New reading test for six year olds
What “zort” of impact will the new reading test for six year olds have on reading levels?
The details of a proposed new reading test for six year olds in England have now been released and the inclusion of non-words such as ‘zort’ and ‘koob’ has generated much discussion.
The test, which is to be piloted in 2011, will take around 10 minutes to complete and will include approximately 40 items - both words and non-words. With figures released earlier this year indicating that in 2010 ‘15% of seven-year-olds failed to reach the expected level (level 2) in reading at Key Stage 1’, this new test should help teachers pinpoint which children have not yet reached the expected level in reading at an early stage, and thereby implement the further support they need.
The inclusion of non-words in this test will mean that a pupil’s ability to decode words using phonics can be monitored - an important feature in ensuring that children are not repeating memorised words.
Research based on studies from the Children's Test of Nonword Repetition (CN REP) has already shown that the testing of non-words is closely linked to important abilities such as vocabulary knowledge, understanding of spoken language and reading achievement. A view supported by Schools minister Nick Gibb who commented that ‘systematic synthetic phonics, taught in the first years of a child’s education, gives children key building blocks they need to understand words, underpins children’s attainment of a good standard of reading and can inspire a lifetime love of reading.’
There are a number of tests already used by teachers that include non-words or nonsense passages which have proved to have a positive impact when assessing. These tests include:
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