Using classroom assessments and monitoring
Use classroom assessments to identify specific learning needs and continue to monitor whether teaching is meeting those needs
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Assessing pre-reading skills
Assessing pre-reading skills
Students with weak pre re-reading skills at school entry often struggle with reading and writing.
Knowing the letter names and sounds and having phoneme awareness, even at a simple level, is highly predictive of later reading development.
Students may need further assessment of their pre-reading skills, especially if they are in the early years of school.
Further testing to assess pre-reading skills is available in The New Zealand Dyslexia Handbook.
- Alphabet knowledge test – Appendix 1C
- Phonemic awareness test – Appendix 2
Use classroom assessments
Use classroom assessments
Take action as soon as difficulties with reading are identified. Use classroom assessments to identify and plan to meet specific needs.
About dyslexia: Supporting literacy in the classroom lists assessments you can use on pages 12–13.
![11797 [Tests.png]](https://inclusive-live-storagestack-assetstorages3bucket-3uty0hejzw6u.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/inclusive-education/example-images/Tests__ScaleMaxWidthWzEwODZd.png)
Source: Ministry of Education | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga
Identify specific needs
Identify specific needs
Plan targeted support for a learner who is having difficulty learning to read. Identify which component reading skills are sources of difficulty.
This requires assessment of the child’s knowledge in each component skill. Scarborough’s Reading Rope is a useful starting point.
Further diagnostic assessment of these skills is required to plan an instructional programme tailored to the child’s needs.
An ongoing process
An ongoing process
Discuss specific assessment tools with your literacy leader, SENCO, or LSC.
Assessment is a process rather than an end product. Use assessment to monitor your planned interventions. The information provided from assessments should support the learner’s next steps.
Assessment should be a holistic and collaborative process that takes place over a period of time, using a range of observational and assessment methods.
Useful resources
Useful resources
Assessment tools and resources
Access all the assessment tools provided by the Ministry of Education.
Publisher: Assessment Online
Three steps in screening for dyslexia
The New Zealand Dyslexia Handbook outlines three steps in screening for dyslexia. This screening approach is recommended by the Ministry of Education. The steps and tests listed on pages 61–75 are listed with links to the tests.
Download PDF (70 KB)
Literacy Learning Progressions
Read time: 96 min
This tool for teachers describes and illustrates the literacy-related knowledge, skills, and attitudes that students need to draw on in order to meet the reading and writing demands of the New Zealand Curriculum from years 1–10. Teachers should refer to them when gathering information about their students’ literacy strengths and needs (using a variety of reliable formal and informal assessment tools and procedures) in order to plan effective literacy learning programmes.
Publisher: Literacy Online
Next steps
More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Support early literacy development through a structured literacy approach”:
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Current page Use classroom assessments
Return to the guide “Dyslexia and learning”
How to use this site
Guide to Index of the guide: Dyslexia and learning
Understand:
- Understanding dyslexia
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Understanding dyslexia and literacy acquisitionShow suggestions for Understanding dyslexia and literacy acquisition
Strategies for action:
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Develop a schoolwide approachShow suggestions for Develop a schoolwide approach
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Identify student needs and how to provide supportShow suggestions for Identify student needs and how to provide support
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Support early literacy development through a structured literacy approachShow suggestions for Support early literacy development through a structured literacy approach
- Early identification
- Use classroom assessments
- Take a phonics-based approach
- Build reading skills
- Teach spelling skills
- Support writing skills
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Helpful classroom strategies in years 1–8Show suggestions for Helpful classroom strategies in years 1–8
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Helpful classroom strategies in years 9–13Show suggestions for Helpful classroom strategies in years 9–13
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Supporting literacy and numeracy in NCEAShow suggestions for Supporting literacy and numeracy in NCEA
