: Answers to Quizzes Resource B: Five Ways to Teach Vocabulary General Glossary of Assessment Terms References Index