How can teachers assess a student's understanding of reading strategies?

Assessing a student's understanding of reading strategies through observation during reading sessions is highly effective because it allows teachers to evaluate how well students are applying those strategies in real-time. Observation enables educators to see firsthand whether students utilize techniques such as summarizing, questioning, predicting, or making connections while engaging with texts. This direct insight into students' thinking processes and behaviors during reading provides valuable context for understanding their strategic competencies.

In contrast, standardized testing focuses on measuring knowledge in a fixed manner, which may not capture the nuanced understanding and application of specific reading strategies. Quizzes on reading comprehension assess students’ ability to recall or infer information, but they may not reveal how students are employing strategies to arrive at those answers. Reviewing homework completion rates provides information about a student's overall engagement but does not directly measure their application or understanding of reading strategies. Thus, observing students in action offers a comprehensive view of their reading strategy use.