The Problem with Reading Tests

Abstract

The ability to read is an invaluable asset in our modern, technologically oriented society. Given the importance of reading and of identifying those who will have difficulty learning to read, it is no surprise that many attempts have been made to develop practical measures of reading skills. Today, there are dozens of commercially available reading tests that may be used to determine who is having trouble learning to read. Indeed, it seems that reading tests have probably reached the maximum predictive power attainable given the usual restrictions on time and expense. Unfortunately, this concentration on predictive validity (predicting who will have trouble learning to read) has overshadowed attempts to examine reading competence at a more theoretical level. The purpose of this book is to begin to redress the balance by showing how theoretically meaningful reading measures may be developed.