Rereading: Effect on Error Patterns and Performance Levels on the IRI.

Abstract

THE INFORMAL reading in ventory (IRI) has long been rec ognized as an invaluable instrument in both clinical and classroom situ ations. Its use has been advocated by reading authorities as a credible diagnostic tool which can readily be used to place students in different functional reading levels and to help ascertain specific oral or silent read ing skill deficiencies in need of reme diation. Data obtained from the administration of an IRI are con sidered valid and reliable because materials used are similar to those used in actual reading lessons. Although the use of the informal reading inventory has been recom mended for more than fifty years, several questions regarding proce dural considerations remain unre solved. A discrepancy exists between the procedure followed in teaching a reading lesson and that used in the administration of an IRI. In a regu lar reading lesson, it is suggested that silent reading should precede oral reading. However, standard diagnos tic procedures using informal read ing inventories call for the student to read a selection orally at sight. Har ris (1970) suggests that this proce dure must be followed, otherwise many of the mispronunciations and hesitations made would be elimi nated upon rereading in diagnosis. Powell (1973), on the other hand, states that the uniqueness of freshly presented material to be read adds to the uncertainty faced by the reader. Therefore, errors made under such conditions would then not necessar ily reflect particular decoding in abilities of the student. Smith (1973) says that often readers have to un derstand the passage read before they can successfully decode many words. The results of a student read