Ongoing Assessment
of Language, Literacy, and Content Learning
Ongoing assessment of student learning provides continuous feedback on the effectiveness of instruction and indicates areas where a change in instructional strategy may be advised. Such assessments may range from planned assessments (such as quizzes, end-of-chapter tests, and report or essay writing) to informal classroom observations of student language and literacy behaviors.
Teachers of ELLs are often well-positioned to assess students through their performance, examining student work, observing oral language development, and evaluating incremental progress. Ongoing, performance-based assessments may reveal strengths and growth increments not detectable by annual high-stakes testing (Hurley & Tinajera, 2001; Fradd & McGee with Wilen, 1994). Questions that commonly relate to assessments in the classroom are answered below.
- How should an ELL's performance be assessed by a classroom teacher?
- How can English oral language proficiency skills be assessed?
- How can students' literacy activities in their first language be assessed?
- How can family literacy activities be assessed when the parents do not speak English?
- How can ELL writing be assessed in the classroom?
- When assessing student writing, what cultural issues should be taken into account?
References:
Hurley, S. R., & Tinajero, J. V. (Eds.). (2001). Literacy assessment of second language learners. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.