How do the national tests assess reading comprehension in Wales?
Pupils take national tests in reading from years 2 to 9, in Welsh, English or both. The tests are designed so that teachers in all schools will have the same information on learners’ progress, strengths and areas for improvement, measured against nationally determined criteria. The tests are not part of the measures used for school accountability. The idea is that the tests should provide diagnostic information for schools’ use.
The reading tests are made up of a series of questions about two or more short texts. Some of the questions test comprehension of the text, including asking pupils to make judgements about what they are reading.
You can find more details about the national reading tests on the Learning Wales website.
The Welsh Government has been transitioning to a system of online testing since 2019. They are phasing this change in over three years, starting with the Numeracy (Procedural) Personalised Assessment. Reading Personalised Assessments will follow in the academic year 2019/20, with Numeracy (Reasoning) Personalised Assessments the year after that. The Welsh Government plans that the current paper-based national tests will eventually be replaced by the online personalised assessments.
Useful link:
Assessment, recording and reporting using the National Literacy and Numeracy Framework.
Related Background Questions
- What is reading comprehension and why is it important?
- How is word reading related to reading comprehension?
- What are some of the challenges to good reading comprehension?
- What are the factors associated with good comprehension?
- Why is vocabulary development important for comprehension?
- How can reading comprehension best be taught?
- Does the amount of time children spend reading have an impact on their comprehension skills?
- Is there a difference between reading on screen and reading on paper in terms of comprehension?
- What does the Curriculum for Wales say about comprehension?