Which assessment uses a graded series of passages of increasing difficulty to determine a student's strengths, needs, and strategies in word identification and comprehension, along with casual but sensitive observation of reading behaviors?

• A. Norm-referenced measurement
• B. Phonemic awareness assessment
• C. Portfolio-based assessment
• D. Informal reading inventory (IRI)

Answer: (D)

Assessing a student with graded passages that increase in difficulty, while also noting how they approach decoding, recognize words, and comprehend text, along with casual observations of reading behaviors, is characteristic of an informal reading inventory. This approach provides a diagnostic snapshot of word identification and comprehension at each level, revealing where a student reads smoothly, where they struggle with decoding or meaning, and what strategies they use or need to develop. The teacher’s running observations—such as fluency, self-corrections, prompting needs, and engagement—offer practical insights into instructional next steps and progress over time. By contrast, a norm-referenced measure compares performance to peers, a phonemic awareness assessment focuses on sound-level skills rather than connected text, and a portfolio collects various work samples without the standardized graded passages and real-time reading behavior observations that define an informal reading inventory.