Abstract
The identification of children at-risk for reading problems can be costly and time-consuming. Previous research has indicated that teachers are relatively accurate in assessing children's overall reading ability. This study investigated the accuracy of kindergarten and first grade teacher rating scales in predicting children's reading scores on assessments in kindergarten, first, third, and fifth grades. The sample included 8,806 children from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten cohort (ECLS-K). Results demonstrated that teacher ratings significantly predicted children's later reading scores through fifth grade. The practical implications of the results are discussed in relation to early identification of children at-risk for learning disabilities in reading.
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Scatter plots are available from the first author.
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This article was based on research conducted as part of a doctoral dissertation by the first author.
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Titley, J.E., D’Amato, R.C. & Koehler-Hak, K.M. Utilizing Teacher Ratings of Student Literacy to Identify At-Risk Students: an Analysis of Data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study. Contemp School Psychol 18, 59–68 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40688-013-0005-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40688-013-0005-3