How reliable are informal reading inventories?

Spector, Janet E.

doi:10.1002/pits.20104

Cited by 24 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Also, in comparing strong and weak comprehenders, children's grade level of functioning in reading was estimated based on several reading comprehension measures that yielded varied grade equivalent scores; data on children's independent reading levels in graded text were not available. Although tests that provide the latter kind of information such as informal reading inventories can also be problematic (Spector, 2005), this information might have helped to interpret children's book choices in relation to their reading abilities, especially for the weak comprehenders.…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationships between sixth-graders’ reading comprehension and two different measures of print exposure

2008

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This study examined sixth-graders' reading comprehension and component reading abilities in relation to two measures of print exposure: an author recognition test (ART) involving fiction authors and a reading habits questionnaire (RHQ) about children's voluntary reading for enjoyment across various genres. The ART correlated only with children's fiction book reading habits, not with other habits such as nonfiction book or magazine reading, and had a stronger relationship to all tested reading abilities than did the RHQ. Strong comprehenders in reading outperformed weak comprehenders on all component reading measures, ART score, and fiction habits; however, weak comprehenders scored higher than did strong comprehenders on the indicator of nonfiction reading habits. The two groups of comprehenders did not differ significantly on other reported reading habits. The results are discussed in relation to children's specific book choices and demonstrate the relevance of genre to evaluations of children's print exposure.Not long ago, the Commissioner of Education in our state convened a reading summit attended by reading specialists, general educators, higher education faculty, and others with an interest in children's reading achievement. A central purpose of the summit was to address stagnant scores on the state-mandated reading comprehension assessment. One common viewpoint was captured on local radio by an attendee who

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Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationships between sixth-graders’ reading comprehension and two different measures of print exposure

2008

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“…(See also Nilsson [2013/this issue], which examines reliability evidence reported in 11 new and updated IRIs and makes comparisons with Spector's earlier analysis.) Spector (2005) reported that fewer than half of the IRI manuals evaluated provided reliability information, and none provided reliability data that met the criteria of the study. Her interpretations of her findings were harsh.…”

Section: Extending Heritage Characteristics Of the Irimentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Most important, although the validity of IRIs has rarely been questioned, the reliability of commercial versions has been challenged at regular intervals. For example, Spector (2005) reviewed previous studies on this topic and analyzed the reliability documentation and data in the manuals of nine IRIs published between 2000 and 2004. (See also Nilsson [2013/this issue], which examines reliability evidence reported in 11 new and updated IRIs and makes comparisons with Spector's earlier analysis.)…”

Section: Extending Heritage Characteristics Of the Irimentioning

confidence: 99%

The Informal Reading-Thinking Inventory: Twenty-First-Century Assessment Formats for Discovering Reading and Writing Needs—and Strengths

Manzo

2013

Reading & Writing Quarterly

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“…IRIs' use for identifying struggling readers (e.g., Morris, Ervin, & Conrad, 1996;Warrican, 2006) and for understanding unique profiles of reading difficulties has been well established (Dewitz & Dewitz, 2003). Additionally, the QRI-4 has higher levels of reliability when compared to currently available IRIs (Spector, 2005) having, for example, interrater reliability of .99 for total miscues, .98 for explicit comprehension, and .98 for implicit comprehension and alternate form reliability (different passages at the same grade level) of .88 (Leslie & Caldwell, 2006). While we followed the recommended administration procedure of the QRI-4, we concentrated our attention on Steve's performance at the sixth grade level.…”

Section: The Selection Of Assessmentsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Moving From Explicit to Implicit: A Case Study of Improving Inferential Comprehension

Yeh

McTigue

Joshi

2012

Literacy Research and Instruction

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The article describes a successful intervention program in developing inferential comprehension in a sixth grader. Steve (pseudonym) was proficient in word reading, was able to detect explicit information while reading, but struggled with linking textual information to yield integral ideas. After 10 weeks of working with Steve on word analogies, reading/composing riddles, "solving" short mystery stories, and modeling think-alouds, there was a substantial progress of Steve's logical reasoning, meta-cognitive thinking, and inferential reading skills. Practical information for teachers regarding selection of assessment instruments, assessment interpretation, as well as instructional recommendations for students demonstrating difficulty with inferential comprehension is also provided.During our initial screening at a university reading clinic, sixth grader Steve (pseudonym) displayed pride and enthusiasm of his highly accurate pronunciation and rapid oral reading performance. However, when asked follow-up comprehension questions on the readings, his initial confidence quickly faded, with anxiety replacing enjoyment. If the questions were explicit in nature, he was often able to provide text-dependent information, but usually in fragmental recalls. If the questions required an overall understanding of texts or inferential thinking, he often answered with "I don't know." Even after receiving encouragement to read with intonation and guidance for approaching implicit type of questions, his inferential comprehension was very low.We initially considered Steve's performance within the overall framework of Gough and Tunmer's (1986) Simple View of Reading (Reading = Decoding × Language Comprehension); Steve's conception of reading was only half of the picture; he was skillful in word decoding but unable to weave together relevant pieces of information. Such a decoding-based conception of reading is, unfortunately, not rare among older students who are presumed to be able to read independently for meaning (Leach, Scarborough, & Rescorla, 2003). This discrepancy may reflect the recent emphasis for fluent reading which is primarily defined by speed and accuracy. In the following sections we, his tutor and faculty supervisors, detail our work with Steve to help him become more successful at comprehension, specifically at the inferential level. Through documenting Steve's assessment and response to instruction, we are able to provide reading teachers with strategies 126 Y.-F. Yeh et al.for conceptualizing reading difficulties; diagnosing strengths and weaknesses; and designing appropriate activities for improving overall inferential reading. Further, a summary of tutoring sessions, based on recent research, and examples of Steve's progress are also provided.

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How reliable are informal reading inventories?

Cited by 24 publications

References 7 publications

Relationships between sixth-graders’ reading comprehension and two different measures of print exposure

Relationships between sixth-graders’ reading comprehension and two different measures of print exposure

The Informal Reading-Thinking Inventory: Twenty-First-Century Assessment Formats for Discovering Reading and Writing Needs—and Strengths

Moving From Explicit to Implicit: A Case Study of Improving Inferential Comprehension

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