The TEAL Reading and Vocabulary assessment for EAL students (RVEAL) is intended for Years 3 – 10 students who are independent readers at B1 – B3 or C1 – C4 levels. It is not an appropriate assessment for students who are not literate in their first language or for Foundation – Year 2 (A1, A2) students. Consider the following recommendations before your students undertake TEAL RVEAL:
- In your other assessments (including informal assessments), check that students can achieve some of the indicators listed at that stage (e.g. at B1, students can ‘read independently simple familiar texts and respond appropriately’ and ‘read some previously encountered words and phrases in new contexts’). This provides information about student readiness for an independent assessment. As the Reading and Vocabulary assessment tool cannot assess all indicators, be prepared to use other forms of assessment to elicit information about other indicators. Refer to the TEAL Reading and Vocabulary Assessment Framework to find out more about which indicators are assessed.
- Administer the sample assessment to your students so that they can complete the actual assessments independently. Ensure that students are comfortable on the computer and know how to manipulate the mouse. This may mean giving students computer game activities in order to familiarise them with online testing applications. During the assessment, students can expect to encounter a range of question types including multiple-choice, tick the box or tick multiple boxes, drag and drop to match words to items or to sequence events, and select from a drop-down menu. Completing the sample assessment will ensure that all students are familiar with the different item types.
- Ensure that computers are available and that you have the necessary login details. With younger and less literate students, it may be necessary to log in for them. If several students are sitting the assessment at the same time, ensure that you have activities to occupy students who complete the assessment early.
- Set aside time to observe your students so you can note which questions they find difficult. Be prepared to intervene if students have problems with manipulating the computer but not if students have difficulty reading what is on screen.
