If you're looking for one of the most effective formative assessments for reading, the reading conference is it. You will gain insight into your students' reading interests, habits, and strategies. The reading conference is an essential part of the Independent Reading time. You may view a post about Independent Reading here.
Creating a reading conference binder is a way to quickly flip through anecdotal notes and checklists I have created. These include question prompts for reading strategies. I have a focus on Retelling, Relating & Reflecting for Fiction and Non Fiction texts, Activating Prior Knowledge Prompts, Monitoring Comprehension Prompts, Sensory Images Prompts, Questioning Prompts, Determining Importance Prompts, Inferring Prompts and Synthesizing Prompts. A binder cover sheet, an Independent Reading Observation as well as a Summary of Reading Observations Form is included.
I use a binder and dividers (one divider per student). Prompt sheets are placed in each student's slot. I also provide a running record using the PM Benchmark running records toolkit. I start the school year with a reading interest inventory. It's a snapshot of my students' reading interests. It also helps me choose materials students are interested in reading for my classroom library and future literature circles.
For a free printable reading interest inventory, click on the link below:
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