What is a Diagnostic Assessment Tool? Why is it important for literacy?
A diagnostic assessment tool allows for a more careful, systematic examination of a student’s literacy skills by closely examining a student’s strengths and weaknesses in specific areas of literacy skills. For example, the CORE Phonics Survey is a longer, more thorough assessment that looks at a student’s level of performance in specific aspects of phonics, such as their knowledge of consonant sounds, their knowledge of vowel sounds, their ability to read CVC words with short vowels, their ability to read consonant blends with short vowels, etc. The information from a diagnostic can be used to identify where the instructional focus for that student needs to be. The ELPATS (Early Phonemic Awareness Tool Surrey) assessment used in Kindergarten is also an example of a diagnostic assessment tool that can identify areas of phonemic awareness that would benefit from further practice for that student.
Not all students will need diagnostic assessments, as they are typically reserved for students who are identified as needing additional educational support from the standardized literacy screener. However, for students who do well on a screener, they may also benefit from a diagnostic which can show their strengths and weaknesses and provide a profile of them as a reader. A screener and diagnostic assessment tool can work well together in guiding instructional decisions in reading.
MPSD Diagnostic Assessments:
- ELPATS Kindergarten Assessment (password protected for MPSD educators only)
Curriculum Connections 