Course Overview
Fluency Assessment and Instruction
Fluency Assessment and Instruction
There is a wide variety of tools to assess fluency, from word-level automaticity tests to silent reading measures. However, choosing the right assessment is crucial. This workshop equips you to evaluate reading fluency assessments, make informed decisions, and compare assessment types.
Who is this course for?
This course is for all educators, including, but not limited to classroom teachers, literacy coaches, special educators, school psychologists, and reading specialists/interventionists.
Course description
The turn of the century brought new and unprecedented interest in questions related to reading fluency. In 1998 the National Research Council (Snow, Burns, & Griffin) recommended that reading fluency be monitored in the classroom as an indicator of problems with reading comprehension. In 2000 the National Reading Panel named reading fluency as one of the five major components of good reading instruction. Since that time, stopwatches have become part of the arsenal in the fight for skilled reading.
The assessment marketplace is rife with products that are designed to help educators screen children for reading difficulty, monitor progress, and remediate those in need. There are tests of word-level automaticity. There are tests that measure reading fluency orally and silently. There are “slasher” tests, in which children demonstrate their skill by marking word boundaries in text printed without word spaces. The choice is not simple. The selection of a particular test or tests can only be made with an understanding of what each test purports to measure and how successfully it accomplishes its goal.
Participants in this workshop will learn how to:
- evaluate tests of reading fluency and automaticity
- make better decisions regarding test selection and test interpretation
Standardized tests, progress monitoring tools, and screeners will be compared and contrasted from the publisher’s perspective, along with the format used, criteria for errors, and the potential for peering into the mind of the reader. In the end, participants will learn how to make good decisions regarding test selection and interpretation as a path to meaningful educational recommendations.
This workshop counts toward OGA CEU requirements.
NUMBER OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HOURS:
2.5 hours
Dates
Nov. 19
Time
3:30 – 6:00 PM EST
Course Number(s)
1509
Location and Format
Cost
$125
Grade Level
Audience
Melissa Farrall, Ph.D., SAIF
Affiliated Distinguished Scholar
What Teachers Have to Say
Meet the Instructor(s)
Melissa Farrall, Ph.D., SAIF
Affiliated Distinguished Scholar
Melissa Farrall, Ph.D., Program Manager for Evaluation, is the author of Reading Assessment: Linking Language, Literacy, and Cognition, and the co-author of All About Tests & Assessments published by Wrightslaw. Dr. Farrall is Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurological Sciences at University of Vermont College of Medicine. She presents nationally on topics related […]
Supporting Teachers
Grants for Professional Learning
The Cynthia K. Hoehl Institute for Excellence awards grants to individual educators and school cohorts seeking better outcomes for students through our programs. Learn more about Cynthia K. Hoehl, whose vision as an educator inspired a powerful legacy.
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Graduate Credit Policy
Vermont State University (VtSU): If you are registering for a course that offers graduate credit from VTSU, you may add graduate credit up to and including the first day of class.
Graduate Credit Withdrawal Policy: For classes running consecutive days, participants who withdraw must decide by the end of the first day whether to request a graduate credit refund. To request a refund, email the Professional Learning Intake Coordinator at proflearning@sterncenter.org or by phone at 802-276-8684.
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Please confirm with your school that they have completed all the necessary steps to register you. Please do not plan to attend the class without verifying that you are registered, as we may be unable to accommodate you due to limited seating. If you are officially registered, you will receive a Registration Confirmation email. If you do not receive a Registration Confirmation email, please check with your school.
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If that is not possible for you, please get in touch with us before registering. You may still be able to take the course in some instances, but such decisions are at the course instructor’s discretion. Please refer to our Attendance & Participation Policy.
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If you wish to receive a certificate of attendance, access additional resources, and register for graduate credit (when available), you will need to pre-register with Wilson. These resources and materials are only available through Wilson.
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