Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Publication Date

7-17-1968

Abstract

Problem. This study was designed to evaluate the use of the informal reading inventory in a fifth grade classroom of 29 students in the Northeast Heights of Albuquerque. The emphasis of the study was placed on finding the instructional reading levels of the children. The informal reading inventory the Nelson Reading Test, and teacher grouping were used in an effort to determine the instructional reading levels of the children and then a comparison made of the three means of evaluation.

Procedure. Each child in the class was given an informal reading inventory which determined oral and silent independent, instructional, and frustration levels plus an interest level. The scores from the informal reading inventory placed the children in a specific level of the basal series of readers from which the inventory was taken. The class was also given the Nelson Reading Test which yielded raw scores, percentiles, and grade placements. The teacher of the fifth grade classroom was asked to group her class into five groups on the basis of general reading ability. The top group was given the number one and the lowest group the number five.

Results. The mean of the Nelson Reading Test was 2.5 years higher than the mean of the informal reading inventory, thus placing a majority of the children at least two and one half years ahead of their instructional level in reading. The Nelson Reading Test correlated higher with the teacher grouping than did the informal reading inventory, but the teacher was not aware of the great distribution of reading levels within the classroom as was indicated by the informal reading inventory. A regression formula was used to lower the scores of the Nelson Reading Test in regard to the informal reading inventory, but even the lowered scores placed more than half of the class at least one year ahead of their actual instructional level as determine by the informal reading inventory. The informal reading inventory yielded diagnostic information about the children tested and gave the examiner an opportunity to hear each child read orally.

Conclusions. A silent group reading test is usually administered in the public schools at the beginning of the year to determine each child's reading level. However, these scores usually place the child at his frustration level of reading rather than his instructional level. The informal reading inventory provides a test that the teacher can prepare which will yield diagnostic information and allow each child to read orally for the teacher. It is essential that children are placed in their instructional levels of reading if the reading experience is to be a success, and this must be realized by all teachers before children will benefit completely from their reading instruction.

Document Type

Thesis

Language

English

Degree Name

Elementary Education

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy

First Committee Member (Chair)

Miles Vernon Zintz

Second Committee Member

James Gordon Cooper

Third Committee Member

David Wayne Darling

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