Assessment of reading

We use the Lexplore Anlaytics Assessment Tool to assess reading using artificial intelligence and eye-tracking technology. This assessment tool is backed by research and offers an insight into each child’s reading ability.

By measuring when, where, and how a student’s eyes move in relation to the words they are reading, the assessment quickly analyses their skills across key reading components, determines their attainment, and highlights potential barriers in a matter of minutes.

Our special-trained assessors carry out two assessment points each year. This information is then shared with teachers which they can use to listen to each child read an unfamiliar text, watch their eye-tracking movements and see their responses to comprehension questions. This allows us to rapidly put in place the interventions needed to help each child overcome these barriers as well as tracking the progress of our pupils, to ensure they are all on-track.

We also keep records of children’s reading in individual, paired and reading group sessions, as well as detailed phonics assessments for children accessing phonics instruction, so that we can use all our data to build a profile of each child as a reader. This ensures that:

• children receive any necessary interventions;
• assessment informs planning for progression;
• children make good progress.

National Assessments

In Year One, all children take part in the Phonics Screening Check during the month of June. The Screening checks that all children have learnt phonics decoding and blending skills. At school, we use this data to analyse our own performance. Results are reported to parents at the end of the Summer Term. Children who do not reach the expected standard retake the test in Year Two. See the phonics screening YouTube video below.

In Years Two and Six, as parts of KS1 and KS2 National Curriculum Assessments , (SATs) children take a reading test. The test consists of a selection of short texts to read, which they then answer questions about in a booklet, giving them space to answer the questions.

Click on the link below to find out more about the KS2 Reading SATs test.

https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/at-school/primary-school-assessment-tests/ks2-sats/ks2-sats-reading/