ABSTRACT
The nature of the reading domain is discussed from the assessment point of view and a model is proposed which includes a range of contexts of performance, each pitched at a defined level of maturity. This is the differentiation by task approach to the assessment of reading in the National Curriculum. Empirical data from twenty-five teachers in Northern Ireland are reported to show that teachers who produce high-quality assessment with the tasks tailored to the individual child, are also teachers whose class average-reading scores tend to be high. The implications for teaching and testing are discussed.
