Diagnostic Test

p Informal Reading Inventories

Name

Institution

This article by Flippo et . al explains the study conducted by a graduate class on exploring various diagnostic assessment options that can help guide literacy instruction for specific students (as cited in Flippo et al , 2009 ,

.79 .The focus on Informal Reading Inventories , otherwise known as the IRIs , because it is the most popular tool in assessing individual students ' word recognition , oral reading strengths , weakness , fluency ,and comprehension through graded word lists and passages (p .79 . It goes a long way back in

1946 but it has retained its popularity , despite the influx of new teaching techniques IRIs are helpful to educators because they are comprehensive with the new techniques available , it is very easy for a teacher to get confused Also , IRIs tend to lack specifications . Finding the right IRI is likened to purchasing a car what may work for one student may not work for another . The challenge for teachers is to carefully pick out IRIs that suit the children 's individual needs at the same time , the IRIs must be suitable with the teacher 's teaching style

The researchers in this study wanted to find out how IRIs can be effectively utilized by teachers , given the fact that they are too general and may not address the individual needs of both the teacher and the students . The goal of the graduate class that conducted this study was to help teachers narrow the offerings to those most appropriate for their classroom...