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Feature Articles - 1999

I am Ann Zeise, your guide to the best and most interesting and useful sites and articles about home education on the web.

 
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Assessments & Inventories

Sonlight Curriculum
Sonlight's Pre-K Readiness Skills
Very easy to use, this series of four carefully sequenced workbooks helps you discover your children's learning strengths and weaknesses while they have a great time.

Ekwall/Shanker Reading Inventory
by James L. Shanker, Eldon E. Ekwall
The new ESRI provides an expanded battery of 38 diagnostic tests in 11 different areas that enable the teacher-candidate, classroom teacher, special education teacher, or reading specialist to assess the full-range of students' reading abilities.

Reading Clinic: Brain Research Applied to Reading
by David Furr
This book teaches parents and teachers a new method of teaching reading. This method has been proven to work with all people, young and old. It also works very fast. Most students advance one grade level per 15 hours of instruction. This works with students who have never been able to read!
 
How the Brain Learns to Read
How the Brain Learns to Read
by David A. Sousa
The information that Sousa delivers in this text is invaluable. It helps us to understand in layman's terms, exactly what is involved in the brain and learning to read. Sousa is a topnotch author writing in a way that is so user friendly for parents.
 
Reading Rescue 1-2-3
Raise Your Child's Reading Level 2 Grades Through This Simple 3-Step Program
by Peggy M. Wilber
Based on research done at Yale, this simple yet revolutionary guide merges the three essential elements of reading instruction: auditory training, phonics, and whole language.
 
When Adolescents Can't Read: Methods and Materials That Work (From Reading Research to Practice, V. 1)
by Mary E. Curtis, Ann Marie Longo, Boys Town Reading Center, Boys Town
In this book, the authors present a remedial program for adolescents who are behind in reading as much as six grade levels.

Why Johnny Can't Read
And What You Can Do About It
by Flesch, Rudolph
Contains complete materials and instructions on teaching children to read at home.

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Reading Level Assessment

Dateline: 06/08/99

By Ann Zeise

On one of the Unschooling email lists, we got to talking about how a parent could easily determine a child's reading level. Below are various methods that were suggested. I've added more resources, too, through the years.

One quick way is to look at the reading level designation of their favorite books. Usually placed near the list price on the back cover of children's books you'll see something like this: RL 3.2. This would indicate that the book was written with the reading vocabulary of a typical child in the second month of the third grade. I'd average the "RL's" of their favorite books, as homeschooled kids tend to read all over the map. This system, however, tends to stop at about the end of the 6th grade level.

The Value of Reading Assessment
Dr. Richard McCallum discusses reading assessment and instruction and how together they can become a powerful tool in the process of learning to read. He also explains the different types of assessment and how they affect reading instruction.

Reading Words - Decoding

Have your child read and pronounce correctly each letter or word starting with "A", the first 8 "words" are letters, then progress from left to right. When your child misses 5 words in a row, or is frustrated, then stop. Next, add the number of words using the number in brackets to help you, which keeps a tally of how many words your child has read up to that row.

As you can see this scale goes all the way up to college level. This test only assesses decoding (reading words); it does not assess reading comprehension or spelling.

Example: If your child reads all the way up to "quality" but misses the next 5 or 6 words then they would have a score of 44. A score of 44 = 4.4 grade level or 4th grade and fourth month.

Links lead to dictionary.com pronunciations and definitions. The simpler words sometimes have the more complicated definitions and sometimes several pronunciations.

Award Winning Children's Books
100 books that have won the Newbery or Caldecott awards, or other literary awards for the best children's literature, organized by reading level and title. Resource for finding books once you know your child's reading level.

A
B
O
P
E
R
T
H
[8]
to
see
cat
milk
red
tree
big
book
[16]
was
city
eat
him
animal
letter
then
himself
[24]
how
deep
spell
between
weather
lip
block
awake
[32]
size
board
felt
chin
tray
approve
cliff
stalk
[40]
split
huge
plot
quality
escape
urge
collapse
grieve
[48]
abuse
residence
quarantine
contagious
glutton
exhaust
imply
image
[56]
contemporary
theory
threshold
participate
ethics
desolate
eliminate
triumph
[64]
tranquility
humidity
contemptuous
alcove
humiliate
conspiracy
aeronautic
predilection
[72]
emphasis
municipal
rescinded
luxurious
unanimous
intrigue
protuberance
audacious
[80]
benign
prevalence
repugnant
peculiarity
rudimentary
pugilist
mitosis
bibliography
[88]
anomaly
decisive
mosaic
deteriorate
spurious
irascible
expunge
coercion
[96]
discretionary
enigmatic
regime
centrifugal
itinerary
abysmal
soliloquize
inchoate
[104]
oligarchy
exigencies
mnemonic
ingratiating
covetousness
aborigines
emaciated
seismograph
[112]
pseudonym
usurp
idiosyncrasy
schism
misogyny
desuetude
exophthalmic
succinct
[120]
longevity
regimes
vehemence
regicidal
evanescence
heinous
omniscience
conduit
[128]
   

The San Diego Quick Assessment

The list in which a student misses no more than one of the ten words is the level at which he/she can read independently.

Two errors indicate his/her instructional level.

Three or more errors identify the level at which reading material will be too difficult for him/her.

 1
road
live
thank
when
bigger
how
always
night
spring
today
 2
our
please
myself
town
early
send
wide
believe
quietly
carefully
 3
city
middle
moment
frightened
exclaimed
several
lonely
drew
since
straight
 4
decided
served
amazed
silent
wrecked
improved
certainly
entered
realized
interrupted
 5
successful
business
develop
considered
discussed
behaved
splendid
acquainted
escaped
squirming
 6
bridge
commercial
abolish
trucker
apparatus
elementary
comment
necessity
gallery
relativity
 7
amber
dominion
sundry
capillary
impetuous
blight
wrest
enumerate
daunted
condescent
 8
capacious
limitation
pretext
intrigue
delusion
immaculate
ascent
acrid
binocular
embankment
 9
conscientious
isolation
molecule
ritual
momentous
vulnerable
kinship
conservatism
jaunty
inventive
 10
zany
jerking
nausea
gratuitous
linear
inept
legality
aspen
prevaricate
barometer
 11
galore
rotunda
capitalism
amnesty
risible
exonerate
superannuate
luxuriate
piebald
crunch
 

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More on Reading Level Assessment

Let's Go Learn Reading Assessment
AN A TO Z AFFILIATE
This online reading assessment gives you immediate feedback on your child's reading level, as well as his or her strengths and weaknesses in reading--all for less than the cost of most formal assessments.

Checkpoints for Progress In Reading and Writing
Observational assessments developed by a Subgroup of the America Reads Challenge: READ* WRITE* NOW Partners Group in 1998. The checkpoints are grouped largely by three-year developmental periods because children of the same age and grade often grow and learn at different rates.

Reading Aptitude Assessment Test
This free aptitude test will detect specific reading deficiencies. Then we'll give you recommendations to help you or your child read or read better!

Reading Level Estimator
It only takes a few minutes to have your child read a story as you take note of any mistakes. Then simply enter the number of mistakes into the Level Estimator form and click "Estimate Level". The results can help you make more accurate book selections for your child.

The Reading Success Lab
The free reading assessment test is an effective screening device to determine whether there is a need for further testing. Works even with those with dyslexia or other learning disabilities.

Schonell Reading Test
The child should read the words left to right. When a word that gets a little difficult, ask the child to sound it out. If the child can't say what the word is, then go on to the next one. Determines reading age, not grade level.

SEDL - RCI Framework of Reading - Reading Assessment
We have created this summary of the different types of assessment that can be used for measuring development in reading skills in the hopes that teachers will better understand how single skills can be assessed by multiple measures.

The SMOG Readability Formula
To calculate the SMOG reading grade level, begin with the entire written work that is being assessed, and follow these four steps. A way to figure out what reading level a particular book is.

Zork & Norkley Assessment Guide
Download Executable file for Windows. Part I evaluates phonetic and blending skills. Part II determines the student's ability to read common sight words. You will find that the Guide is very easy and fun to use.

Homeschool Language Arts Curriculum
Parents like that Time4Learning tracks progress and helps children advance by teaching with individualized learning paths that assure coverage of the language arts skills and concepts that make children succeed.
 
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ClickN' READ Phonics. Click HERE

Books to Help You Assess and Teach Reading

Beginning Readers

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
by Engelmann, Siegfried
Based on the excellent DISTAR program, my daughter learned to read well and fast. Combines phonics with interesting reading material for youngsters.
 
Reading With Meaning: Teaching Comprehension in the Primary Grades
Reading With Meaning: Teaching Comprehension in the Primary Grades
by Debbie Miller
I began to "teach" my son during his summer break from school. I would recommend this book to any parent trying to make a difference. It was truly an eye-opener for both of us!
 
Words Their Way: Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction (3rd Edition)
by Donald R. Bear (Author), Marcia Invernizzi, Shane Templeton, Francine Johnston
Because my students dislike worksheets as much as I do, I am constantly searching for hands-on activities that developed word attack and spelling skills.

The Writing Road to Reading
5th Rev Ed
The Spalding Method of Phonics for Teaching Speech, Writing and Reading/Book and Record

by Spalding, Romalda Bishop Walter T. Spalding
A popular method for teaching reading at home, combining the learning of reading and writing.

Improve Reading Ability

How to Increase Your Child's Verbal Intelligence
by McGuinness, Carmen and Geoffrey
Parents and teachers seeking sound, research-supported advice on ways to improve their children's reading comprehension will find this book an essential resource. Publisher's page.

Intervention Strategies to Follow Informal Reading Inventory Assessment : So What Do I Do Now?
by JoAnne Caldwell, Lauren Leslie
A student's performance on an evaluation instrument can be connected to instruction in the intervention sessions that follow. This book will provide a clear understanding of how to connect assessment and instruction.
 
Locating and Correcting Reading Difficulties
(7th Edition)
by James L. Shanker, Eldon E. Ekwall, Judith A. Shanker
This book is filled with hundreds of tips for correcting reading difficulties in every area imaginable. Oral reading, decoding, comprehension, study skills, even pre-reading skills...from simple teaching strategies to games...they're all covered!
 
The Myth of Laziness
The Myth of Laziness
by Mel Levine
Practical, wise, and compassionate, The Myth of Laziness offers parents and teachers day-to-day strategies and support to prevent output failure and, when necessary, to help children overcome dysfunction and become productive, successful adults.

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