Assessment

Definition : "Fine-grained knowledge of children's literacy performance is used in planning and teaching."

The importance of teaching based on detailed knowledge of children's literacy needs, is seen as a principle of 'best practice' for literacy teaching. In order for teachers to address the full range of literacy needs within a classroom it is most important that they find out what children know and what they need to learn so that instruction can be targeted at individual points of need.

In the study, the more effective and effective teachers frequently used assessment during both the planning and execution of classroom activities.

Many States in Australia have regular mandated standardised testing of literacy in the early years of school. It may be that teachers could use the children's results from this testing, as a basis for their teaching.