Measuring Reading Competence

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xi

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2. Introduction

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. The Problem with Reading Tests

      • Steven Schwartz

      Pages 3-8

3. The Current Scene

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 9-9

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   2. Reading Research and Theory

      • Steven Schwartz

      Pages 11-39

   3. Reading Tests Today

      • Steven Schwartz

      Pages 40-77

   4. Information-Processing Skills in Reading

      • Steven Schwartz

      Pages 78-110

4. Theoretically Based Reading Measures

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 111-111

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   2. Theoretically Based Decoding Measures

      • Steven Schwartz

      Pages 113-151

   3. A Theoretically Based Comprehension Measure

      • Steven Schwartz

      Pages 152-172

5. Testing and Instruction

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 173-173

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   2. Applications of Tests in Reading Instruction

      • Steven Schwartz

      Pages 175-201

   3. What the Future Holds

      • Steven Schwartz

      Pages 202-217

6. Technical Specifications

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 219-219

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   2. Specifications for Implementing the Tests

      • Steven Schwartz

      Pages 221-313

7. Back Matter

   Pages 314-343

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This book concerns measuring reading skills. It is not meant to be a compre­ hensive survey of reading research or a review of all possible approaches to reading measurement (although considerable attention is given to both subjects). Instead, the purpose of this book is to present a coherent, theoretically based approach to measuring reading competence. The ability to measure a phenomenon is an important prerequisite for scientific analysis. As Lord Kelvin said, "One's knowledge of science begins when he can measure what he is speaking about and express it in numbers." Unfortunately, not just any numbers will do. Presently available reading tests provide their users with a plethora of numbers-age levels, percentiles, grade equivalents-but their scientific value is questionable. The problem is that there is more to scientific measurement than merely assigning numbers to arbitrarily chosen behaviors. Scientific measurement occurs only within the confines of a theory, and most reading tests are atheoretical. Recent years have witnessed an explosive growth in reading research.

• Percentile
• attention
• coding
• growth
• information
• knowledge
• research
• science

• University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia

  Steven Schwartz

Policies and ethics