ERIC Number: ED610806
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Aug
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-
EISSN: N/A
The Use of Dynamic Assessment in the Evaluation of Early Literacy Skills. EBP Briefs. Volume 14, Issue 4
Nelson-Strouts, Kelley; Gillispie, W. Matthew; Bridges, Mindy
EBP Briefs (Evidence-based Practice Briefs)
Clinical Question: When assessing a kindergarten student in the area of early reading skills, does dynamic assessment provide additional classification accuracy over and above static, standardized assessments when determining if the student exhibits a difference in early learning experiences or a true disorder? Method: Systematic Review. Study Sources: PsycINFO, ERIC, ASHAWire, forward search of previously selected articles Search Terms: dynamic assessment OR dynamic test* AND reading OR phonological awareness OR phonemic awareness. Number of Studies Included: 7. Primary Results: Dynamic assessment was found to add variance over and above static, standardized assessments to the prediction of students' performance on oral reading fluency, word identification, and letter/sound deletion tasks. Dynamic assessment consistently increased the classification accuracy when used alone or in combination with static, standardized assessments of early literacy. Dynamic assessment consistently met acceptable criteria for sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve. Most authors of dynamic assessments of early literacy did not provide clear cut points or other guidelines for interpretation of scores. When provided, appropriate cut points varied based on the group being tested. Rarely did studies of dynamic assessments of early reading include measures of modifiability, which has been shown to further improve DA's classification accuracy. Conclusions: Six of the seven review articles showed either compelling or suggestive evidence for the use of dynamic assessment in the screening and evaluation of early literacy disorders of younger elementary-age students. Only one article was found to have equivocal evidence. No articles found strong evidence against dynamic assessment. Although dynamic assessments are not as straightforward to design and administer as static, standardized assessments, with support from the literature, clinicians can feel confident in choosing to incorporate them into evaluations of early literacy skills.
Descriptors: Alternative Assessment, Emergent Literacy, Evaluation Utilization, Kindergarten, Young Children, Classification, Accuracy, Reading Skills, Standardized Tests, Predictive Validity, Test Interpretation, Elementary School Students
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Publication Type: Information Analyses; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Kindergarten; Primary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: NCS Pearson, Inc.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A