“This practical and comprehensive guide is an essential resource for every literacy educator. The volume not only offers an array of high-utility assessment tools, but also situates their use in evidence-based understandings about literacy development. The authors offer concrete guidance for interpreting assessment results and responding with instruction. The fourth edition includes many of the features that made earlier editions so powerful, and is made even better by its enhanced focus on the intermediate grades. This is an exceptional text for preservice literacy education and for practicing teachers who are looking to extend their skills in using assessment to support students’ literacy development.”

—Gina N. Cervetti, PhD, Literacy, Language, and Culture Program, School of Education, University of Michigan


“Assessment is critical for guiding and improving reading instruction. The fourth edition of this highly readable text carries on a remarkable legacy of making assessment doable, meaningful, and authentic for teachers and scholars. Stahl, Flanigan, and McKenna comprehensively cover what should be assessed in reading, including the all-important affective domain. New to this edition are a greater focus on Latin and Greek word roots, as well as new guidance and support for assessing student retellings. The authors have truly moved the goalposts when it comes to best assessment practices in reading.”

—Timothy Rasinski, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Literacy Education, Kent State University


“The fourth edition addresses the 'whats,' 'whys,' and 'how-tos' of assessing students’ reading skills. It provides a comprehensive framework and set of tools for teachers and interventionists to identify students' needs and provide targeted instruction. The revisions and updates are clearly explicated in the introduction and first chapter. New content on assessments for middle school fills in the gaps from the third edition. This is the best reading assessment text available.”

—Lori M. Strong, PhD, Department of Literacy and Special Education, College of Saint Rose