Overview of the Burns and Roe Informal Reading Inventory (IRI)
The Burns and Roe IRI is an assessment tool designed to evaluate a student’s reading skills from preprimer to twelfth grade. It measures word recognition, reading rate, and comprehension.
Purpose and Use of the IRI
The primary purpose of the Burns and Roe Informal Reading Inventory (IRI) is to assess a student’s reading abilities across a wide range of grade levels, typically from preprimer to twelfth grade. This assessment tool helps educators and specialists determine a student’s independent, instructional, and frustration reading levels. By identifying these levels, teachers can select appropriate reading materials that challenge students without overwhelming them, fostering a positive and effective learning environment.
The IRI can be used for various purposes, including diagnosing reading difficulties, monitoring reading progress, and informing instructional decisions. It provides valuable insights into a student’s word recognition skills, reading rate, and comprehension abilities, allowing educators to tailor their teaching strategies to meet individual student needs. Furthermore, the IRI can serve as a valuable tool for identifying students who may benefit from additional support or intervention.
Components of the Burns and Roe IRI
The Burns and Roe IRI consists of word recognition assessments, reading rate measurements, and comprehension assessments to provide a complete profile of a student’s reading abilities.
Word Recognition Assessment
The word recognition component of the Burns and Roe IRI is designed to evaluate a student’s ability to accurately decode and pronounce words. This portion typically includes graded word lists that the student reads aloud. The examiner notes any mispronunciations or hesitations. The student begins with a list that is considered easy and progresses to more difficult lists until a frustration level is reached.
The purpose is to determine the student’s independent, instructional, and frustration reading levels based on their word recognition accuracy. Analyzing the types of errors made can also provide insights into the student’s decoding strategies and areas where they need additional support. The assessment aims to pinpoint specific phonetic or structural elements that pose challenges for the reader, guiding targeted instruction.
Reading Rate Measurement
The reading rate measurement within the Burns and Roe IRI assesses the student’s speed and fluency while reading passages aloud. Typically, the examiner times the student as they read a selected passage from the inventory. The reading rate is calculated in words per minute (WPM). This metric provides insights into how efficiently a student processes text.
The assessment helps determine if the student’s reading rate is appropriate for their grade level. It also helps to identify students who may be reading too slowly, which can hinder comprehension. Analyzing both accuracy and rate provides a more complete picture of a student’s reading fluency. A smooth and adequately paced reading style often contributes to better overall reading comprehension.
Comprehension Assessment
The Burns and Roe IRI incorporates a comprehension assessment to evaluate a student’s understanding of the passages they read. After a student reads a passage, either silently or aloud, the examiner asks a series of comprehension questions. These questions are designed to assess various aspects of comprehension, including main idea, sequencing, vocabulary, details, and cause and effect relationships.
The student’s responses to these questions provide valuable information about their ability to extract meaning from the text. The questions often target specific reading skills. By analyzing the student’s answers, educators can identify areas of strength and weakness in reading comprehension. This allows for targeted instruction to improve specific comprehension skills.
Administration and Scoring of the Burns and Roe IRI
The Burns and Roe IRI is administered individually, taking approximately fifteen minutes per student; Scoring involves analyzing word recognition, reading rate, and comprehension question responses.
Procedure for Administering the IRI
Administering the Burns and Roe Informal Reading Inventory (IRI) involves a structured, one-on-one interaction between the student and the examiner. The process begins with assessing the student’s word recognition skills through graded word lists. Starting at a level believed to be comfortable, the student reads aloud from these lists. The examiner notes any mispronunciations or hesitations. This helps determine an appropriate starting point for passage reading.
Next, the student reads aloud from passages at progressively challenging levels. The examiner records oral reading errors, reading rate, and observes reading behaviors. After each passage, the student answers comprehension questions. The examiner carefully documents the student’s responses to gauge understanding of main ideas, details, vocabulary, sequence, and cause-and-effect relationships presented in the text. The entire process helps inform instructional decisions.
Scoring Guidelines and Interpretation
Scoring the Burns and Roe IRI involves analyzing word recognition accuracy, reading rate, and comprehension responses. Word recognition is typically scored based on the number of errors made while reading word lists and passages. Reading rate is measured in words per minute, providing insight into fluency. Comprehension is assessed through the student’s answers to questions following each passage.
Interpretation of the scores helps determine the student’s independent, instructional, and frustration reading levels. The independent level signifies easy reading with high comprehension. The instructional level indicates challenging but manageable material with teacher support. The frustration level suggests material too difficult for the student. This information guides educators in selecting appropriate reading materials and designing targeted interventions to improve the student’s overall reading proficiency and comprehension skills within the classroom environment.
Editions and Availability of the Burns and Roe IRI
The Burns and Roe IRI has multiple editions. It is available through various booksellers and educational resource providers, both online and in physical stores.
Different Editions of the IRI
The Burns and Roe Informal Reading Inventory has been published in several editions, reflecting updates in reading research and assessment practices. Earlier editions, such as the fifth edition, are available, but the most current edition is the eighth, published in 2011. These editions reflect evolving insights into reading assessment. Each edition of the Burns and Roe IRI aims to provide educators with a relevant and effective tool for evaluating reading abilities. The availability of multiple editions allows educators access to potentially useful information. While older versions can offer insight, the latest edition is widely used by pre-service and in-service teachers.
Where to Find the Burns and Roe IRI
The Burns and Roe Informal Reading Inventory can be found through various educational resource providers and online retailers. It is available for purchase on platforms like Amazon.com, offering both new and used copies. Educational publishers and bookstores specializing in teaching resources may also carry the IRI. Libraries and university collections sometimes hold copies of different editions for reference. Checking with educational departments at universities is useful. When searching online, use the full title “Burns and Roe Informal Reading Inventory” and specify the edition if you need a specific one. Many retailers offer free delivery on qualifying orders.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Burns and Roe IRI
The Burns and Roe IRI provides valuable insight into reading abilities. However, like all assessments, it has limitations. A balanced perspective is important for effective use.
Advantages of Using the Burns and Roe IRI
The Burns and Roe Informal Reading Inventory offers several advantages for educators assessing reading abilities. It’s a popular classroom tool, widely used by both pre-service and in-service teachers to gauge student progress. Its comprehensive nature allows for the evaluation of word recognition, reading rate, and comprehension, providing a holistic view of a student’s reading profile. The IRI includes background information on assessment techniques, aiding in effective administration and interpretation. Furthermore, the availability of word lists and comprehension questions targeting specific skills, such as main idea and vocabulary, enhances its utility. The Burns and Roe IRI helps identify a student’s independent, instructional, and frustration reading levels, informing targeted instruction and intervention strategies to improve reading outcomes. The K-12 scope makes it useful across grade levels.
Limitations of the Burns and Roe IRI
While the Burns and Roe IRI presents numerous benefits, it’s important to acknowledge its limitations. As an informal assessment, its standardization may vary depending on the administrator, potentially impacting the reliability of results across different settings. The subjective nature of interpreting reading behaviors and comprehension responses can also introduce bias. Some critics argue that the passages may not always reflect the diverse backgrounds and experiences of all students, possibly affecting their engagement and performance. Additionally, the IRI primarily focuses on oral reading, which might not fully capture a student’s silent reading comprehension skills. Furthermore, the time required for individual administration can be a constraint in busy classroom environments. The inventory may need to be supplemented with other assessments for a comprehensive reading evaluation. Finally, older editions may lack updated content.