ABSTRACT
American society currently offers an availability of written materials unprecedented in any previous era of human existence, yet only a surprising few pursue a passion for reading in their adult lives (National Endowment for the Humanities, 2004). Although our nation may boast an enviable literacy rate among its population, many of its citizens are growing up leaving school and leaving reading behind. We are creating an aliterate society, one in which citizens can read, but choose not to (Gallo, 2001). Despite our best intentions, our classroom assessment strategies may discourage young men and women from appreciating written texts. In too many classrooms, daily and weekly assessments are wedded directly to end of term tests. Students read excerpts out of context and answer multiple choice questions in preparation for what they are likely to see on exams. Real reading is not happening as often as it should in secondary English classrooms; assessment pressures and practices are largely to blame.
