Assessing Chinese ESL Students’ Reading Levels: Methodological Considerations When Using Informal Reading Inventories

• In Event: International Perspectives on Assessment in the Schools

Abstract

Reading specialists and classroom teachers frequently use Informal Reading Inventories (IRIs) with children to estimate reading levels, assess progress, and identify problematic areas (e.g., reading miscues, comprehension of text). When used with ESL populations, however, a number of potential difficulties can arise. Three areas in particular are considered in this paper: the assessment of oral reading miscues, the accuracy of comprehension questions, and the reliability of reading rates. Data were collected from IRIs administered to 18 Chinese ESL students attending elementary schools in Illinois.

Author

• Peter G. Parker, Zayed University