Which formative assessment method can a teacher use to check students' reading comprehension?

Reading fluency assessments are an effective formative assessment method for checking students' reading comprehension because they evaluate a student's ability to read text smoothly and with understanding. This type of assessment typically involves listening to students read aloud and then asking comprehension questions or having them summarize what they read. By focusing on both accuracy and prosody—how the words are read—teachers can gain insights into a student’s understanding of the text.

Reading fluency is closely tied to comprehension; students who read fluently are more likely to focus on the meaning of the text rather than getting bogged down by decoding difficulties. Therefore, assessing reading fluency allows teachers to make informed instructional decisions, provide targeted interventions, and support students’ development in reading comprehension.

While other assessment methods have their merits—standardized tests may provide a broader measure of student performance, behavioral observations can yield insights into student engagement and participation, and end-of-year exams assess cumulative knowledge—they do not offer the ongoing, immediate feedback that formative assessments like reading fluency assessments provide. This immediate feedback helps teachers adjust their teaching strategies to meet the needs of their students effectively.