Assessing the Word Recognition Skills of German Elementary Students in Silent Reading—Psychometric Properties of an Item Pool to Generate Curriculum-Based Measurements

Abstract

Given the high proportion of struggling readers in school and the long-term negative consequences of underachievement for those affected, the question of prevention options arises. The early identification of central indicators for reading literacy is a noteworthy starting point. In this context, curriculum-based measurements have established themselves as reliable and valid instruments for monitoring the progress of learning processes. This article is dedicated to the assessment of word recognition in silent reading as an indicator of adequate reading fluency. The process of developing an item pool is described, from which instruments for learning process diagnostics can be derived. A sample of 4268 students from grades 1–4 processed a subset of items. Each student template included anchor items, which all students processed. Using Item Response Theory, item statistics were estimated for the entire sample and all items. After eliminating unsuitable items (N = 206), a one-dimensional, homogeneous pool of items remained. In addition, there are high correlations with another established reading test. This provides the first evidence that the recording of word recognition skills for silent reading can be seen as an economic indicator for reading skills. Although the item pool forms an important basis for the extraction of curriculum-based measurements, further investigations to assess the diagnostic suitability (e.g., the measurement invariance over different test times) are still pending.

Minimization of a Short Computer-Based Test in Reading

“…A more general introduction to IRT modeling in contrast to classical test theory is given by Embretson (1996). Examples for the application of IRT in the context of learning progress assessment are given by Voß and Blumenthal (2020) for item pool calibration and Anderson et al (2017) for dimensionality analysis. Also Sternberg and Grigorenko (2002) elaborate on the use of IRT in progress monitoring.…”

Continuous norming in learning progress monitoring—An example for a test in spelling from grade 2–4

“…Vocabulary and its scope also vary (cf. Voß and Blumenthal, 2020). For the construction of the item pools, the models for reading acquisition in German (Gasteiger-Klicpera and Klicpera, 2005), models for spelling (Reber and Kirch, 2013), and the recommendations of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the federal states in the Republic of Germany (KMK) for the subject German (KMK, 2005), as well as contents of selected language books for elementary school were used.…”

Fachbeitrag: Pilotierung von Leseflüssigkeits- und Leseverständnistests zur Entwicklung von Instrumenten der Lernverlaufsdiagnostik. Ergebnisse einer Längsschnittstudie in der 3ten und 4ten Jahrgangsstufe

“…B. Gebhardt, Diehl & Mühling, 2016;Voß & Blumenthal, 2020;2013). Lernverlaufstests für das Lesen sind üblicherweise als eindimensionale Konstrukte konstruiert.…”