BEAR

• Basic Early Assessment of Reading is a series of test designed for kindergarteners, first graders, second graders and third graders. It examines how well they read aloud, how well they can read for their grade level, letter recognition, understanding of word concepts, and phonological awareness. Student’s abilities are based on meeting standards set at the national level. In the book, “Early Reading Assessment” Natalie Rathvon explains that the tests are broken up into four stages that include a general screening, and assessment at the end of the year to test progress, a reading aloud segment and a diagnostic session left up as optional for the teaching staff’s determination.
  
  

Continuous Testing

• Both Jeremy Brunaccioni and Anne McGill Franzen, teachers and Scholastic writers, advise teachers to assess students at the beginning of the year to see where they are. This gives teachers an opportunity to learn of the student’s strengths to help her in teaching reading. In the middle of the year, the teacher will assess student’s progress and review letters and concepts that they still haven’t grasped. At the end of the year, teachers assess the students again. Kindergarten reading assessments cover letter and sound association, phonological awareness, word reading, understanding book concepts, and word writing.
  
  

Comprehension

• In the book, “Parallel Learning of Reading and Writing in Early Childhood” Mary Shea writes that reading time is an ample opportunity for teachers to begin assessing student’s ability to comprehend book concepts. She explains that the teacher should start off the reading period by telling the students that she will ask questions after she finishes the book. After reading the teacher will ask about the characters in the story, the events that unfolded in the story and why those events happened. Teachers assess his comprehension by studying his re-telling of the story.
  
  

Observation

• Former kindergarten teacher and Title 1 Reading Program instruction, Michelle Hubbard explains that all assessments aren’t exam based. In her experiences, she explains that the teacher can make observations about the child that a test cannot. Teachers use one-one-one meetings and interactions with the child, such as after class tutoring. She can save projects for each child in a portfolio to review progress at the end of the year. Teachers also casually observe the child during regular class time versus reading time.