To monitor a new student's literacy progress over the year, which practice is most appropriate?

• A. Use only end-of-year tests.
• B. Only track attendance.
• C. Establish the starting point and compare growth over time using ongoing assessments.
• D. Rely solely on peer comparisons.

Answer: (C)

Monitoring literacy progress most effectively means measuring growth over time from a clear starting point. Begin with a reliable baseline to understand where the student stands at the start of the year. Then use regular, concise assessments that align with literacy goals to track gains in key skills—like phonemic awareness, decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension—throughout the year. This approach gives a precise picture of how the student is developing, highlights areas needing targeted support early, and lets you adjust instruction as needed to keep progress moving. End-of-year tests only show what the student could do at one moment and can miss how much growth happened; attendance doesn't measure literacy skills; and comparing to peers can ignore the individual starting point and doesn't guide tailored instruction. By establishing the starting point and monitoring growth with ongoing assessments, you have practical data to inform instruction and support the student effectively.