computing and pattern extension skills of numeracy. Further descriptions and instructions of these two types of tests are presented in the following chapter.
3.4 Setting tentative standards for Eastern Tamang adults
There are no standards of literacy skill levels set for adult learners either in Nepali or any indigenous languages of Nepal. Thus, I intend to propose a set of standards for
Eastern Tamang adult learners aged 15 and above, based on various research programs mentioned in Chapter 2. Trial tests or benchmarks must be conducted to confirm the
standards of literacy skill levels proposed below.
3.4.1 Standards for reading rate, accuracy, fluency, and comprehension
The Eritrea National Reading Survey Ministry of Education of the State of Eritrea, 2005 presents the following diverse reading standards proposed by various
researchers, as well as its own reading standards used for calculating the reading indices. Table 19: Standards for silent and oral reading rates
Source: NAEP
43
Guszak
44
Barr, Blachowicz, Katz, and Kaufman
45
Silent reading median rate
Oral reading minimum rate
Grade level Silent reading
Oral reading First
30-70 wcpm Age
Rate Grade
Rate Second
50-100 wcpm 60-100 wcpm
9-year-olds 117
wcpm Grade 1
60 wcpm
Third 70-120 wcpm
90-120 wcpm
43
The Eritrea survey team cited the information from Education Commission of the States. 1972. Reading rate and comprehension, 1970-71 assessment. National Assessment of Educational Progress Report 02-
R-09. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. pp.4, 53, and 98.
44
This information was cited by the Eritrea survey team from Guszak, F.J. 1985.Diagnostic reading instruction in elementary school. New York: Harper Row.pp.64.
45
This information was cited by the Eritrea survey team from Barr, R., C. Blachowicz, C. Katz, and B. Kaufman. 2002. Reading diagnosis for teachers: An instructional approach. 4
th
edition. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. pp.76.
13-year-olds 173
wcpm Grade 2
70 wcpm
Fourth 90-140 wcpm
110-140 wcpm 17-year-olds
195 wcpm
Grade 3 80
wcpm Fifth
100-150 wcpm 140-170 wcpm
Young adults 188 wcpm
Grade 4 90
wcpm Sixth
110-150 wcpm 160-190 wcpm
Source: Ministry of Education of the State of Eritrea, 2005:35-36. Words correct per minute
Table 20: Standards for reading accuracy and comprehension
Source: Betts
46
Barr, Blachowicz, Katz, and Kaufman
47
Health Science
Center of UTH
48
Reading level Accuracy
Comprehension Accuracy
Comprehension Accuracy
Independent: functioning adequately without a
teacher‘s help 99
90 or greater 98-100
90-100 95-100
Instructional: function adequately with
guidance yet still being challenged to improve
95 75-89
95-97 75-89
90-94
Doubtful Borderline: Functioning with
difficulty, struggling to sound out words, and
having difficulty with comprehension
91-95 51-88
90-94 50-74
Frustration: Not functioning
adequately and often showing signs of tension
and discomfort 90 or less
Less than 50 Below
90 Below 50
0-89
Source: Ministry of Education of the State of Eritrea, 2005:36-37. Words decoded without error; Questions answered without error
46
The Eritrea team cited the information from Betts, Emmet A. 1946. Foundations of reading instruction. New York: American Book Co. pp.449-453.
47
The Eritrea survey team cited the information from Barr, R., C. Blachowicz, C. Katz, and B. Kaufman. 2002. Reading diagnosis for teachers: An instructional approach. 4
th
edition. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. pp.253.
48
This information was cited by the Eritrea team from Health Science Center Staff. 2002. Reading standards-Division of Developmental Pediatrics, Health Science Center, University of Texas at Houston.
Table 21: Conventional reading standards for Grade 1, 3, and 5
The ―at risk‖ standards The ―on grade level‖ standards
Rate Accuracy
Comprehension Rate
Accuracy Comprehension
Grade 1 30 wcpm
90 50
50 wcpm 94
75 Grade 3
50 wcpm 92
50 80 wcpm
94 75
Grade 5 80 wcpm
92 60
100 wcpm 94
75 Source: Ministry of Education of the State of Eritrea, 2005:13, 15.
Table 22: The Eritrea reading standards
In terms of standards for reading fluency, Davis 2004:57 introduces the following four-point scale established by Zutell and Rasinski:
1 Clearly labored and disfluent slow, word-by-word, pause, sound-outs,
repetitions, lack of expression 2
Slow and choppy 60-80 wcpm, two and three word phrases, many pauses, sound-outs, repetitions
3 Poor phrasing and intonation but reasonable pace; fewer sound-outs,
repetitions, etc. 4
Fairly fluent – good pace more than 110 wcpm, longer phrases, good sense of expression and intonation.
Davis 2004:125 also suggested the following minimum skill levels for the
Machiguenga readers which could be used as criteria for success:
The ―at risk‖ standards The ― on grade level‖ standards
Rate Accuracy
Comprehension Rate
Accuracy Comprehension
Grade 1 30 wcpm
90 50
50 wcpm 94
75 Grade3
55 wcpm 92
50 80 wcpm
94 75
Grade5 80 wcpm
92 60
100 wcpm 94
75 Source: Ministry of Education of the State of Eritrea, 2005:46.
Table 23: Minimum skill levels for the Machiguenga readers
Skill level Level Description
Rate Accuracy Fluency
Comprehension Basic or
Functional Able to read text
material familiar in daily experience and
language genre which employs
potentially all of the syllables of the
language 80
spm 92
Score 2 among 1 Struggling,
syllable-by- syllable
2 Reading word-by-word
3 Reading phrase-by-phrase
4 Observance of punctuation
5 Natural, communicative
expression Score 2 among
1 Struggling, syllable-by-
syllable 2 Reading
word-by-word 3 Reading
phrase-by-phrase 4 Observance of
punctuation 5 Natural,
communicative expression
Score 3 among 1 No demonstrated
recall 2 Poor
– fragments of the passage, but not the
main topic 3 Fair
– identified the topic and evidenced
literal understanding of the most important facts
4 Good – identified the
topic and elaborated on some facts, but did not
cover all the supporting ideas contained in the
passage 5 Excellent
– identified the topic and also
reported most of the supporting information
given in the passage Intermediate Able to read with
comprehension material unrestricted
as to vocabulary and syllable patterning
but moderately sophisticated in
language genre and partially unknown in
content
Advanced or Full
Able to read unrestricted texts of
formal genre which contain new
information and abstract concepts
Syllables per minute
The educational settings for the Eastern Tamang adult learners are very different from that of adult learners in developed countries where there are well established
educational settings using mother tongues as mediums of instruction. The Eastern Tamang adults have limited teaching and learning materials, few reading materials both
at literacy class and at home, minimally trained teachers, poor facilities and utilities in rural areas, etc. Therefore, I assume the performance of the Eastern Tamang adults will
be substantially lower than that of adult learners in developed countries. Considering the
similarly poor educational settings, I prefer to refer to the Eritrea reading standards and the Machiguenga reading criteria to create the tentative reading standards for the Eastern
Tamang adult readers. I hypothesize the Eastern Tamang adult learners who have graduated from the basic course will reach the following minimum skill levels:
1 oral reading rate – 30~60 wcpm
2 oral reading accuracy – 90~92
3 oral reading fluency – score 2 according to the five-point scale of Davis
4 oral and silent reading comprehension – 51~60.
The comprehensive standards for literacy skills of the Eastern Tamang adult
learners will be presented in the following section according to the appropriate literacy skill levels determined for them.
3.4.2 Descriptions of literacy skill levels for Eastern Tamang adult learners