Do you ever feel like you’re assessing all the time? You’re assessing the weather and the traffic. You’re assessing what to say and how to teach. You’re assessing all the information that comes across your desk and computer screen. You’re even assessing whether or not to continue reading this post, aren't you?

Oh yeah, and you’re assessing your students. There are benchmark assessments, progress monitoring assessments, and Read Naturally-specific placement assessments. What’s the difference? Is anyone confused?

Your data will only be accurate if you use assessment and placement resources for their intended purposes. The following table will help you understand the differences.

  Benchmark Assessment Progress Monitoring Read Naturally Placement
Purpose Use to screen students to determine which students need further diagnosis and possibly extra instructional support in reading. Use to collect frequent data on a student’s reading progress. Use to place a student in the appropriate level of a Read Naturally strategy program with an appropriate goal.
Assessment Population Administer to all students. Administer to students who receive supplemental reading instruction or who require close monitoring. Administer to students who are going to begin using a Read Naturally strategy program.
Administration Schedule Administer three times per year: fall, winter, and spring. Administer on a weekly, biweekly, or monthly basis. Administer before a student begins working in a Read Naturally strategy program.
Level of Passages Use grade-level passages. Use instructional-level passages. Use the Read Naturally placement passage(s) that correspond to the student’s reading level.
Process Student reads three grade-level passages aloud for one minute each. You calculate and record the average words-correct-per-minute score. Student periodically reads an instructional-level passage aloud for one minute. You calculate and graph the average words-correct-per-minute score for the three most recent passages the student read. Student reads Read Naturally placement passages aloud for one minute each as you record words-correct-per-minute scores. You continue this process until you find the student’s correct level according to the placement table.
Use of Results Results, when compared to national norms, rank students so that you can determine which students might benefit most from a reading intervention. Results enable you to determine whether a student is making adequate progress or whether an intervention may need to be adapted to better meet the student’s needs. Results enable you to determine the appropriate Read Naturally level and goal for the student.
Read Naturally Resources Benchmark Assessor Live* Reading Fluency Progress Monitor

Read Naturally placement packet

Read Naturally Live Student Placement system is built into Read Live .

 

Do you have further questions about using assessments and Read Naturally’s placement process? We’re here to help. If you leave a note in the comments section, we’ll respond right away. And feel free to print or bookmark this post, so you can easily refer to this information in the future.

*Service and support for Benchmark Assessor Live terminated June 30, 2019.