ASSESSING READING

Oni Setiawan Paranginangin (2004410005)

Types(Genres) of Reading
Every written text category or style has its unique rules and standards. To
comprehend the intended message effectively, a reader should be able to predict
and understand these conventions. Given the vast array of genres found in any
literate society, readers need to possess highly refined skills in processing various
types of texts. Below is a condensed compilation of typical genres, which ultimately
contribute to evaluating reading proficiency.
Genres of reading
1. Academic reading general interest articles (in magazines, newspapers, etc.)
technical reports (e.g., lab reports), professional journal articles reference
material (dictionaries, etc.) textbooks, theses essays, papers test directions
editorials and opinion writing
2. Job-related reading messages (e.g., phone messages) letters/emaiIs memos
(e.g., interoffice) reports (e.g., job evaluations, project reports) schedules,
labels, signs, announcements forms, applications, questionnaires financial
documents (bills, invoices, etc.) directories (telephone, office, etc.) manuals,
directions
3. Personal reading newspapers and magazines letters, emails, greeting cards,
invitations messages, notes, lists schedules (train, bus, plane, etc.) recipes,
menus, maps, calendars advertisements (commercials, want ads) novels, short
stories, jokes, drama, poetry financial documents (e.g., checks, tax forms, loan
.applications) forms, questionnaires, medical reports, immigration documents
comic strips, cartoons
MICROSKILLS, MACROSKILLS, AND
STRATEGIES FOR READING
TYPES OF READING
When it comes to reading, the diversity of performance stems primarily from the
abundance of text genres (as mentioned earlier) rather than the explicit range of
performance types. However, when assessing reading abilities, it is common to
recognize multiple types of reading performance, which help structure various
assessment tasks.
1. Preceptive
Following the established categories outlined for listening comprehension,
comparable specifications are provided in this context, albeit with certain
terminological variations that highlight the distinctiveness of reading.
2. Selective
This classification primarily exists due to the formats used for assessment
purposes. To evaluate an individual's ability to identify lexical, grammatical, or
discourse elements in a brief passage of text, specific tasks such as picture-cued
tasks, matching exercises, true/false questions, multiple-choice questions, and
others are commonly employed.
3. Interactive
Interactive reading types encompass passages ranging from several paragraphs to
one page or even longer, requiring the reader to engage with the text on a
psycholinguistic level. In this process, reading becomes a form of meaning
negotiation, where the reader applies a set of pre-existing schemas to comprehend
the text, and the intake of information is the result of this interaction.
TYPES OF READING
4. Extensive
The concept of extensive reading, as described in this
book, pertains to texts that exceed a single page and
encompass a wide range of materials, such as professional
articles, essays, technical reports, short stories, and books.
DESIGNING ASSESSMENT TASKS:
PERCEPTIVE READING
• Reading Aloud
During the assessment, the test-taker encounters individual letters,
words, and/or brief sentences, which they read aloud in the presence of
an administrator. As the focus is on assessing reading comprehension,
any oral approximation of the intended response is deemed correct.
• Written Response
The test-taker is presented with identical stimuli, and their objective is
to replicate the given probe in written form. Due to the transfer of skills
involved in this task, the assessment of the test-taker's response needs
to be approached with caution and careful consideration.
• Multiple-Choice
Multiple-choice responses go beyond simply selecting one option out of
four or five potential answers. Various alternative formats, particularly
beneficial for lower levels of reading proficiency, include tasks such as
identifying sameness or differences, circling the correct answer,
determining true or false statements, choosing a specific letter, and
matching items. Here are several options to consider.
DESIGNING ASSESSMENT TASKS:
PERCEPTIVE READING
• Picture-Cued Items
Test-takers are shown a picture, such as the one on the
next page, along with a written text and are given one of a
number of possible tasks to perform
- Picture-cued word identification
- Picture-cued sentence identification
- Picture-cued true/false sentence identification
- Picture-cued matching word identification
- Multiple-choice picture-cued word identification
DESIGNING ASSESSMENT TASKS:
SELECTIVE READING
• Multiple-Choice (for Form-Focused Criteria)
The multiple-choice format is widely favored for testing vocabulary and
grammar knowledge in reading. Its popularity stems from practical
considerations as it is convenient to administer and allows for quick
scoring. While some multiple-choice items may lack extensive context,
they can effectively assess vocabulary or grammar proficiency.
Multiple-choice vocabulary/grammar tasks
1. He's not married. He's ________
A. young
B. single
C. first
D. a husband
2. If there's no doorbell, please ________on the door.
A. kneel
B. type
C. knock
D. shout
Multiple-Choice (for Form-Focused
Criteria)
Contextualized multiple-choice vocabulary/grammar tasks
1. Oscar: Do you like champagne?
Lucy: No, I can't it!
A. stand
B. prefer
C. hate
2. Manager: Do you like to work by yourself? Employee:
Yes, I like to work
A. independently
B. definitely
C. impatiently
Multiple-Choice (for Form-Focused
Criteria)
Multiple-choice cloze vocabulary/grammar task
Multiple-Choice (for Form-Focused
Criteria)
• Matching Tasks
At this advanced stage of reading, the test-taker's objective
is to provide accurate responses, making matching a
suitable format. Vocabulary is the most commonly
assessed criterion in matching exercises. Here is a
standard format for reference:
Vocaqulary matching task
Write in the letter of the definition on the right that matches
the word on the left.
___ 1. exhausted a. unhappy
___ 2. disappointed b. understanding of others
___ 3. enthusiastic c. tired
___ 4. empathetic d. excited
Multiple-Choice (for Form-Focused
Criteria)
• Editing Tasks
Evaluating linguistic proficiency in reading often involves employing the method
of editing to identify grammatical or rhetorical errors. This technique is widely
utilized in tests like the TOEFL® and various others. The rationale behind its
adoption is that it not only emphasizes grammar but also simulates the real-
world task of editing or detecting errors in written passages.
Multiple-choice grammar editing task
Multiple-Choice (for Form-Focused
Criteria)
• Picture-Cued Tasks
In the preceding section, we explored picture-cued tasks that focused on
perceptive recognition of symbols and words. Pictures and photographs can
also be effectively employed to assess selective-level abilities. There are
several commonly used methods that utilize pictures as cues.
1. Test-takers read a sentence or passage and choose one of four pictures
that is being described.The sentence (or sentences) at this level is more
complex. A computer-based example follows:
Multiple-Choice (for Form-Focused
Criteria)
2. Test-takers read a series of sentences or definitions, each describing a
labeled part of a picture or diagram. Their task is to identify each labeled item.
In the following diagram, test-takers do not necessarily know each term, but by
reading the definition they are able to make an identification. For example:
Multiple-Choice (for Form-Focused
Criteria)
• Gap-Filling Tasks
A significant number of the multiple-choice tasks mentioned
earlier can be transformed into gap-filling or "fill-in-the-
blank" items, requiring the test-taker to provide a written
word or phrase as their response. Another variation of this
format involves sentence completion, where test-takers
read a partial sentence and then complete it by writing an
appropriate phrase.
DESIGNING ASSESSMENT TASKS:
INTERACTIVE READING
• Cloze Tasks
The cloze procedure, one of the most widely used reading
assessment tasks, takes its name from the term "cloze," which
was coined by educational psychologists. It encompasses the
concept of "closure" from Gestalt psychology, referring to the
ability to fill in missing information in an incomplete image
(visual, auditory, or cognitive) and provide the omitted details
based on background knowledge and schemas. Cloze tests
typically consist of at least two paragraphs to accommodate
expectations related to discourse. Constructing cloze tests is
relatively straightforward as long as clear guidelines for selecting
deletions and scoring are established. Traditionally, every
seventh word (with a tolerance of plus or minus two) is removed
(known as fixed-ratio deletion). However, some cloze test
designers opt for a rational deletion approach, selecting words
based on their grammatical or discourse functions.
DESIGNING ASSESSMENT TASKS:
INTERACTIVE READING
• Impromptu Reading Plus Comprehension Questions
While cloze testing garners significant research attention as
a method to evaluate reading comprehension, the
conventional approach of "reading a passage and
answering questions" holds the distinction of being the
oldest and most widespread technique. Practically every
proficiency test adopts this format, and it is uncommon to
find an assessment of reading that doesn't incorporate a
component involving spontaneous reading and subsequent
question response.
Example Impromptu Reading Plus
Comprehension Questions
DESIGNING ASSESSMENT TASKS:
INTERACTIVE READING
• Short-Answer Tasks
Constructing and validating multiple-choice items can be
challenging, and classroom teachers often lack the time in
their busy schedules to create such tests. As a widely
adopted alternative to multiple-choice questions after
reading passages, the traditional short-answer format
comes into play. In this format, a reading passage is
provided, and the test-taker responds to questions by
providing answers in one or two sentences. These
questions may cover the same criteria as those indicated
for TOEFL reading, but they are presented in a question
format.
DESIGNING ASSESSMENT TASKS:
INTERACTIVE READING
• Editing (Longer Texts)
In the preceding section of this chapter, which focused on
selective reading, editing tasks were discussed. However,
the discussion was confined to a collection of independent
sentences, each containing an error to be identified by the
test-taker. The same technique has proven to be effective
when applied to longer passages spanning 200 to 300
words. The extended format offers several advantages.
DESIGNING ASSESSMENT TASKS:
INTERACTIVE READING
• Scanning
Scanning is a technique employed by readers to locate pertinent
information within a text. The evaluation of scanning skills
involves presenting test-takers with various stimuli, such as
prose passages or charts/graphs, and assessing their ability to
quickly identify relevant pieces of information.
• a one- to two-page news article,
• an essay,
• a chapter in a textbook,
• a technical report,
• a table or chart depicting some research findings,
• a menu, and
• an application form
DESIGNING ASSESSMENT TASKS:
INTERACTIVE READING
• Ordering Tasks
Students consistently find delight in the task of receiving
small strips of paper, each containing a sentence, and
piecing them together to form a story. This technique, often
referred to as the "strip story," can be adapted in various
ways to assess the students' comprehension of the story as
a whole and their understanding of cohesive devices that
indicate the sequence of events or ideas.
DESIGNING ASSESSMENT TASKS:
INTERACTIVE READING
• Information Transfer: Reading Charts, Maps, Graphs, Diagrams
Each of these forms of media relies on the reader's existing schemata
to interpret them, often accompanied by oral or written discourse to
convey, clarify, question, argue, and engage in debates, among other
linguistic functions. This nonverbal, visual symbolic dimension is
integrated into virtually every language curriculum, from the most basic
levels to highly advanced ones. Consequently, it is crucial for
assessment methods to incorporate measures of comprehension of
nonverbal media.
To comprehend information in this medium (here after referred to
simply as "graphics"), learners must be able to
• comprehend specific conventions of the various types of graphics;
• comprehend labels, headings, numbers, and symbols;
• comprehend the possible relationships among elements of the
graphic; and
• make inferences that are not presented overtly.
DESIGNING ASSESSMENT TASKS:
EXTENSIVE READING
Before examining,a few tasks that have proved to be useful
in assessing extensive reading, it is essential to note that a
number of the tasks described in previous categories can
apply here. Among them are
• impromptu reading plus comprehension questions,
• short-answer tasks,
• editing,
• scanning,
• ordering,
• information transfer, and
• interpretation (discussed under graphics),
DESIGNING ASSESSMENT TASKS:
EXTENSIVE READING
• skimming Tasks
Skimming entails quickly scanning through a text to grasp its
essence or primary concept. It serves as a predictive strategy to
provide readers with an understanding of the topic, purpose,
organization, writer's perspective, level of difficulty, and/or
relevance of the text. It's worth noting that skimming can be
applied to texts of various lengths, so it is advisable not to limit
this type of task solely to extensive texts.
Example of Skimming Tasks
 What is the main idea of this text?
 What is the author's purpose in writing the text?
 What kind of writing is this [newspaper article, manual, novel,
etc.]?
 What type of writing is this [expository, technical, narrative,
etc.]?
DESIGNING ASSESSMENT TASKS:
EXTENSIVE READING
• Summarizing and Responding
A widely used approach to evaluate extensive reading is by requesting
the test-taker to compose a summary of the text. The task assigned to
students can be formulated in a straightforward manner:
- Directions for summarizing
Write a summary of the text. Your summary should be about one
paragraph in length (100-150 words) and should include your
understanding of the main idea and supporting ideas.
- Criteria for assessing a summary
1. Expresses accurately the main idea and supporting ideas.
2. Is written in the student's own words; occasional vocabulary from the
original text is acceptable.
3. Is logically organized.
4. Displays facility in the use of language to clearly express ideas in the
text.
DESIGNING ASSESSMENT TASKS:
EXTENSIVE READING
Holistic scoring scale for summarizing and responding to
reading
3 Demonstrates clear, unambiguous comprehension
of the main and supporting ideas.
2 Demonstrates comprehension of the main idea but
lacks comprehension of some supporti ng ideas.
1 Demonstrates only a partial comprehension of the
main and supporting ideas.
0 Demonstrates no comprehension of the main and
supporting ideas.
DESIGNING ASSESSMENT TASKS:
EXTENSIVE READING
• Note-Taking and Outlining
Lastly, the assessment of a reader's comprehension of
extensive texts can be conducted by evaluating their
notetaking and/or outlining processes. Due to the
challenges of controlling conditions and time constraints
associated with these techniques, they fall under the
category of informal assessment. Their value lies in the
strategic training they provide to learners in retaining
information through margin notes that emphasize crucial
details or organizing ideas into visually manageable
frameworks through outlines.