Literacy Assessment Measures

Child Progress

Besides the five forms of documentation described in Technology as Documentation Tool, a formal literacy assessment may be conducted through observation of literacy behaviors. A variety of literacy assessments have been developed in recent years. Although some instruments are intended for preschool children, there are few that address the assessment needs of young children with disabilities. The Center found the need to develop its own instrument, the Individual Literacy Assessment (ILA), to assess young children's literacy skills. The ILA is based on elements of other literacy measures.

Graphic of child reading a book

ILA

The Individual Literacy Assessment is a 33-item observation tool for assessing children's literacy behaviors which include:

attention to stories
handling of books
ability to sequence, predict, and retell a story
print concepts
emergent writing skills

The ILA is conducted at the beginning of the school year and at the end. The two scores are compared to note child progress. The measure is divided into three sections: behaviors observed as book is being read to the child; behaviors observed as child “reads” a book to an adult; and assessment of art or written product.

Validity and Reliability

ILA content was derived from emergent literacy literature and preschool literacy measures by Dyson (1982), Katims (1991), Strickland (1990), Sulzby (1986, 1988), Teale and Sulzby (1986), and Toomey (1991), thereby ensuring content validity. Its internal consistency, based on average inter-item correlations, demonstrates it to be reliable and dependable with an alpha of (.8677). Since its development, the ILA has been used to assess 1,056 children.

	View ILA Procedures Manual PDF
	View Individual Literacy Assessment PDF

ILA Training Video - coming soon

Teacher Progress

Since the classroom literacy environment and teaching strategies may play a critical role in children's literacy skill attainment, methods of teacher literacy assessment are needed. Through its Interactive Technology Literacy Curriculum model, the Center developed a process and instrument for assessing classroom and teacher literacy elements. A Teacher Literacy Questionnaire, based on literacy best practices, provides a formal baseline and end of the year assessment, while teacher interviews are conducted both formally and informally throughout the school year.

Teacher Literacy Questionnaire

This questionnaire includes 41 items assessing the classroom literacy environment, materials, and activities. Teachers complete the questionnaire at the beginning and end of the school year. Results can be compared each year to note the teacher's progress in implementing literacy and technology activities in the classroom.

	View Teacher Literacy Questionnaire PDF

Teacher Interviews

Another source of literacy data is the teacher interview, conducted quarterly. Questions during the interview relate to changes seen in children's literacy behaviors, changes made in the classroom literacy environment, involvement of families in literacy activities, off-computer activities related to literacy software, and benefits seen as a result of implementing technology literacy curriculum.

	View Teacher Interview PDF

Family Progress

A valuable source of information on children's literacy skills is the family. Data on literacy materials and activities in the home can be collected at the beginning and end of the school year to note child progress.

Family Literacy Questionnaire

This questionnaire relates to the home literacy environment. Items ask about the number of books and magazines in the home, the use of computers, amount of television watched, and how frequently the family members read to the child.

	View Family Literacy Questionnaire PDF

Family Computers and Books

This measure is a short questionnaire asking families for feedback at the end of the year on what children say about the computer at school, reports of changes in children's reading and writing behaviors, and the family's perceptions of how the computer benefited their child. Items on this measure are cross-referenced to items on the Family Literacy Questionnaire.