A new practice assessment, developed by the Iowa Reading Research Center, is now available to help both pre-service and in-service teachers build their understanding of the science of reading.
The science of reading is a body of research from multiple fields (e.g., education, neuroscience, speech-language pathology) on reading development, assessment, and instruction. Studying the science of reading equips teachers with the knowledge and practical skills they need to deliver effective literacy instruction and support the development of literacy skills in all students.
Free to Iowa educators, the “Studying the Science of Reading: Practice Assessment” provides teachers with practice applying critical concepts from the science of reading. The practice assessment consists of nine modules, each aligned to an area of reading instruction or assessment. These areas include emergent literacy and language, beginning reading and spelling, word analysis, reading fluency, vocabulary, reading comprehension, reading assessment, and best practices for reading instruction.
Teachers can take the practice assessment at their own pace, and each module contains an 8-question, multiple-choice quiz related to the module topic. After completing each quiz, users are able to see the correct responses along with feedback and an explanation of the correct response. The feedback provided by the practice assessment offers insight into which areas of knowledge teachers are proficient in and which areas they could benefit from more learning in.
“Research shows that teachers’ knowledge of reading development and evidence-based literacy instruction predicts their students’ development of key reading skills. The Studying the Science of Reading: Practice Assessment is a valuable tool that will help pre-service and in-service teachers identify areas of strength and growth in their journey to build this critical knowledge,” says IRRC Assistant Director Leah Zimmermann.
Teacher candidates preparing to take a licensure exam for literacy-focused endorsements (e.g., the “Foundations of Reading Test” from Pearson, the “Teach Reading: Elementary” test from Praxis) may benefit from using this practice assessment as a study tool. Instructors in institutes of higher education may use the tool as a formative assessment of their students’ understanding of critical concepts related to the science of reading.
Equipped with practice questions and feedback, the new practice assessment can help teachers build their understanding of reading skills, assessment, and instruction—all to the benefit of their students’ literacy development. To access the practice assessment, visit the Iowa Reading Research Center’s website.