Assessing Reading J. Charles Alderson CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESSThe Pit Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge. United Kingdom The Edinburgh Bullding, Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK 40 Wese 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211, USA 10 Stamford Road, Oaklelgh, VIC 3166, Australia Ruiz de Alarcén 13, 28014 Madeld, Spal Dock House, The Waterfront, Cape Tawn 8001, South Africa bup:/Jweww.cambridge ong © Cambridge University Press 2000 This book isin copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, rho reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press First published 2000 Reprinted 2001 Printed in the United Kingdom atthe University Press, Cambridge Typeface 9.5/13p% Uiopia [ce] A catalogue record for this book is available fom the Brits Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data applied for ISBN 0 521 $9000 0 hardback ISBN 0 521 59999 7 paperback te To my parents, John and Rose Mary Alderson. wish they had lived to see this book, for their support and encouragement to me throughout my education and beyond \were of the utmost importance. I only hope they would not ‘have been too disappointed that I did not become the Town Clerk of Burnley, as my mother hoped.Contents Series Editor's Preface Acknowledgements Abbreviations The nature of reading Variables that affect the nature of reading Research into the assessment of reading The reader: defining the construct of reading ability ‘A framework for test design Tests in the real world: test purposes Techniques for testing reading The development of reading ability The way forward. Assessing the interaction between reader and text: processes and strategies Bibliography Index page x 2 85 16 138 167 202 an 303 358 377