Reading Analysis Tool (RAT)

These dimensions focus on comprehension of a text (they do not include decoding skills). One approach is to meet with students one-on-one and ask them to stop at key points to share their thinking about the text. These “thought pauses” can be planned out ahead of time (e.g., open-ended comprehension prompts positioned at strategic times) or created in the moment if/when you notice that a student is struggling or hesitating. Another way is to prepare a text with built-in spaces and cues to fill in with thoughts, either written or verbal (to you or to a partner). Record important oral responses.

Dimension 1: Analyzes textual language to construct meaningThis dimension focuses on how a student analyzes the language of ideas in text and uses the language to construct meaning. Use the following criteria to formatively assess during a student’s reading of a text.

Student uses a range of textual features (aspects of print such as letter sounds, word meanings, syntax, connectives, paragraphs) in order to construct meaning and resolve confusion or gaps in understanding, if confusion exists.

Strong & Consistent Evidence Inconsistent or Occasional Evidence Evidence of Attempting No attempts

Rationale for assessment

Dimension 2: Uses appropriate comprehension strategies to construct meaning

This dimension aims to uncover how a student uses comprehension strategies to construct the intended meaning(s) of a text. Use the following criteria to formatively assess during a student’s reading of a text.

Uses appropriate comprehension strategies (i.e., asks and answers questions; makes useful connections, predictions, and inferences; summarizes to clarify, etc.) to reinforce their understanding or resolve confusion.

Strong & Consistent Evidence Inconsistent or Occasional Evidence Evidence of Attempting No attempts

Rationale for assessment

© 2017 Jeff Zwiers jeffzwiers.org

Dimension 3: Determines and describes central idea(s) and theme(s) of a text

There are three ways to elicit evidence for Dimension 3: (a) Meet one-on-one with a student to elicit verbal or written language about the text that corresponds to the criteria below; (b) prepare an “after reading guide” ahead of time, prompting the student to share their thinking about the text through writing or (c) ask the student to share orally with a partner using a scaffold such as the ‘after reading guide.’

Describes the central idea(s) (if an informational text) or plot (if a narrative text) coherently and provides appropriate evidence and details from the text to support ideas. If it is a narrative text or poem, student also identifies themes likely intended by the author, supporting the themes with evidence from the text.

Strong & Consistent Evidence Inconsistent or Occasional Evidence Evidence of Attempting, but focuses on extraneous information and/or does not

provide textual information to support idea. No attempts

Rationale for assessment

© 2017 Jeff Zwiers jeffzwiers.org