RON MCDERMOTT spoke of SPELLING BY ROUTMAN to DAN TRIPLETT on 10-31-96
RM>Testing is for the purpose of verifying knowledge gain; if
RM>students demonstrate a knowledge gain in their writing, then
RM>some OTHER evaluation is unnecessary...
RM>DT>Couldn't the teacher also monitor student progress and
RM>DT>difficulties  (regarding spelling generally) within the writing of
RM>DT>the students?
RM>Yes, but.... You're now evaluating TWO things; a student's
RM>spelling AND their writing.  Just as with a scientific
RM>experiment, you should be narrowing the variables tested to
RM>ONE!  What if the student has difficulty getting his writing
RM>started?  What if he writes so little that you can't get a
RM>read on his spelling?  What if, in his writing, he simply 
RM>avoids all difficult spelling words?  In these cases, you
RM>would need another means of evaluation.
Good points.  I'm not familiar how this problem is handled.  I'll have 
to ask around.  And for all my dislike towards tests, every quarter I 
faced with filling out report cards on my kindergarten kids.  The only 
way I can know what they are able to do is to test them 
(individually..we sit them down and have them identify letters and 
sounds and shapes and numerals....and count.....)
I need very specific information for the report cards and I guess this 
is the only way to approach it.  Now if I didn't have to fill out those 
stupid things....then the two weeks it takes to gather all that report 
card data could be spend on other things....
Dan
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