Formative Assessment & Differentiated Support
American Reading Company’s Independent Reading Level Assessment® (IRLA®) is a game-changing formative assessment for reading that changes the daily behaviors of teachers, students, and administrators.
Formative Assessment
The IRLA's Developmental Reading Taxonomy® begins with phonics and proceeds through vocabulary & knowledge developmental sequences. The IRLA delivers specific, actionable data that tells the teacher where a student is, why, and the sequence of skills/behaviors needed to learn next to accelerate reading growth.
The Evaluación del nivel independiente de lectura® (ENIL®) is a developmental reading taxonomy for students, paralleling the Independent Reading Level Assessment (IRLA) while reflecting how the stages of learning to read differ between Spanish and English.
How It Works
Each scenario below will give you a peek into the power of the IRLA as a formative assessment tool, scripted and aligned intervention program, and digital progress monitoring tool. This three-pronged approach works quickly to put students in need of additional support on a path to proficiency.
Example 1 — Student A
The teacher uses the IRLA's Phonics Infrastructure to screen every student for Phonics Gaps. Let's go over what happens with Student A.
Student A can decode greater than 70% of the short vowel VC, CVC or CCVC, CVCC words in the 1G/2G column.
Student A is unable to decode greater than 70% of the words in the 1B column. The student specifically struggles with VCe words.
From Step 1, we know Student A has the phonics skills to independently read and comprehend decodable texts in 1G/2G. The teacher confirms this with a short cold read passage.
Student A can now independently practice reading in lots of decodable (2G) books.
Based on the initial assessment it seems like what Student A needs to learn next is the CVCe rule. The teacher double checks and confirms using the one-syllable decoding check.
The teacher uses the recommended set of CVCe scripted lessons and decodables to help Student A master this skill as quickly as possible.
As soon as Student A learns this skill, teacher and student move on to R controlled vowels, vowel teams, or whatever the next skill they identify. This cycle of assessing, instructing, and monitoring progress continues for each skill gap Student A has as they march towards proficiency.
Example 2 — Student B
The teacher uses the IRLA’s Phonics Infrastructure to screen every student for Phonics Gaps. Let’s go over what happens with Student B.
Student B reads across a few rows, reading every word correctly, which demonstrates their ability to decode:
- ✓ 1G/2G: Short vowel VC and CVC, CCVC, and CVCC words
- ✓ 1B: Words with final -e and vowel team syllables
- ✓ 2B: Inflectional endings and other two-syllable words
- ✓ 1R: Affixes and regularly spelled three-syllable words
- ✓ 2R: Any tier 1 word regardless of phonics irregularities
Because Student B has no phonics gaps, the teacher uses the IRLA's Vocabulary Infrastructure to assess Student B's current level of vocabulary and knowledge.
The teacher checks if Student B has the vocabulary and knowledge for third-grade texts (WT). Student B defines erupt, glimmer, and prey, showing both vocabulary and science knowledge, plus the ability to give synonyms.
Next, the evaluation checks whether Student B has the vocabulary and knowledge to read 4th-grade texts (BK). Student B identifies burrow as an animal's home in the ground, but struggles to define additional words with ease.
Based on the information gathered in steps 2 and 3, Student B should have the skills needed to independently read and comprehend 3rd-grade texts (WT). The teacher confirms this with a short cold read passage.
The next step for Student B depends on their grade level. The examples below illustrate how a path forward might look different for Student B if they are a 3rd grader reading on-grade level vs a 5th grader reading at a 3rd grade reading level.
If Student B is in 3rd Grade reading proficiently:
As long as Student B's school uses a high quality, knowledge building Tier 1 curriculum (like ARC Core), Tier 1 instruction will help Student B build the knowledge, vocabulary, and reading, thinking, and writing skills required to make at least a year of growth.
If Student B is in 5th Grade reading 2 years below grade-level:
Student B needs to catch up, right now. The right Tier 1 curriculum will help "pull", but Student B also needs intervention to "push". Student B's teacher uses the recommended set of scripted lessons and aligned texts to help Student B master their next skill and move on to the next — working towards grade-level proficiency as quickly as possible.
Example 3 — Student C
There are students of all ages who have phonics and vocabulary gaps. Regardless of their grade, students can progress toward grade level proficiency at a fast pace. The process for older students is the same. The major difference is the use of lower complexity, higher interest books for students in secondary classrooms.
Let's go over what happens with Student C who is a middle school student.
Student C can decode greater than 70% of the inflectional endings and other two-syllable words in the 2B column.
Student C is unable to decode greater than 70% of the words in the 1R column. The student specifically struggles with regularly spelled three-syllable words.
From step one we know that Student C has the phonics skills to handle decodable texts in 2B. The teacher confirms this with a short cold read passage.
Student C can now do reading practice on their own in 2B books.
Based on the initial assessment, it seems that Student C needs to learn how to decode regularly spelled three-syllable words next.
The teacher uses the recommended set of three-syllable scripted decoding lessons and decodable books to help Student C master this skill as quickly as possible.
As soon as Student C learns this skill, teacher and student move on to the next essential skill that is needed in a rapid march to proficiency.
Watch It in Action
Watch educators use the IRLA formative assessment to conference with students and determine what they know now and what they will learn next.
The Guide to IRLA Coaching with Multilingual Learners is organized to provide high-leverage Power Goals specific to students who are developing reading skills as they acquire English-language proficiency, and vice versa.
Learn More
- IRLA Validity
- ENIL Validity
- Online Performance Management
- Text Complexity
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