Laura Hampton

4/25/15
ED 291
M4 ELL Assessment

The ability to assess ELL students effectively is a very important skill for a teacher to
have. The Student Oral Language Observation Matrix (SOLOM) is recommended to assess ELL
students. This appears to be an effective and reliable testing too.
In the text, the teacher Ms. Fernandez assesses an ELL students oral language using the
SOLOM rating scale. She observes him during planned lessons and also his social interactions.
She determines that he needs assistance with grammar and punctuation. She is able to assess him
without having him write his answers on a piece of paper. She can accurately see where he is
progressing and where he needs more help. She can then plan out what he needs to improve his
weak areas.
Using this type of assessment is important because it can test Basic Interpersonal
Communication Skills (BICS) and cognitive academic skills (CALP). These skills are important
for a student to attain proficiency with reading and writing. Proficiency in reading and writing is
what all ELL students are striving to achieve.
There are a variety of ways for a student to be evaluated using SOLOM. There are
interactive writing, running records, KWL charts, reading response logs, writing samples, and
content assessments. I like the idea of the KWL charts. This stands for what we know, what we

want to know, and what we learned. I think this is a very good and effective system to assess
what a child is able to figure out about a subject. I also like the idea of using work samples
to assess what a child has learned. My son has not every passed a written assessment test, but
will be able to pass by using some of his writing samples.
I think the less structured and pressured forms of writing gives the more accurate
information as to what the students knows. Formal testing does not always show what a child
knows, so the alternative forms are a better choice. Interactive writing is also a good way to
assess what a child knows. Working in groups can give children more confidence and help those
who are struggling.
As an educator, I hope to be able to evaluate and work with ELL students effectively.
There are a variety of ways to evaluate in a non-formal way and I they should be used whenever
possible. I feel that there is too much standardized testing done, but I realize that it is not an
option to get rid of it. I just think that informal testing is more accurate and causes less stress for
all students, including ELLs.