Knowing the learner

Because each learner will have a unique set of words that are personally significant or useful to them, assessment must be individualised.

Some suggested assessment activities include:

• asking the learner to tell you about words they need to read (you may need to prompt with examples)
• writing these words as the learner tells you (use lower case printing or, better still, word-process them)
• checking – ask the learner to read the words aloud
• discussing the significance and use of the words with them
• using flashcards or charts of these words to check which words the learner can recognise on sight, and
• using a wider set of words that are relevant to the learner, reading them aloud. Ask the learner to select (or select them yourself) words they need to know.