Literacy

Literacy Assessments

Recently, students from Prep to Year 6 took part in a Progressive Achievement Test (PAT) in the area of reading. This test assesses students’ reading comprehension skills and vocabulary knowledge.

Comprehension assesses retrieving directly stated information, interpreting explicit information, interpreting implied information and reflecting on texts. Vocabulary assesses word knowledge through synonyms. Both areas are presented in a multiple choice format.

PAT Reading focuses on assessing and monitoring student growth over time and is underpinned by an understanding that students of the same age and in the same year of school can be at very different points in their learning and development. It provides overall descriptions of the types of literacy skills a student has mastered and those still to be developed based on test performance. 

Other recent class based literacy assessments include phonics/spelling, reading (including decoding, fluency and comprehension) and for prep students only, concepts about print (what a child understands about how our written language works such as where to start reading, letter vs. word, lower and upper case letters etc.).

These assessments are used to assist in planning effective and targeted literacy learning to advance the progress of every student, regardless of their starting point.

Source: https://www.acer.org/au/pat

Simone Crist

Literacy Leader