Critical Reading Inventory 2nd Edition- Awesome & Out-of-Print (but available)!

In my reading endorsement course I am exploring various reading inventories. There is so much out there that you could use for determining what areas your young reading students need intervention. I am not a fan of testing just for information. If the information is used for a benefit that matches or exceeds the effort required for the assessment, then I would want to learn more.

One of the inventories that seems to be worth the time of teachers and students is the Critical Reading Inventory-2nd edition (CRI-2) that was written by Applegate, Quinn, and Applegate in 2007. And, as the title of this posts states, it is now out of print! Don't let this stop you from reading on to find out why I think this is an inventory/assessment worthy of your attention. (Here is a quick link to an Amazon listing where you can buy the book and read a couple of reviews.) I'd like to point out a few features of the CRI-2 that would be of great value for our current reading focus on critical thinking.

First of all, this inventory asks you to find out about your subject/student. There is no substitute for building a rapport with your student. When there is a strong, positive relationship between teacher and student, the motivation of the student soars. This has been shown to be true in many studies. You may find this page from the American Psychological Association to be interesting and informational.

The second aspect that I find to be a great benefit is that you have assessment material for Pre-K through 9th grade! I appreciate that the older students are included. How many discipline problems in middle and high school could be avoided if a student could just read well and understand the reading!

Lastly, as we are all guiding students toward higher level/critical thinking, that is exactly what this system helps you assess. You can assess three types of comprehension that range from recalling facts to analyzing what has been read.

In a perfect world this would be paired with a system for teaching the skills that are being assessed. Maybe there is one out there. If so, please comment and let me know!

Happy Reading!

Website Review: Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity

I'm very much interested in helping students that struggle in school. The whole child is important to me: their health, their mood, their abilities, their weaknesses.  I have worked with students that have been labeled as behavioral challenges and found that many of them struggle to read and learn. Many times the behavior was a bi-product of their learning challenges. This gives me HOPE. Maybe we can help with the behavior concerns by addressing the learning needs!!! More than 80% of students with learning disabilities are struggling due to DYSLEXIA! Hello, maybe we should be addressing dyslexia in a major way! Maybe things would be different for so many...including all the other people in the dyslexic person's life. 

I found an amazing website called The Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity. The subtitle is "slow reader, out of the box thinker". I LOVE THAT! What if we were able to empower these struggling readers to embrace the creativity that many of them possess? They may find the strength to deal with the reading struggles, which CAN be helped. How amazing would that be!

Watch this video called "A Letter to My Teacher" from their website and see why I am excited!

This website is a wonderful collection of information and inspiration for those with dyslexia or those who have a stake in this: student, teacher, parent, policy maker, community (everyone). You can learn what the disability looks like, read testimonies of some people with dyslexia, and find out what is going on in politics to bring the most common learning disorder out into the forefront of our efforts in education. Did you know that over HALF of the people in prison in America are basically ILLITERATE???? I see a way to address the "school to prison pipeline" by addressing the needs of non-readers. Let's be respectful and responsive to these learners. Think of the potential impact on incarceration rates. It would be hard to list all of the knowledge I have gained form this sight. It's a treasure-trove. Check it out!