TESTING READING

SKILLS
 AT THE END OF THIS LESSON, YOU ARE EXPECTED TO:

● Describe the different types of reading and text

comprehension tests.
● Determine the appropriate use of reading test for a
particular competency; and
● Construct varied types of reading and text
comprehension tests.
 INTRODUCTION:
Reading skills consist of a continuum of basic pre- reading abilities to
advanced reading competencies. Learners must be taught to interact
with printed materials as they encounter varied forms of print media
throughout their life span. At the elementary grade level,it is crucial
that reading skills developed on the bases of the needs and concerns
of the learners. At the lower levels, reading assessment begin with
the pre-reading abilities like efficient word recognition processes, a
large vocabulary knowledge, grammar knowledge under time
limitations and ability to interpret text meaning.
 Nunan 2015 ) suggested the following guidelines in constructing
reading tests.

1. Reading Readiness Tests- to prepare the learners from nonreaders, they are
taught essential skills and are tested to lead them to succeed in reading. These
test include

A. Instant Letter recognition- test items involve the learners to

recognize letter, shapes, letter names, the sequemce of the
letter in the alphabet, and identification of upper and lower
case manuscript letters.
Sample test items:
Put a check ( ✅) in the blank to all words that begin with letter A.

______ ball ______ apple _______cat _______ ant ______ Angel

Arrange the names alphabetically:

Dante Bert Chona Abby Edgar Greta Freida

B. Phonological/ Phonemic awareness - it measures learners ability to recognize
words as composed of different sound components, including the understanding
of phonemes (smallest sound unit) syllables ( part of a word) and rhyme ( ending
sound of words similar to the end of another word. Test items also involve the
learners in segmenting words, syllables, phonemes, blending sounds to form
words, recognizing ending sounds that rhyme and omitting syllables and sounds
and sound substitution and manipulation.

Test situations that measure phonological awareness include the following:

1. Tell me how many different sounds are there in the following words:
cat dog bed get ten
2. Say Yes if the two words I say have the same sound at the end, like food and wood; Say No if
they do not have the same sound, like bed and foot,
Let us begin:
Sit - feet wing - then going - seeing dog - wood
3 I will say a word in a funny way. Then put the parts together and say the whole word. For
example, I say pen-cil. Let us start.

Cra-yon black-board win-dow pho-to

C. Reading concepts- items in this test ask learners to recognize
similarities and differences of concepts, identifying initial, medial and
final sounds, understanding before and after concepts, recognizing
voiced and unvoiced sounds, blocked and unblocked sounds and
vowels and consonants.

Sample Items:

What makes BET and BAT different?

What word rhymes with PAGE? Date cage wait break

What letter comes before/after H?

D. Reading recognition- learners in this test are asked to determine sound-symbol
corrrespondence and read phonetically regular words.

Sample test item:

Draw lines to match the word with a it names.

01 Ball

02 Van

03 flower
E. Handwriting- items that measure this ability include asking the learners to produce
lowercase manuscript letter strokes as well as numeral strokes.

F. Vocabulary- items described in the previous lesson apply here.

2. Reading Comprehension Test- this test measures the ability of the learners to
derive meaning from a text/passage/selection read. The five dimensions, as
explained in chapter 6, are sources of the varied types of test items that could be
constructed.

a. Literal questions ( reading what is directly stated in the

passage) Question whose answers are directly found in
the selection.

Examples: Who are the characters in the story?

What happened when the boy released the bird?
What crops do they grow in Mang Ramon’s farm?
What made jonas cry?
 B. Interpretative questions ( reading between the lines ) items
require the learners to put together the information presented in
the selection to give a correct answer.

Questions belonging to this category of comprehension include:

Getting the main idea: What does the paragraph tell about air pollution?

Deriving ,meaning through context:: After Mario answered, the teacher

commented: “you hit the nail on its head.” what does the teacher mean?

Sequencing events: Based on the details presented in the story , arrange the
following events in the order in which they happened.

Inferring character traits: Based on the description Ana, which of the following
would appropriately describe her?
C. Applied/Intergrative (reading beyond the lines) - learners are asked questions
whose answers are based on their ability to make connections of the
information read their life experiences and knowledge.

Examples of skills and questions are :

Drawing conclusions: From the circumstances presented in the selection, what

conclusion can you make?

Distinguishing fact and opinion: Relying on the information presented in the

selection, which of the following is a fact or an opinion?

Making decision/suggestions: If you were the judge in the story, what would be
your ruling to the case?

Giving alternative endings: If you were the author, how would you end the
story?
 Sample Reading Comprehension Test:
Directions: Read the passage carefully , the answer the comprehension questions that follow:

When you study the origin of the word “zamboanga” you will learn that it
means “ place of mooring poles.” So many beachhomes fastened to poles
driven on the beach, float along the sea wall. The coconut palms around the
city look like a picture postcard. It is described as an orchid on the edge of
star-splashed, tropical sea. The climate seas invigorating. Muslims with their
red and yellow turbans, colorful jackets and tight silk trousers add color to the
city.
Sample Comprehension Questions:
Literal questions (recognizing details):

According to the passage, what makes Zamboanga look like a picture

postcard?
A. The coconut palms C. The mango trees
B. The tropic sea D. The floating homes
Inferential question ( inferring meaning through context):

When a place is described as an orchid, what kind of place is it?

The place is-
A . beautiful C. Progressive
B. sweet- smelling D. Blooming

3. Non- prose Reading Tests- this group of test uses chart ,

maps, product labels, signs and symbols, menus and other
materials that use minimal words to explain something.
They serve as stimulus materials that serve as bases for
learners to answer literal, interpretative and applied
questions presented in the multiple-choice format.
 Sample Non-prose Reading Test:

Directions: study the mobile phone ownership among Grade6 pupils in Lal-
lo Elementary School. The answer the questions that follow.

Number of Mobile Phone Owners by Grade Level

1. Which grade has the most number of mobile phone
owners? Literal questions
a. Grade 4 b. Grade 5 c. Grade 6

2. What does the graph tell about mobile phone

ownership? Inferential question
b. As grade level increases, mobile phone ownership
increases.
c. As grade level increases, mobile phone ownership
decreases.
d. As grade level increases, more females own mobile
phones.
THANK YOU
FOR LISTEN,
LOOK AND
LISTEN AND
LEARNED!!