A computer-based assessment of reading ability

Abstract

Reading ability is evaluated with a computer through its two components, word recognition and comprehension (listening comprehension and written comprehension). For word recognition, three levels of lexical representations are examined, orthographic, phonological and semantic in three different tasks. Comprehension is assessed with literal and inferential questions to examine how explicit and implicit information are extracted from the text. Data collected in more than 600 children from Grade 2 to Grade 9 are analyzed with the two measures, speed and accuracy. Interests and limits of the computerized-based tools to assess reading are underlined and discussed in conclusion.