Authentic Assessment ESL: Language Proficiency

Question: How can teachers assess students’ proficiency in expressive reading and reading fluency?

Answer/Quote: “Teachers can periodically have students tape-record their oral reading. (Routrman, 1988). Ideally, students should be given the option to choose the selection they want to read, to rehearse it, and, when ready, to tape-record their performance. Tapes of students’ oral reading provide teachers with information about students’ expressive reading and reading fluency.”

“If students are not choosing a variety of texts or if teachers want to determine whether students can read more difficult texts, teachers can also ask students to read designated texts.” P. 195.

Comment: Note that students should be given the opportunity to rehearse what they plan to read. Another activity that is appropriate for both ESL students and students whose native language is English. RayS.

Title: “Assessing the Literacy Development of Second-Language Students: A Focus on Authentic Assessment.” Georgia Earnest Garcia, pp. 180-205.  In Kids Come in All Languages: Reading Instruction for ESL Students. Eds. K Spangensberg-Urgschat and R Pritchard. Newark, DE: IRA. 1994.