Assessment should be an ongoing process. Literacy assessment is not a test given at the end of a unit or a block of study, separate from the ongoing daily activities of instruction. Instead, assessment should take place every time a child reads, writes, speaks, listens, or views something. When assessment is viewed as an ongoing part of instruction, it becomes natural and expected.
Effective assessment is an integral part of instruction.
The best forms of assessment are the routine daily activities of instruction, which tell us exactly how our students are performing. By comparing the work of individual students over time, we can determine patterns of growth. When a student writes a story about her trip to visit friends, you can assess her ability to organize ideas, express herself, and use the various conventions of language. Overall, you get a picture of how effectively she constructs meaning through writing. Assessment must be authentic, reflecting 'real' reading and writing.