Brief Initial Reading Conferences Can Reveal Strengths and Next Steps

In this initial conference, Mary and Gail are able to observe and identify many of the skills Fatima has brought to first grade. It only takes about two minutes to discover strengths and what they might like to pursue next with her.

Initial conferences are a perfect way to gather essential information about our children. In our experience, these informal conferences are highly preferable to popular one-minute timings of nonsense words or passages where a child's reading rate is reported. If the purpose of assessment it to gather valuable information that will guide and direct our instruction, it's hard to beat a conference with authentic reading and conversation.