Reading Assessment

Reading is one of four skills in English. To be efficient readers, they need to know the strategies to read. They are bottom-up and top-down, and the ability to develop appropriate content and formal schemata to have effective interpretation. They should know what their purpose in reading the text, the strategy, and how they can remain the information of reading text. 

The assessment of reading ability is not to measure the reading comprehension, but also to know how learners use strategies to full understanding. While assessing reading, the test-takers or teachers should consider some points, such as the types of reading text, the component, specific task, even the unobservable nature of reading like reading which cannot be used to assess reading ability because we cannot see the process of reading.

There are some types of written text can be used to assess reading skill based on the purpose. For Academic Reading, the suitable reading texts are general interest of readers such as magazine; technical report such as lab reports; reference material such as dictionary; test book, essay, opinion writing, and the like. Then, for Job-related reading, the texts can be letters, email, memo, repots or job evaluation, financial document, schedule, and others. The last is for Personal Reading, the texts can be newspaper, magazine, comic, novel, notes, menu, short stories, medical report, and so on.

The ability of reading and strategies used are also important things that should be considered while giving assessment, even to be assessed. There are two types how to assess reading skills here. They are micro-skill for reading, and macro-skill for reading.